Munnar is the most popular and scenic hill station located in Kerala. The name Munnar is believed to mean “three rivers”, referring to its location at the confluence of the Mudhirapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundala rivers. Munnar is a hill resort destination on Western Ghats located in Idukki District of Kerala. Situated at around 1600 metres or 5200 ft above sea level, Munnar is known for its amazing tea plantations and also as honeymoon destination. The hill station enjoys a favourable and pleasant climate all year round and is famous for its lush green hills and tea plantations. Being located in the Western Ghats, Munnar is also home to several protected areas which house some of the most rare and endangered species of flora and fauna.
The Muthuvan tribal community was the early inhabitants of Munnar and till the second half of the 19 th century. Munnar was developed as a plantation town by John Daniel Munro, the then British resident to Travancore. This hill station was under the control of the Travancore kingdom but the royal family of Poonjar was the landlord of the region. It was the land of Poonjar royal family. Munro found that out of the many hills of Munnar, Kanan Devan hills have the perfect condition for the plantation. Munro met Rohini Thirunal Kerala Varma Valiya Raja, the head of the Poonjar royal family regarding his plantation plan. Rohini Thirunal agreed to give the Kanan Devan hills on lease to Munro. In 1877, the hills that comprised of around 1,36,600 acres of land was leased out to John Daniel Munro by Poonjattil Koickal Rohini Thirunal Kerala Varma Valiya Raja for an annual sum of Rs 3,000.
In 1879, Munro established the North Travancore Land Planting & Agricultural Society. The cultivation of crops like sisal, cardamom and coffee were started in several parts of this region by the members of the aforementioned society. The cultivation of these crops was later discontinued after finding that tea is the ideal crop for this hilly region. Tea cultivation was started by a European planter, A.H. Sharp, in 1880. About 50 acres of area at Parvathy was used for the tea plantation by Sharp. Parvathy is presently the Seven Mallay estate’s part. James Finlay and Company Limited (Finlay Muir & Company) started tea plantation in this region in 1895. A total of 33 independent estates were purchased by the firm. To manage these estates, the Kannan Devan Hills Produce Company was established in 1897, and thus began the legacy of Tea in Munnar
Known for its Sprawling tea plantations, picturesque towns, winding lanes and holiday facilities make this a popular resort town. Among the exotic flora found in the forests and grasslands here is the Neelakurinji flowers that bloom once in 12 years. During this time, the valleys and hills get blanketed by the purple-blue blooms.
Top 10 Tourist attractions to see in Munnar
- Tea Plantations
- KDHP Tea Museum
- Eravikulam National Park
- Floriculture centre
- Beehive Tree
- Elephant Arrival point
- Echo Point
- Kunadala Dam
- Madupetty Dam
- Madupetty Tea Factory