Saturday, November 12, 2016

Chamraj Golden Tips

Drove down from Bengaluru to Chamraj Tea Estate in the Nilgiris, a distance of 350 kms.  
Once you cross Mysuru (Mysore) it becomes more scenic, especially when you go past the Bandipur National Park and the Madumalai National Park. 


Chamraj is famous for their “Chamraj Golden Tip”, an extra special quality of Nilgiris tea leaf always fetching a record price. Specially hand plucked Chamraj Golden Tips come from the Chamraj Estate, just west of Conoor, a property belonging to The United Nilgiri Tea Estate Ltd. 


If Chamraj was at the southwest end of Nilgiris  “Kotercherry” or Kotagherry was at the north eastern end, now known as Kotagiri. The place is simply beautiful. 




It was the first table land to be reached by the Europeans when Wish and Kindersly ‘discovered’ the cool of the jungle heights in 1819 while pursuing a band of smugglers. It was their ‘discovery’ that led John Sullivan to establish a home in Kotagiri. Of those Europeans who followed Sullivan and opened the Nilgiris, it was said, “If you live in Conoor, you live till 80, if you live in Ooty you will live till 90, but in Kotagiri you will have to be shot!” He wasn’t shot but, John Erskine lived till he was 100 after he arrived in Kotagiri. 



The tea gardens are lush with tea leaves. On a clear sky you get to see the lovely sunrise and sun set 


Spotted some coffee plants too here. 


If you have the patience you are likely to spot different species of birds 


I saw one land crab who was in two minds about staying put and carry on with his feeding (see video) 


We had those “Chamraj Golden Tip” in one of the tea stalls where it was freshly prepared for us 


and some tasty “parippu wada” after a long time. 


To reach there, we had to pass through Ooty and some of those old structures still look grand. 


The military establishments in this area are well maintained. 


On the way back, while passing through the Madumalai National Park, there was this tusker who gave us a threatening charge as we slowed down (can be seen in the video) He was probably trying to protect this little one in the herd.



20 comments:

padmaja said...

Excellent , excellent! Just lived the documentary so much, the little nuances like the shot in the rear mirror of the car tells a lot about your observation, bravo!

juliefordoliver.blogspot.com said...

I agree with padmaja - you are truly observant and can catch the special moment.
I enjoyed this post.

Anonymous said...

Enjoy reading your blogs.. lovely shots.. capture the natural beauty of nature. Regards Joellan and fly.

H.R. Bennett said...

Such amazing pictures. I think the thing that struck me most (oddly) was the picture of the trees on the hill. Something about their design is just so...odd. I guess I'm used to full-leaved trees like oaks.

Aditya Titus said...

Really good pictures!.Enjoyed the blog too.

Alka Gurha said...

Always wanted to visit Bandipur, Ooty and Conoor but somehow it hasn't happened as yet. Some day.....lovely pics.

Mary Kirkland said...

Wow, that was awesome. You got some great shots.

Marie said...

the monkeys and elephants are my favorite. :) beautiful photos.

Liz A. said...

Beautiful pictures.

Anonymous said...

Your passion for travelling and exploring places is ....Wow.
What I admire the most is the way you share not just your experiences but also all the little details. - Shamla Mallela

Lowcarb team member said...

What a lovely post.
I really liked all of your photo's, seeing the monkeys and elephants, the tea pickers too.

Thanks for sharing.

All the best Jan

Sandee said...

I would love to explore here. What a fun trip. Reminds me of being in the wild.

Have a fabulous day. ☺

Shivani Singh said...

lovely pictures and the narration cool. Thank you for sharing with us. :)

tina said...

I like that saying about living so long! That bodes well of the area for sure. The elephant is neat. I'm glad to see the tusks are removed, perhaps it will be safe from poachers I reckon.

magiceye said...

Lovely captures and interesting narration.

Maniparna said...

Wonderful pictures. the tea and wadas must be a treat for you... :-)

Enjoyed the video, too...

Tomz said...

Nice writeup and the pictures are superb. Congrats
Tomz

Jenny Woolf said...

What a fascinating trip. I heard of these places from my mother and grandmother. It made me want to go there. for some reason your blog hasn't been showing up in my feed even though I followed you years ago.

What is that red building in Ooty?

Sweet Lily said...

Wonderful! Great trip :)

Barbara said...

I enjoyed this so much, loved the video, thanks for sharing.