What is that one thing, which makes Munnar different from other hill stations in India? Yes, it is the glorious tea plantation, that makes this location one of Kerala's most amazing tourist destination. The refreshing tea gardens of Munnar are so beautiful that people who visit this place never really want to go back. To give tourists an impressions of the distant past of tea plantation in Munnar, Kannan Devan Tea Museum was started at Kanan Devan Hills Plantations Company (KDHP's) Nullatanni Estate. This picturesque estate is just five minutes drive from Munnar Town.
Highlights
This museum is the first of its kind in the country and was started with an aim to depict the growth of more-than-a-century-old tea plantation in the Idukki District and to focus on the method of tea processing and its operations. One can see the very old rudimentary tea roller here, used in olden time and catch a glimpse of fully automated tea factory, which makes the tea processing way too easy. This factory gives a first hand knowledge about tea processing and the operations that go into the making of black tea.
One of the museum's rooms feature the old-time bungalow furniture, cash safe, magneto phone, wooden bathtub, an iron oven that used firewood, etc. There is also a tea tasting demonstration room, which has a variety of teas on display. The visitors can also see a mini-CTC and Orthodox manufacturing unit here to educate themselves in different aspects if tea processing.
Other Facts
The entrance of the museum has a granite sundial, constructed in 1913 by the Art Industrial School at Nazareth in Tamil Nadu. There are several old possessions in the museum like original tea roller of 1905, the Pelton wheel used in power generation in 1920 and rotorvane (the old-time CTC type tea processing machine). Another important equipment on display here is a rail engine wheel unit.