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Creating a unique ethnic hangout, Vellar, a rocky hamlet situated near Kovalam in Thiruvananthapuram, would soon enter into tourist circuit as an Arts and Crafts Village. To become fully functional before the next tourist season, Vellar, with its handicraft stalls, ethnic food joints, and recreational facilities, will give a genuine Kerala shopping experience for travellers.
The project costing Rs. 700 million is a joint venture of Kerala Tourism and Kudumbashree units. Modelled on the lines of Dilli Haat, one of the biggest shopping centres for handicraft products in the country, the proposed craft village is divided into three sections - Travancore, Kochi and Malabar. The Travancore section, situated close to the reception wing will have 14 stalls, a traditional Kerala house and a food court for ethnic tastes of Kerala.
A covered theatre with the aim of imparting training in the making of craft items will be the main attraction in the Kochi section. The theatre will have a seating capacity of 500 and can be used for organising workshops and ethnic fairs. Another distinctive feature of Kochi section is a water harvesting system set up using the natural resources available in the locality. There will also be a pond on the site with a capacity of 5 lakh litres.
The Malabar section will have a food court exclusively for ethnic cuisine. Besides car parking area, there would be a vast space near the reception for erecting makeshift stalls for organising art and craft fairs.
The craft village will have dedicated facilities for traditional artisans to work and market their finished products. Governmental and semi-governmental agencies, non-governmental organisations, charitable societies and skilled individuals can associate with the project.
