The KDHP Tea Museum is an industry and history museum situated in Munnar, a town in the Idukki district of Kerala in South India. Tata Tea Museum is its official name, but it's also known as Nullathanni Estate where it is located,[1] or Kannan Devan Hills Plantation (KDHP) Tea Museum.[2]

KDHP Tea Museum
Map
Established1 April 2004; 20 years ago (2004-04-01)
LocationMunnar, Idukki district Kerala, India
Coordinates10°05′44″N 77°03′03″E / 10.095544°N 77.050717°E / 10.095544; 77.050717
TypeTea museum, industry and history museum

History and points of interest

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a tea leaf rolling machine

The tea estate is owned by Kanan Devan Hills Plantations Company – the plantation dates back to the 1880s. The museum opened on 1 April 2004.[3] The tea museum preserves the aspects on the genesis and growth of tea plantations in Kerala's mountain region in the Idukki district on the Western Ghats at the border to the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu.

Tata Tea opened the museum which houses curiosities, photographs and machineries, depicting a turning point that contributed to Idukki's flourishing tea industry. Set up at the Nallathanni Estate, the museum is a tribute to its pioneers who transformed Munnar into a major tea plantation centre of Kerala, from the rudimentary tea roller from 1905 to a fully automated tea factory. Visitors and tea lovers can see various stages of the tea processing – Crush, tear, curl - and learn about the production of Kerala black tea variants. The power generation plant of the estate dates back to 1920s; a rail engine wheel of the Kundala Valley Railway that shuttled between Munnar and Top Station by 1924. A section of the museum also houses classic bungalow furniture and office equipment of the Colonial area in Kerala. Tea tasting across different varieties of tea is another attraction here.[1] A 2nd-century burial urn was discovered at the Periakanal tea estate; it is also displayed at the museum.[4]

Facilities

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The museum is about 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) from the Munnar town, situated in the Nalluthanni Estate. Aluva is the nearest railway station (112 kilometres (69.59 mi)); Cochin International Airport is about 72 kilometres (44.74 mi) away.[1] Kerala State Road Transport Corporation provides buses from different locations to Munnar town.[5] The museum is open from 9 am to 5 pm); it is closed on Mondays. Address: Tata Tea Museum, Nalluthanni Estate, Munnar,[1][4] KL-685 612, Idukki district, Kerala.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Tea Museum, Munnar". Kerala Tourism. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  2. ^ "Tata Tea Museum (Kannan Devan Tea Museum)". tripadvisor. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  3. ^ "Company Profile". kdhptea.com. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  4. ^ a b "TATA Tea Museum". Kerala Tourism. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  5. ^ "KSRTC Bus Time" (in German). munnarinfo.in. Retrieved 26 May 2016.