bodhidharma – Sukshma

The Eyelids of the World

Legend has it that Bodhidharma after meditating for seven years fell asleep. When he woke up enraged, he cut off his eyelids to prevent it from happening again. Tea plants grew up from where his eyelids fell and monks drink tea to stay awake ever since.

Here’s a tea story of plantations from all over Munnar Kerala.

When driving in to Munnar, the humble tea bushes dominate the landscape together. — When driving in to Munnar, the humble tea bush dominates the landscape together.

Munnar's Tea Estates, Kerala — In conversation with the sky.

Munnar Kerala — Munnar is also a national park.

Eric Francis and his colleagues were the first to introduce tea to the hills of Munnar. — Eric Francis and his colleagues were the first to introduce tea plantations, railway, boilers, motorcycles, other technologies to the hills of Munnar in 1911. Growing tea in Munnar was not a profitable venture for most of the twentieth century. It survived on the passion and entrepreneurial spirit of a few individuals before making it to mainstream.

Munnar's Tea Estates, Kerala — Green Tea.

The Kanan Devan Hills Plantation Company is employee-owned and sponsors a tea museum in Munnar.

Munnar's Tea Estates, Kerala — Thank you for watching! Photos were taken by Santosh Dawara with a Nikon DX7440, January 2013.