To stay in a century-old Kerala heritage home for just 300 rupees per day – Is it possible? Yes, it’s possible. Come to Thrissur. This century-old heritage home, built during British and King’s rule in India, is currently owned by the Public Works Department of the Kerala government. This bungalow was once the inspection home for the Kochi Raja and the British.
When the Public Works Department came into existence in Chembukavu, this bungalow stood among all buildings as a symbol of pride. So, most recently, the department decided to renovate the building and rent it out at a low rate to tourists and travellers who visit Thrissur. Now this guest house has been made a heritage home by the government of Kerala.
PWD Rest House at Chembukavu
Renovation was carried out, giving importance to its heritage value
PWD Rest House stands in the heart of Thrissur city, and it stands like a royal building amidst of several concrete buildings. The renovation process was done without damaging the original structure. When it was decided to do the renovation process in 2014, the building was severely damaged with the test of time. Heritage block was decided to retain as such. 1 crore rupees was granted for this purpose. 60 lakh rupees were reserved for the Heritage block, and the remaining 40 lakhs for the annex block.
Works were started in 2015, and now it has been changed to a rest house. Roof, steps, and big rooms are the specialties of this rest house. A total of 4 big rooms and 3 small rooms are available at this PWD Rest House at Chembukavu.
Attractive wooden carvings give a heritage look
Roofs and chaarupadi (side walls on veranda) are fully made of wood, and it’s absolutely marvelous and has a classic touch. Staircases, too, are made of wood, and when you reach upstairs, you can see the interior fully designed using wood. Damaged wooden parts were removed during the renovation process, and new ones were fixed. The century-old roof had to be dismantled first before this process was done.
The roof was thatched with aluminum sheets, tiles were fixed on it, and the ceiling was completed using teak wood. Thus, the building returned to its glorious yesteryears. Beautiful wooden Chaarupadi in the ground floor and first floor is yet another attraction of this heritage home. For seating in the Chaarupadi, granite tiles were fixed, adding a classy look.
Old walls using lime were done with cement plastering and painted. Maintenance work was done on the doors, windows, and wooden floorings as well. All toilets in the building were restructured using modern techniques. Thus, the building returned to its glorious years.
300 rupees rent per day
Rent per day for a stay is very cheap. If you have 300 rupees, you can enjoy this heritage rest house and stay here for a day. The rest house was opened to the public most recently in May 2017.
Also read: Irattachira Kovilakam of Thrissur
You can read a few more articles on some of the major tourist spots of Kerala here. Click on the images in the gallery to read
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