Magic in Munnar

Vishal Prashar

A cup of Munnar tea is as refreshing as it can get. “It helps to stay awake for long as well as avoid dullness,” says a restaurant owner in this tea haven. And you cannot but agree with him. After a refreshing cuppa, a visit to the museum at the Nallathanni Estate of Tata Tea in Munnar is something to look forward to.  It’s a befitting tribute to the pioneers, who were resolute in their efforts to transform Munnar into a major plantation centre of Kerala. The museum has a collection of souvenirs that are representative of the milestones in the evolution of this hill station.

The CTC tea manufacturing unit gives a feel of the age-old method of tea processing. Crush, tear, curl (CTC) is a method of processing black tea in which the leaves are passed through a series of cylindrical rollers with sharp teeth that crush, tear, and curl the tea into small, hard pellets. The tea produced using this method is called CTC tea. However, there is much more to the place than tea.

Munnar literally means “three rivers”, or Moonnu Aarukal in Malayalam. The three rivers — Muthirapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundaly — add to the beauty of the region. Besides Malayalam, Tamil and English are the most spoken languages. The place was once a summer resort of the British.

Besides scenic views of the Nilgiris, the adventurous ones should not miss an opportunity to visit the nearby hill town of Devikulam, a haven for trekkers. According to a legend from The Ramayana, Sita had taken a bath in the waters of the beautiful Devikulam lake. The lake is, therefore, also known as Sita Devi Lake. The water of the lake is said to have curative powers.

Anayirangal, another lake and dam falling under the Devikulam forest range, is a popular tourist destination. The name of the lake translates roughly into “ages ago”. Visitors come here to catch a glimpse of elephant herds quenching their thirst at the lake.

The local Eravikulam National Park is famous for the Nilgiri Tahr or Nilgiri mountain goat, an endangered species. Spread over 97 sq km, the park is home to several species of rare butterflies, animals and birds. The park offers a magnificent view of the tea plantations as also the rolling blue hills caressed by blankets of mist. The Nilgiri hills, which literally mean the blue mountains, got its name from the purple blue flowers of neelakurinji. The hills of Munnar welcomed neelakurinji to its bosom after a period of 12 years in 2006. Revered by the local tribals, the neelakurinji usually start blooming in August and last up to October.

Located at 1600m above the sea level in the Western Ghats, the climate of this hill town is pleasant. 

Kerala’s long coastline and numerous rivers have led to a strong fishing industry, making seafood a major part of the meals. Rice is grown in abundance, along with tapioca, the major starch ingredient. The traditional Kerala food is vegetarian but over time various cuisines have blended, making the repertoire quite vast.