Mantra By Shalini James!

Being an ardent  lover of Indian textiles,just couldn't hold back my self from sharing the Indian By choice by "Mantra Design Studio"

Mantra Design studio is a venture by Shalini James.Indian textiles and textile crafts are used optimally to create a chic look.Mantra is distinguised by its sense of design and Indian rustic colours.

I would always go with what their Mantra is :)-Yes it is  a lovely potpourri of beautiful Indian textiles in silhouettes that are sometimes traditional, sometimes contemporary and mostly, a unique mix of both!They have long jackets, angrakhas, embroidery, hints of Zari, textures, Kalamkaris, Mashru, a touch of velvet, stoles with frayed edges, printed pants, anarkalis, layering, palazzos, soft printed muls and so on .. a collage of fabrics is what it is! However, still, very Indian by choice!

They were in news recently coz they designed the sarees for the school of dance" Mamangam "By the film person Rima Kallingal.

  

Mamangam ,the dance school at Kochi and the person behind it..the stunning "Rima Kallingal"

more mantra for handloom sarees

stunning collage by Mantra for the look book

this work is yet to reach the online stores:)-

Shop for Mantra here

All Images form Pinterest and Courtesy @ Mantra..
All images conceptualised shot @ Mantra.
Ask their permission before you use it anywhere else!

Splendour of The Chitoor Kottaram

The Mansion next door to the famous "Chittorappan Temple" in Ernakulam ,Chitoor and very near/stones throw distance from my Aunts house had always intrigued me.The mansion was none other than the splendorous "Chittoor Kottaram" that was built nearly 50 yards from the temple.The Raja of Cochin built this palace to cater to the use of the Raja during his regular visits to the shrine.

The Kottaram /Palace steeps in history and folklores of the time when the Rajas ruled Kerala.Suresh Nampoothiri gave us a warm welcome and this visit of mine happened some years back and he had told me about the "kottaram" being run by CGH earth for catering to the tourists.As told by him the restoration activities was quite a challenge for him,as he got all tiles replaced,the granite pathways,the teak doors,flooring detailing and wood work too..The athangudi tiles were added for more royal look.Glass door were put in at the entrance on the ground floor to provide more light and the furnitures replicated from old designs .The palace exudes in grandeur..Enjoy with the Periyar river flowing next to it its a paradise for sure!

the grandeur..

notice the columns and the sides

inside out

the long corridors..

the swings and the athangudi tiles

wonderful place to rest,read and have your tea

the back side 

the trees and the tropical lush greenery

shadows cast a magic

onto the periyar river

the wooden stairs

beautiful are these windows

in love with the corridors

the separate dining room

the umbrella  from earlier times made with palm leaves

the temple pond entry

as we sat down to relax

its beautiful:)-

All Images Idea:Lakshmi Arvind

Please do not copy elsewhere ..without the prior permission

The fine Dining at Malabar House@Fort Kochi

The Malabar House is one of the finest and elegant Boutique Hotels in Fort Kochi. We had an awesome experience at Malabar house this monsoon.Having blogged about it years earlier at the starting of this blog,it was  always an experience of the lifetime there.

Even if we happened to be in the same place year after year,practically going to all places we wished would always turn out to be difficult for us.But this time things turned real from the moment we stepped inside:)The Glimpse of an amazing lunch we had at Malabar house

Burning reds and bronze

lush greenery

deep reds

white washed columns

greet you

monsoon shadows

ambience created by reds

simple ,but striking

coolness radiated in the monsoons

in the garden

the courtyard

the peaches dominate

wine lounge

the stone carvings

the dining experience

the inside area of dining...one with nature

 All Images Lakshmi Arvind

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