History of Munnar
“Surpassingly grand and incomparably beautiful… this is far beyond my power to describe and must be seen to be appreciated..”
Commented General Douglas Hamilton in the year 1862, excited by the celestial beauty of the Kannan Devan Hills and Western Ghats of Munnar. Perhaps his was the first comment from a person of the ‘civilized’ world about this part of the globe. He was on a mission to defend British Raj from the possible military attack from the ambitious Tippu Sultan of Mysore.
Away from the hustle and bustle of the modern busy routine, Munnar relaxes the soul, reminds us of being what it is like being closer to nature, of the innermost beauty that remains unexplored. One of the most popular hill-resort towns in Kerala with Luxury resorts in Munnar and in southern India, Munnar is located on the Western Ghats, situated in the Idukki district. Cool chirpy environment, relaxes the soul and brings the feel of nature and the joy to live with it. Tea Plantations with its scenic beauty will last forever in the mind and ignite the desire to be there again.
The early history of Munnar is not perfectly known today. The early inhabitants of the region are members of the Muthuvan tribal community. However, it had remained a wild and unexplored landscape till the later half of 19th century when ambitious planters from as far as Europe started plantations here.
Plantation Era in Munnar
Munnar came to be known to the outside world in the 1870s with the visit of the British Resident of the then Travancore kingdom John Daniel Munro. Munro, who visited the place as part of settling the border dispute between Travancore and the nearby state of Madras literally fell for the beauty of the region. Though the Munnar region fell under the jurisdiction of the Travancore kingdom, it was the ‘jenmam land’ (land of birth) of Poonjar royal family. Since it was a jenmam land the royal family enjoyed absolute powers over the land as the landlord.
Munro had a great interest in plantation. Of the several hills in the region, he found the Kannan Devan hills with high potential for plantation crops. Without wasting any time Munro visited the Poonjar Palace and met the then head of the royal family, Rohini Thirunal Kerala Varma Valiya Raja, fondly called as Kela Varma Raja. The entrepreneur in Munro won the confidence of Kela Varma Raja and he agreed to lease out Kannan Devan hills to Munro for a handsome payment.
Thus in 1877, Poonjattil Koickal Rohini Thirunal Kerala Varma Valiya Raja leased out the Kannan Devan hills comprising about 1,36,600 acres of land to John Daniel Munro for an annual lease rent of Rs. 3,000 and a security deposit of Rs. 5,000.
Munro formed the North Travancore Land Planting & Agricultural Society in 1879. Members of the society started cultivation of crops, including coffee, cardamom, cinchona and sisal in various parts of the region. However these crops were later abandoned when tea was found to be the ideal crop for the region. A.W. Turnor was the first to start cultivation.
Interestingly, it was not Munro or Turnor who started tea cultivation in Munnar. The credit goes to A.H. Sharp, a European planter, in 1880. Sharp planted tea in around 50 acres of land at Parvathy, which is now part of the Seven Mallay estate. In 1895, Finlay Muir & Company (James Finlay and Company Limited) entered the scene and bought 33 independent estates. The Kannan Devan Hills Produce Company was formed in 1897 to manage these estates.
Plantation Set Backs | The Great Floods of ’99, Munnar
In 1924, the plantations of Munnar suffered a major setback in the form a disastrous monsoon. Heavy landslides and flooding literally redrew the landscape in several places. There was a heavy loss of property and life. Though it was hard for them, the inhabitants managed to bring back life to a normal in a few months. Large-scale replanting was carried out in several estates
Entry of TATA in Munnar
In 1964, the Tata Group entered into collaboration with Finlay which resulted in the formation of the Tata-Finlay Group. Tata Tea Ltd. was formed in 1983. In 2005, the Kannan Devan Hills Produce Company Pvt. Ltd. was formed and Tata Tea transferred the ownership of its plantations to the new company. Employees of Tata Tea hold stake in the company.
Tourism, the new hope of Munnar | Evolution of Tourism in Munnar
If plantation industry ‘discovered’ Munnar in the 19th century, it was re-discovered by the tourism industry in the later half of the 20th century. The hill station, situated about 1600 m above the sea level, began to be flocked by travellers from around the world. The town, which still retains its colonial charm, has a large number of hotels to greet travellers. Virgin forests, savannahs, rolling hills, scenic valleys, numerous streams, waterfalls, sprawling tea plantations and winding walkways are attracting thousands every year.
Today, Munnar has evolved to become a top tourist destination in Kerala and Munnar resorts have consistently maintained high levels of quality. It boasts of top selling honeymoon packages in Kerala along with a number of other accolades. The number of awe inspiring places to visit in Munnar and things to do in Munnar are truly one of a kind.
In order to complement your perfect Munnar honeymoon package, choose your resort in Munnar wisely.
About Poonjar Royal Family
The history of Munnar is never complete without a mention of the Poonjar royal family. Over a long period of history, this royal family had the privilege to be the custodians of the virgin hills of Munnar.
The history of Poonjar Royal Family begins in Tamil Nadu from where they had to flee following a ruthless struggle for power. Long ago, the Madurai kingdom was ruled by Manavikrama, a mighty king of the Pandyan dynasty. Besides a powerful kingdom, Madurai had the distinction of being a centre of arts. The Pandyan kings had great reverence to the goddess Madurai Meenakshi. The artful sanctum sanctorum of the temple is believed to have been built during the reign of the Pandyas.
Once Madurai came under the attack of the nearby Chola dynasty and after a fierce battle, the Pandyas recaptured their kingdom. The recapturing of Madurai was celebrated with spectacular festivities. But in the night, when everyone was asleep after the celebrations, Viswanatah Naicken a general of the Pandyas who had sided with the Cholas, opened the fort gates for the enemy.
The Chola army unleashed a ruthless attack slaying the sleeping soldiers. A minister safely took Manavikrama and his immediate family out of the fort through a long secret tunnel. The family had managed to take a good portion of their fortune in the form of jewellery, gems and gold. The tunnel led them to a forest area from where they reached Palghatusserry (the present day Palghat). There they lived for a brief period in the house of a Brahmin. But when he came to know that his guest was King Manavikrama, the Brahmin family feared the displeasure of the Cholas and asked them to leave the place.
From there, Manavikrama moved to Vanneri, which is part of the present day Thrissur. There he built a residence and after sometime some of his former subjects came to visit him. They were the poligars of Theni, Uthamapalayam and Kumbam. Though they extended support to their dear king to win back Madurai, Manavikrama had scant interest. Though the poligars returned, they didn’t loose hope in a come back of the King. They built a palace at Mele Goodalloor in anticipation of a change of mind of their dear king.