Travel Diaries: Eight Point Art Cafe – Where Art Meets Taste

August 19, 2025, Tuesday

After exploring the Adventure Park, I retraced my path back to the Eight Point Art Cafe. It’s an art gallery and cafe nestled in the heart of Asramam, Kollam. 

I’ve been to this cafe before, mostly with my cousin brother. He loved the wraps served in the cafe, and I’m a die-hard fan of shakes of all kinds. But it was my first time visiting the art gallery.

I was so excited because

1. Eight Point Art Cafe is Kollam’s first art gallery. 
2. I had heard rave reviews about the place. Some sources even mentioned that the art cafe has international standards.
3. Famous muralist and art director Shenley renovated the heritage building, “Parambarya,” in Asramam Picnic Village, to set up this art cafe in 2015.  [Asramam Picnic Village belongs to Kollam DTPC (District Tourism Promotion Council) and also includes the recent spots I visited – Kollam Children’s Park and the Adventure Park.]

As I walked into the art cafe, I noticed that the nameboard looked a bit rustier than the last time. But the ambience felt the same. Traditional white building with its brown-tiled roof, green trees and bushes, flowery plants, granite-headed tables, and benches painted green.

My eyes sparkled in delight as I saw the small, free library on the premises. It’s a wooden bookshelf with about fifty books. Anybody can take a book for free by donating another book.

The cafe with its friendly staff and delicious aroma looked as inviting as ever. I ordered a watermelon juice. As my order was getting prepared, I chatted with the guy at the counter.

I was pleasantly surprised to hear that there’s no fee to enter the gallery or to click photographs now. Honestly, the only factor that deterred me from visiting the gallery before was the photography fees. A few years back, when my cousin brother tried to conduct his “Save the date” photoshoot in this cafe, the fee for still photography was Rs 1000. 

Before I could thank the heavens for the recent changes, the guy warned me: “Chechi(sister), the gallery is not as well-maintained as before. Only one room has paintings now. People just hang out or work there now, that’s all.”

The smile vanished from my lips. First, the Police Museum, then the multiple small parks in Asramam like the Butterfly Park, Kala Koumudhi Park, and Thangal Musaliyar Park, and now the Eight Point Art Cafe… why were all these buildings either closed or in a neglected state?

All these years, leading a sedentary life inside my home, I was thinking of my country’s state in black-and-white terms. I thought… Perhaps the Government is not initiating good ventures and schemes. Perhaps the people are not taking good care of the infrastructure or are underutilizing the schemes.  Thanks to my short trips, I realised the truth is more nuanced.

At least in some places, politicians are starting a lot of good initiatives. I’m not going to comment on whether the politicians are using the “entire allocated funds” for the specific project or redirecting them for other purposes, as I don’t have firsthand knowledge on the matter. Corruption and inefficient utilization of government funds are a sad reality in India.

However, it bothers me more that once well-established projects are also losing their value due to the lack of timely maintenance, and locals like me are not even holding the officials accountable or initiating changes by ourselves.

On another trip, as a government employee informed us travellers about a new government venture, I recall a grandpa asking – “Ethra naal?” meaning “how long (will it last)?” I understand his sarcasm now. Once the inauguration and photo ops are over,  and the buzz dies down, won’t they fade into obscurity, too?

Anyway, I parked my negativism for another day and walked around the gallery, clicking photos of the building, the trees, and the garden. I particularly liked the cool, green vibes of the meeting area. But I couldn’t linger there for long, as a team was conducting a work meeting there. A few others worked remotely from the verandah of the gallery, too. 

Did you know? Eight Point Art Cafe was named after the eight creeks of the Ashtamudi Lake. The name also symbolizes the eight forms of art present in the cafe and the eight-point brush that painters use regularly. 

I entered the art gallery, more sceptical than before. Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” was playing in the background – “I found a girl, beautiful and sweet.” 

True to his word (the cafe guy’s word), the walls of the central rooms of the gallery were empty. Where did the paintings go? I wondered.

The spectator is here

The walls are ready

The lights are on

But the art is gone.

But as I explored the inner rooms, my lips blossomed into a smile again. The hallway-like area had a window that opened up to a small garden and a well. This area also had a few paintings on the walls, a closed, green door, and a beautifully carved wooden bench. 

There were many vintage-looking wooden furniture in other rooms too. Sadly, many of them had price tags on them and were up for sale. 

The hallway opened into a room with shelves and walls stacked with framed photographs, books, paintings, sculptures, and engravings. I ogled at the wooden roof and bamboo lights. And gaped at the paintings that looked like Warli paintings from Maharashtra. That room was my favorite spot in the gallery. 

Again, my head went into a sea of worries. Why were the paintings carelessly stacked one on top of another? Also, many were simply piled on the ground. Kerala is known for its high humidity and frequent rains. If we don’t preserve these paintings well, won’t their quality deteriorate over time? 

As I bid adieu to the people at the cafe and walked out, Lady Gaga’s Shallow started playing in the background.

“Tell me something, girl

Are you happy in this modern world?

Or do you need more?

Is there something else you’re searchin’ for?

I’m falling

In all the good times, I find myself longin’ for change

And in the bad times, I fear myself.”

I couldn’t have described my state of mind better. The song perfectly captured my thoughts and feelings at that moment. Why are we all too caught up, pursuing the superficial aspects of life like money, power, success, and fame, while its real and profound parts gather dust and fade into oblivion in dark rooms? 

Author’s Notes

~ All content, including images, on this blog is the intellectual property of the author. © 2025 Lirio Marchito. All rights reserved.

~ This blog is part of a series exploring my travels through my hometown, Kollam, a beautiful district in Kerala, India. You can read more posts from this series here: Kollam | Kerala | India.

~ How to Reach Eight Point Art Cafe?

Location: Asramam in Kollam, Kerala, India.

• From the Kollam KSRTC Stand, Eight Point Art Cafe is situated at a walkable distance of approximately 1.4 km, or you can take an auto.
• From Kollam Railway Station, board a bus to Chinnakada Private Stand. Then board an Asramam or Ilamballoor-bound private bus and get down at the Asramam Maidan stop. From there, you can either walk the approximate 900 meters to the Eight Point Art Cafe or take an auto. 

~ Unique Features of Eight Point Art Cafe

• Art Gallery
• Cafe
• Hangout Spot
• A small Free Library with fifty books
• Facility to work remotely and conduct meetings