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!

A Heritage Hotel at Fort Kochi

To tell you all some thing about the much acclaimed Kochi,
Fort kochi is one of the main urban components that constitute the present day City of Kochi in the Indian State of Kerala, the other two being Mattancherry and Ernakulam. The most accepted theory is that the name derives from kochazhi which, in Malayalam, denotes "small lagoon".A major flood in AD1341 threw open the estuary at Kochi,till then a landlocked region turns into one of the finest harbours of the world.

* The first part of the name Fort Kochi comes from the fort, Fort Emmanuel, behind which the Portuguese built their settlement and a wooden church, which was rebuilt in 1516 as a permanent structure and which today is known as the St Francis Church.

* Fort Kochi remained a Portuguese possession for 160 years. In 1683 the Dutch wrestled from the Portuguese and held as their possession for 112 years until 1795, when the British took control by defeating them.
* Four hundred and forty four years of foreign control of Fort Kochi ended in 1947 with the Indian independence.
* A mix of old Portuguese, Dutch and British houses from these colonial periods line the streets of Fort Kochi. *Kochi is a jewel in the crown of Kerala with its true heritage.

The Heritage Hotels in Kochi are actually the heritage mansions, landmarks or Havelis of some great men of the by gone era. These people have passed away leaving behind these huge houses at the perusal of the admiration of the guests. Since ages they have added on to the list of awes and myths in the minds of the tourists but presently these mansions or royal palaces have been transformed into heritage hotels so as to make it possible for the tourists to enjoy a short living in those enormous mansions.

Today
Let me share about a heritage hotel of my interest"The Malabar House" Cochin.It is ahotel worth to be admired for its beauty.Has been on my mind since 2007,when i read about it in the TIME magazine,when it got mentioned in the feature of "The Best of Asia"It is one of the the finest chain of small boutique and villa hotel in Cochin.The decor,the build ,the courtyards are amazing.To see it is just like a dream come true."Malabar House" Cochin is part of Fort Cochin's historical fabric.
Some History:
Its recorded history dates back to 1755, when Jan Herman Clausing, a Dutch, bought the property from Mathew Henrich Beyls. Subsequently owned by spice traders, tea traders and bankers, it became 1996 Fort Cochin's first boutique heritage hotel.
The Malabar House Cochin is located in the heart of historical Fort Cochin, opposite St. Francis Church.

Enjoy the interiors
Traditional Lamp welcomes you into the interiorsLounge

Amazing views of the coutyardPerformances are within the stone pillarsCourtyard at duskView of poolNight performance of Kathakali and MohiniyattomBedrooms


Swings outside the roomsDining areaAt night

The photos might have refreshed you for sure,eventhough there wasn't a lemonade in your hand.

(Images courtesy:www.malabarhouse.com,keralatourism.org,www.justbookit.com.
All Images are subject to copyright of Malabar house.Please dont use any images otherwise)