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COLOUR ME STREET - With Shilpa P

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I have always wanted to visit and spend time in Kerala and have shortlisted this state as a ‘relaxing‘ getaway destination allowing travelers to experience 'Gods own country' by the back waters and through  the relaxing Ayurvedic massages .

However when an ex-NIFTian  and professional designer visits the city on a last minute spree you can be assured to get a completely different take on this getaway. 

One of the trump cards that helps draw ‘younger’ tourists to Kerala is Fort Kochi, a beautiful heritage hub in the city of Kochi that allows you to be a part of its languid pace of life and stroll through the narrow lanes, sit at book  / art cafes and just take on the ‘ art’. 

The by lanes and bazaars are enhanced the mix of influence from the Portugese, Dutch and British colonizers giving Fort Kochi its own cultural mix and a perfect cosmopolitan vibe.

I have been told that 12/12/12 changed the landscape of the city and I believe the  contemporary artists have been and even today are instrumental in adding the dash of colour to the streets.  

The Kochi-Muziris Biennale which began in 2012 is today an International Art Festival that allows Kochi to become a platform for diverse artists, allows tourists to appreciate art in all forms and expressions and overlooking  man-made boundaries of geography, discipline and faith. http://www.kochimuzirisbiennale.org/ .

Wall art is not new to India and our history, evidence of which is found in our villages our temples and historical forts even today. However over the past few years, it has changed….traditional wall art has become abstract and fun, thought-provoking graffiti that adorns walls along a road. 

The Bienelle encouraged the steady rise in the number of artists in the region , most of the remaining anonymous but declaring the urban lanes as their canvas.


Shilpa has triggered the colourful side of this vagabond and allowed us to soak in the pallete.  So get to Fort Kochi , hit the streets, and  create your own stories behind the art…

"Sometimes life throws you special surprises & surely this trip was one. I always thought Kerala was all about the massages & houseboats & the backwaters, but that day getting off the ferry and stepping on to Fort Kochi was a revelation of sorts for me....

I found inspiration in the most unexpected places.....

Walking the whole day did not tire me, it inspired me, energised me & surely motivated me!


Hoping to go back there once more to soak in the colors of the not just the art, but also the city. A place I do recommend for all the art enthusiasts."
- Shilpa P






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