The Varikkasseri Mana is a magnificent structure built in Manisseri village near Ottapalam town. This was the traditional home of a Namboodiri family. This artistic beauty takes you to beautiful world of yesteryears. It is spread out in an area of 10 acres of land covered with lush greenery. It consists of a marvelous pond, two temples, two ‘pathayapura’ (outhouse) and a magnificent ‘nalukettu’ which makes it a fascinating site for those who love to revisit the yesteryears. The mana was not just a house for the people who lived in it. It also served as a schoolhouse where people came from far way to stay and learn the Vedas.
The spacious ootupura (dining area) the thekke pathayapura (southern outhouse) and the padinjare pathayapura in the western area were used for this purpose. The major attraction of Varikkaseri Mana still remains the nalukettu.It has a traditional architectural shape of a square in the centre with four verandahs leading to halls in the four directionswhich were accordingly called vadakkinin(North) , thekkini (south) , kizhakini (east) and padinjati (west). This splendid structure was built by Vellanezhi Jathavedan Namboodiri while the magnificent ‘Poomukham (the entrance) is a proof of Krishnan Naboodiripadu’s architectural skill. This place is a photographer’s delight. This is the reason why many movie makers select this place as their shooting location. This elegant mana is situated just 4 km away from Ottapalam town in Manisseri. It has a small parking area. The entry fee is Rs.20 and in case you want to carry in your camera, an extra Rs.100 has to be paid. There is a huge crowd during weekends and so it is better for those interested in photography to choose working days so that they can capture the beauty of the place in their cameras without any disturbance
