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Munnar, Kerala
chakradhar patnala, , Posted Date: 23rd March 2009
Kolukkumalai- tea estate in the clouds
Kolukkumalai is the world’s highest(2160 meters from.....
Kolukkumalai- tea estate in the clouds
Kolukkumalai is the world’s highest(2160 meters from sea level)tea estate and has india’s oldest(1935) tea factory in border of tamilnadu and kerala. It is also the second highest point in south india, first being annamudi peak. We planned to visit that place and started from chinnakanal, a small beautiful village 16 kms from munnar in kerala, on munnar-tekkady road on 14-03-2009. we could go there only in jeeps as the road was steep and rugged. The journey of 14 kms itself was wonderful as it passed through the beautiful tea plantations of Harrison tea estate. As we went higher and higher weather became cool and serene and the sceneries were breathtaking. Once we reached the top point which is exactly on the border, we could see kerala on one side and tamilnadu on otherside. From there we travelled downwards for 1.4 kms to reach kolukkumalai tea factory. Once we reached there, employees welcomed us with warm smile, offered chairs and gave one cup of freshly prepared warm tea. It was a wonderful feeling to have a cup of warm tea in cold weather, when clouds were passing on you. Throughout one hour we stayed there, clouds played with us moving here and there. Its chilling wonderful experience. Later we were taken into tea factory by one of the managers and shown us 7 stages of orthodox tea making from withering to packing and explained us how it was superior to CTC leaf tea. At that time some workers were cutting tea leaves, we were also allowed to cut tea leaves with special apparatus they use.( usually they cut leaves only once a week and we were lucky enough to watch that and try our hands ). After all these we left that place with heavy hearts as no one wanted to leave, but we had to pursue our trip further.
Many of travellers who visit munnar don’t go to kolukkumalai, as many of them are not aware of how beautiful is that place and some don’t have sufficient time as whole trip to kolukkumalai takes more than a half day. But keep one extra day for this wonderful journey and DON’T MISS IT.
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