Valluvanad region in central Kerala has a rich history of arts and culture. Historically, the banks of river Bharatappuzha have proved to be fertile grounds for the development of a unique culture, many art forms as well as a distinctly flavoured Malayalam language & literature.  Valluvanad is home to ancient temples which are nothing less than architectural wonders, centuries-old murals, personalities who revolutionized the cultural scenario of Kerala and many reputed cultural institutions propagating traditional Malayali art forms and culture.

It makes us happy and proud that we could embark on our small endeavour in an area with such a magnificent heritage.  This is an ideal location for nurturing the unique concept of multicultural exploration and exchange, which we carry in our hearts after our elevating experience at Vijnana Kalavedi, Aranmula.

The Center

The Center is located in Nagarippuram village, Pathirippala, just 20 minutes from each of the nearest towns, Palakkad and Ottappalam. Nagarippuram is a small village with basic amenities like a post office, small shops, auto rickshaw stand and telephone booths. It is located on the Pathirippala – Kongad road with good bus service.  Pathirippala, which is the nearest junction, is just ten minutes walk away and has all facilities like ATMs, internet cafes, bakeries, juice bars, hotels, textile shops, medical shops, stationary shops, travel agents etc.

How to Reach

By Air

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Kerala has three international airports, namely, Thiruvananthapuram in the southern region, Cochin in the central region, and Calicut in the northern region. Since Pathirippala is equally accessible from Cochin and Calicut, you can try to find direct flights to either of these cities. There is also an airport in Coimbatore which is in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu but only about 2 hours away from Pathirippala. You can also choose to fly to Mumbai, in northern India, or Chennai, in Tamil Nadu, and travel further to Kerala by air or rail.

You can book seats on most domestic flights in India online. The earlier you plan your travel and book your seats, the cheaper it might be. You can compare the flight rates of various airlines like Indian Airlines, Kingfisher Airlines, Jet Airways, Paramount Airways, Spice Jet etc and choose your flight.

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By Rail
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Palakkad, the nearest major railway station, is 30 km from Pathirippala. There are other smaller railway stations nearby, but only a few trains stop at these.

For all information regarding trains between two stations, train timings, seat availability, fares etc you can visit the Indian Rail Information website.

Your seats can be booked online on the Indian Railways website. The seat reservation facility is available from 90 days prior to the date of travel. Seats in popular trains get reserved very fast so it is preferable that you reserve your seats well in advance. There are also facilities of booking tickets in the Tatkal or Emergency quota, the Ladies’ quota or the Foreign Tourist quota in some trains. Emergency tickets can only be booked 3 days prior to the date of travel.

For short distance trains, called passenger trains, it is enough to buy your tickets at the railway station before boarding the train.

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By Road
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It is also possible to travel to Pathirippala from Calicut, Cochin or Coimbatore by bus but this might mean a change of at least two buses which can be tedious with luggage.  You can book your seats for a particular bus at counters at the main bus stations or buy the tickets in the bus. Traveling from Cochin or Coimbatore you have to take a bus to Palakkad first. Then another to Pathirippala. Once at Pathirippala, you can take a bus (Rs 4), auto rickshaw (Rs 20) or walk (10 minutes) to the Center.

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We advice you to download, print and keep the route details for your journey to the center.