Where Kerala's history
sets the scene.

A heritage venue for weddings, celebrations and film shoots at the Tharakan family's 18th-century tharavad, 20 km from Kochi.

Plan an event Scout the location

Teak-panelled halls, red-oxide floors, carved wooden ceilings, a courtyard and open lawns. The house has stood for generations of family weddings. Now it opens its gates for yours, a destination wedding a short drive from Kochi, and for the stories filmmakers want to tell.

A floral stage set up on the lawn A long dinner table set with candles and marigolds

Weddings & Events

A family home, made for gatherings.

Kerala's great houses were built for celebration: wide verandas for elders, courtyards for music, lawns for the whole village. Ours still works that way. Hold the wedding, the engagement or the reception here, and every photograph has three centuries of craftsmanship behind it.

Best for gatherings of 50 to 300 guests. When the sun goes down, the house is lit up and becomes the backdrop for the whole evening.

Check your date
Carved arches on the veranda, lit at night Curtains of warm fairy lights hung from trees A brass urli with floating flowers and oil lamps A decorated stage with marigold strings and brass lamps The veranda lined with lamps at night

Film, ad & photo shoots

A period set that doesn't need building.

Real teak, real laterite, real age. The house gives production designers a genuine 18th-century tharavad, inside and out, with Kerala's backwaters and paddy fields a few minutes away.

Already on screen

Inside the house
A hall with carved wooden panels and a timber ceiling
Carved teak halls
A steep wooden staircase rising through a panelled room
Original wooden staircase
A long dining table in a wood-ceilinged hall
The long dining hall
The arched front veranda lit at night across the courtyard
Arched verandas, day or night
Black and white photograph of the full facade
Two-storey facade & lawns
A fisherman in a canoe on the backwaters
Backwaters nearby

Made for

Feature films and series, ad films, music videos, fashion and editorial shoots, and pre-wedding photography.

Easy for crews

Twenty kilometres from Kochi, so crews can stay in the city and travel in each morning. Bring caravans for make-up, wardrobe and rest; the house has no rooms set aside for crew use.

Talk to the family

Send us your dates, crew size and the scenes you have in mind. We'll set up a recce and work through power, parking and access with your line producer.

Request a recce
The tharavad in daylight, seen across the lawn

The House

Once home to a minister of Travancore.

This tharavad was bought by Thachil Mathoo Tharakan (1741–1814), Commerce Minister to Maharaja Balarama Varma of Travancore, and has been in the family ever since. It first stood in Alleppey; later its main portion was taken down, timber by timber, and raised again here in Ezhupunna.

Across Kerala, houses like this are being torn down or modernised. Very few keep their original character. The Tharakan brothers, John, George, Thomas and Hormis, look after this one so it stands for the next century too. Opening it for weddings and films is part of how it lives on.

"Reading about the tharavad is knowledge. Living in it is pleasure."
The front of the house lit up at night

Good to know

Bring the caravans.

The tharavad is still the family's home, so its rooms aren't available for overnight stays or as changing or green rooms. Wedding parties and film crews bring caravans for getting ready, make-up and rest.

Tell us how many you're planning when you enquire, and we'll work out the arrangements with you.

Getting here

Ezhupunna, a short drive south of Kochi

The house sits in a quiet village of churches, temples, canals and coir work, on the road between Kochi and Alappuzha. Wedding guests can stay in Kochi and be here in well under an hour.

  • Vyttila Hub, Kochi18 km
  • Fort Kochi21 km
  • Ernakulam Junction station22 km
  • Alappuzha39 km
  • Cochin International Airport50 km
Tharakan Events, Padipura, Parai Kavala
Ezhupunna, Alappuzha District
Kerala 688537, India
Open in Google Maps →

Questions

Good to know before you book

Where is Tharakan Events?

In Ezhupunna, Alappuzha district, Kerala, on the stretch between Kochi and Alappuzha. It is about 18 km from Vyttila Hub, 21 km from Fort Kochi, 22 km from Ernakulam Junction railway station, 39 km from Alappuzha and about 50 km from Cochin International Airport.

How many guests can the venue host?

It is best suited to weddings and celebrations of 50 to 300 guests, using the lawns, the courtyard and the verandas of the house.

What kinds of events can be held here?

Weddings, engagements and receptions; mehendi, haldi, sangeet and mangalam evenings; baptisms, birthdays and anniversaries; private dinners and corporate gatherings.

Is it a good venue for a destination wedding near Kochi?

Yes. It is an 18th-century Kerala tharavad 20 km from Kochi, so guests can stay in Kochi hotels and travel in for the day. The house has no guest rooms of its own.

Are there rooms to stay in or get ready in?

No. The house is still the family's home, so its rooms are not available for overnight stays or as changing or green rooms. Wedding parties and film crews bring caravans for getting ready, make-up and rest.

Can films and ads be shot at the house?

Yes, inside and outside. The house has appeared in the Malayalam feature film Pulimurugan, the Netflix series Akka, and Onam ad films for Tata Motors and AJIO.

How much does it cost to book?

Rates are quoted for each event or shoot, depending on the date, the number of guests and what is needed. Send the details on WhatsApp to Thomas Tharakan at +91 98950 58285 for a quote.

How do I book a visit or a location recce?

WhatsApp Thomas Tharakan at +91 98950 58285, call Hormis Tharakan at +91 94463 73188, or email [email protected].

Enquire

Tell us what you're planning.

Rates depend on the date, the size of the gathering and what you need, so we quote each event and shoot individually. Send us the details and a member of the family will get back to you.