Nuwara Eliya Holds a Rich Heritage

The history of a country, or any allotment of it, is the study of the rise and development of the human community living in it. The life of a community is inspired by many factors, the first, and perhaps most symbolic, is the means whereby the community obtains its daily bread. Man however does not live by bread alone, so there are assuredly other influences that mould and fashion the deliberations of people. It is at this stage that regional factors come into play, and no society can exist independent of its physical environment. Similarly, other factors such as climate, soil, minerals, must need influence the lives of human societies. This is the stage on which the play is acted, and nature at this stage has a conditioning effect on the play itself.

The hill country of Sri Lanka remained rather secluded from the rest of the country until the arrival of the Portuguese. From the very early times when Anuradhapura was the capital of Ceylon, it was known as the “Malaya country." The ancient Sinhalese who had developed a splendid system of irrigation for paddy cultivation scattered themselves throughout the flat land of the dry zone. The hill country however was not totally unknown to them, but no permanent settlements were established in those parts. The topographic conditions did not suit them or their crops. It was too wet and steep, and the terrain was not suited for their standards forms of cultivation. The higher they moved on, the colder it became, and this was not desirable to the Sinhalese.

This region however had been visited and revisited on several occasions way back during the 10th, 11th and 12th centuries. Pilgrims have been visiting the holy shrine of Adam’s Peak during this time. Vijaya Bahu 1 had left an inscription at Ambagamuwa. Parakrama Bahu 1 fortified Nalanda and fought many campaigns in the Matale district, which remained the theatre of operations for some time. Parakrama Bahu 11 built a road via Gampola, Ulapane and Ambagamuwa to Adam’s Peak in the 13th century AD. In the 14th century, Buvanaike Bahu 1V made Gampola his capital. The 13th and 14th century did not prove well for the Sinhalese sovereigns, and they were forced to abandoned North of Ceylon and build their fortresses more to the south-west at Yapahuwa, Kurunegala, Dambadeniya, and Kotte. It becomes apparent that during the reign of the Tamil monarchs in the North, the Sinhalese rulers migrated to the hills through the Nalanda Pass to Matale Kandy, and Gampola or to Kandy via Alutnuwara and to Uva up the tributaries of the Mahaveli Ganga.

It was with the unification of Ceylon by the British in 1815, that the hill country came into eminence. In 1833, Governor Barnes started coffee plantations at Peradeniya. This new crop was soon established in Matale and Kandy districts. The Sinhalese soon acquired the art of cultivating coffee, and during the initial stages, they were responsible for the production of more than half what was produced in the country. The most startling incident that took place during this period was the opening up of the “Peak Wilderness." The entire Hatton Plateau covering the far ranging extent of Dimbulla, Dickoya, and Maskeliya was cleared for the establishment of coffee. In 1867, the railway was opened to Kandy, and by 1855 it had reached Nanu Oya. This was the first stage of the development of the hill country.

Although Nuwara Eliya was in a wild state when the European first discovered it, it is not to be assumed that its existence was unknown to the people of the country. As the name indicates, it had been of some importance to the Kings of Kandy, referred as the “Royal Planes." Before the country was unified by the British in 1815, Kandy, customarily was known as Nuwara the capital of Ceylon and the resident of the ruler.

Nuwara Eliya in this instance, has a direct bondage with the word Nuwara which implies that they were the planes high up in the mountains belonging to the Kings of Kandy. To derive such a name, it seems obvious that Nuwara Eliya would have been of some importance to the Kandyan Kings.

Samuel Baker in his various expeditions in that part of the country, discovered native paths traversing in all directions connecting the various villages in the locality. They were originally thought to have been deer-runs, but they had existed for centuries, and are been used even to date. The notches on the tree stumps, he discovered, carried an unnatural character that meant that there had been an earlier civilisation, of which little is known. To him a nation had been rendered homeless, and with it the industry and perception of an era destroyed. These roads had remained the main form of interaction between the various hamlets. These outlines had been used in the subdivision of the district of Uva from that of Nuwara Eliya.

The knowledge Samuel Baker had gained through years of persistent hunting in those areas, made him feel that the hand of man is distinctly traceable. For the keen observer it becomes evident that there had been in existence, a civilisation that had long passed away.

Even at the time of Samuel Bakers arrival in the hill country in 1847, it had not yet disturbed its tranquillity, and according to him, the Rest House that was assumed to have been built in 1836, “was the perfection of everything that was dirty and uncomfortable.” To a greater distance, although large tracks of land had been sold to individuals from the early 1830’s (1,009 acres to Richard Fawkes in 1831) no plantations in the correct understanding of the word had been opened up. It was Baker who had liberated Nuwara Eliya out of its nodding complacency and put it firmly on the road to progress.

As in most other parts of the country where there is sufficient evidence as ruins of a civilisation long passed, Nuwara Eliya did not offer such endorsements. Baker only saw a liquid tunnel of wealth pouring from those lofty regions as water. The primary importance of Nuwara Eliya to him lay firstly in its supply of water, and secondly in its gems.

In a tropical country like Sri Lanka, the first principle of cultivation is irrigation, as the periodical rains were insufficient. The history of irrigation works in the country dates back to the Dutugemunu period (1153-1186) considered one of the greatest tank builders of the times. The strength of his kingdom was based on the control of water and not of land. During the early period, all irrigation works were concentrated in the dry zone, where the harvests flourished with irrigation. The hill country did not appeal to the Sinhalese monarchs, but there is evidence of a successful form of paddy cultivation that had existed in the years gone by.

Accordingly, the mountains had acted as reservoirs from which the rivers originate, and from them the villages at lower elevations could draw their water for cultivation. The topography of the hill country is such that with Pidurutalagala at 2,525 metres, Kirigalpotta, Totapalakanda, and Adam’s Peak at 2,389 metres,2,357 metres and,2,238 metres respectively, do not give the eminence that such an altitude under normal circumstances would convey. The highland districts appeared as one vast mountain, hill piled upon hill, and peak rising over peak, with crevasses of tremendous depth, forming innumerable channels for the mountain streams. Most of the rivers in the country determine their source from these lofty peaks, the most famous of which is the Horton Plains situated at an elevation of over 7,000 feet.

The features of this part of the country are totally different from any portion of the country. It forms a series of ledges of great extent at various elevations, commencing with the highest at around 7,000 feet. On the Eastern side, a splendid view extends as far as the horizon, of undulating open grass land, often confused by the rich crops of paddy that grows in the small valleys downhill. Large trees are hardly seen except for the stunted bush wood that is scantily distributed.

When one proceeds further down the Hakgala road, which is scraped out from the mountain side, and view the Uva district lying below, it offers a gorgeous scenery stretching like a waving sea beneath the feet. The prosperity of this region that constitute about six hundred squire miles is entirely owing to the never failing supply of water from the higher elevations.

The age-old history of Ceylon is immersed in much vagueness, but there is sufficient data in the available traces of its former population, to form convictions of the position and power, which Ceylon occupied in the Eastern hemisphere, when England was in a state of barbarism. The wonderful remains of a by-gone era are only indicative of an industrious and intelligent race, long since made extinct.

The irrigation systems that followed would have involved immense labour, and a fair degree of engineering skill. This competence is displayed in the diversion of water from the hill tops to the paddy fields situated miles away in the valleys. The extensive volume of water that was required to cultivate the paddy fields in the days gone by, is evident from the disused and deserted water-courses. These archaeological findings also gave an understanding to the immense population the Uva district would have sheltered in the earlier period. A nation has vanished, and with it the industry and steadfastness of the era.

Water has played a material part in the governance of a country in the ancient world. In this instance, the very existence of the population depended on the supply of water, which was obtained from the neighbourhood of Nuwara Eliya. The design of the land in the higher elevations is such that a ruler in possession of Nuwara Eliya would have had complete command over his subjects by regulating the water supply to the lower regions. He could withhold or allow its free exit, by altering its course. Evidence of such behaviour on the part of ancient rulers is available, and Baker in his adventures has discovered traces of ancient irrigation work that had been erected to defend the main water course from the low country.

These discoveries if looked through further, will provide sufficient evidence as to the probable causes for the disappearance of civilisations in the upper regions of the country. It is understandable that at times of domestic disturbances, the waterways to the lower regions may have been obstructed, thereby laying the entire area deserted. It should now become obvious as to the importance of Nuwara Eliya to the Kings of Kandy, and ultimately to be named the “Royal Planes."

During the ancient times, there was no sure path to the throne, and it was through repression that he retained it. The fearful and the feeble-minded population were always at his mercy, as they were always aware of the weapon of destruction at his command.

It is not known positively whether there had been any form of systematic exploitation of gems in Nuwara Eliya. Random discovery of precious stones is however reported at various times, and it has only been committed to an accident. These may have been found when constructing water ways to divert water to lower areas. It is however interesting that the East end of the Nuwara Eliya was called the “Vale of Rubies.”

It is possible, that the King who lived in Kandy under more bearable weather conditions, would have made periodical visits to this hill resort, to ascertain the progress made in the construction of water-causes. During these visits, he may have taken time off to explore the possibilities of digging for gems. It is on record that all sources of revenue had been well guarded under the sovereign’s personal supervision. The pearl fisheries at Arippo during the season had been a place, regularly visited by the Kings and Governors.

The dug up pits that were discovered on the Nuwara Eliya planes bear testimony to a Royal monopoly enjoyed exclusively by the Kandyan Kings. It is however surprising that after the country was unified by the British in 1815, no Englishman has ever worked the gem pits as a source of employment, or on a commercial basis. Very little is composed on the mineralogy of the country, and it has been the unanimous belief of most researches that precious metals do not exist in the island. To their upper dismay, gold had been discovered in the country. A very interesting story is woven round the discovery of gold in the island.

It is said that a few sailors who had gained experience in the art of gold digging in California and Australia, were engaged in a ship bound for Colombo. After having obtained show leave, they set out towards Kandy. On reaching Maha Oya, they found the river bed familiar to them, and realised from the appearance that gold could be found in the sand. They set to work with a tin pan, and to their complete surprise, and to those in the country, gold was discovered.

Although the quantities found were small, they were very optimistic of success, if worked commercially. Whilst preparations were being made to work it on an extensive scale, they were struck with the dreaded jungle fever. It is said that the gold at Ambepusse is defended by a demon, which will effectively protect it from Europeans. After a short period of recuperating they were found in Nuwara Eliya looking for gold. After two days of searching in the “Vale of Rubies” gold was discovered on the 14th of June 1854. This discovery did not in any way render any positive information base for its commercial exploitation, and the extent to which it could eventually develop.

The minerals that are proved to exist in the country are gold, quicksand, plumbago, and iron. Iron has been discovered in most parts in the hill country, but the best is found in Nuwara Eliya. It had been the practice of the local blacksmiths to make periodical visits to this region to smelt the ore, as it contained a high percentage of metal.

The search for precious stones and metals continued, but the quantities discovered had been so small that extensive research had to be halted. There is however the possibility, that if extensive exploitation of hidden resources is carried out, it could very well disclose many other fortunes that have hitherto lain hidden.

Nuwara Eliya Discovered

“The beginning of modern Nuwara Eliya, ”says G. P. S. H. de Silva, in his well documented book was essentially the work of the British. “From its accidental discovery through conception, gestation, and birth as a town-let, it was the British governor, the civil servant, the military official, and the entrepreneur, who acted as its collective parents, or perhaps as its foster-parents.”

The first visit to this lofty plateau was made in 1819 by Dr. John Dave and his gang of hunters. This place was discovered by accident while they penetrated into the mountain territory in pursuit of elephants. Up to this time, this place had been left alone by man.

Nuwara Eliya Exploited

The serenity of this hill station however could not be maintained for long, and the enterprising British planters thoughtful the possibilities available in this unaffected hangout, set to work, turning this virgin jungle first into coffee plantations and then to a tea garden. By the turn of the century, the fields were green, and the sound of the wood-man’s axe silenced. Nuwara Eliya became the nucleus of a new planting district, and roads were seen radiating in all directions. All the trials and disappointments faced by the pioneers at the initial stages had passed away, and the vision which Sir Samuel Baker had contemplated became a reality.

Although Nuwara Eliya inaugurated its agricultural revolution on oats, potatoes, and exotic English vegetables, it soon had to surrender to the local aspirations. By the early 1840’s the coffee craze had commenced, and there were the Governors, the clergy, the public officers, and the private entrepreneurs, all hastily, manipulating to purchase crown land at nominal rates. Soon the forests were felled, and the virgin forest converted to sprawling extents of coffee, although the ideal altitudes were within the limits of 2500-4000 feet.

The advancement of the coffee enterprise was short-lived, and the coffee rust that surfaced quite unexpectedly saw to it that the industry was entirely wiped out within three decades of it coming into prominence. The few planters that survived the debacle were looking for alternatives. Cinchona was their next choice, and they were interplanted along with the dying coffee. Soon there was overproduction, and international prices tumbled. This was the second calamity the planter had to face, and some were driven near to destitution. It must however be stressed that only a few estates were abandoned in the highly organised regions such as Nuwara Eliya.

More than a quarter of the planters left the country. Many others found planting jobs elsewhere in Britain’s still expanding Empire. There were still the others who wished to maintain a link with the estates to which they had given their working lives. This led to the formation of Limited Liability Companies. It was a long process, but gradually the clouds of financial instability were lifted. There was confidence reasserted once again, and it is no strange coincidence that the homage paid to the planters in Ceylon for the first time seemed justified.

The following is a story about a mysterious occurrence at sea, and according to Forrest, it is all about a young individual John Vansittart of the firm of Hudson and Vansittart, a large local coffee exporter, and this were all related by Conan Doyle.

“Those were the days of coffee planting in Ceylon, before a single season and a rotting fungus drove a whole community through years of despair to one of the greatest commercial victories which pluck and ingenuity ever won. Not often is it that men have the heart when their one great industry is withered to rear up in a few years another as rich to take its place, and the tea fields of Ceylon are as true a monument to courage as is the lion at Waterloo.”

Nuwara Eliya is acknowledged as the region where the tea plant was experimented with for the first time in the island. Although there were many references to tea with the first allusion been made by Wolf way back in 1782 when he wrote that “tea and some other sorts of aromatic shrubs were seen growing in the country.” Captain Robert Percival whilst giving an account of the natural origination’s in the country, went further to say that the tea plant was discovered growing wild in the neighbourhood of Trincomalee, and that the solders used it as a regular beverage. He proceeded further to say that the government of the day nor the public seemed to have taken much notice of this fact until coffee enterprise became a partial failure, but the quantities were not sufficiently large enough to be appreciated.

Tennent on better authority mentioned that the leaves of the “Rannaware Tree” were infused by the people in the South of Ceylon as a substitute for tea, and the plant came to be called the “Matara tea tree.” Considering prudent thinking, it seems obvious that the tea tree for the first time was introduced into the island by the British. Foremost attempt to grow if locally was made by Governor Stewart Mackenzie in 1839, and by interested planters later on.

Dr. Triman who succeeded Thwaites as the Director of the Royal Botanical Gardens in his report published in 1886 was able to clear all doubts regarding the introduction of tea to Ceylon. The report went on to say that in December 1839, Dr. Wallich, the eminent Indian Botanist at the time as the head of the Calcutta Botanical Gardens, sent to Peradeniya, the seeds of the then discovered Indigenous Assam tea seeds. These were followed in February 1840 by 205 plants. In May the Superintendent of Peradeniya Mr. Normansell sent several plants to Nuwara Eliya, along with a person to look after them.

Again in April 1842, another consignment of Assam plants arrived from Calcutta. A further batch of plants was sent Mr. Mooyart at Nuwara Eliya with all details regarding its cultivation, but no one was sure as to what became of them. It was through sheer accident that Mr. Normansell was able to meet up with the person to whose care and attention that second batch of plants was committed. The person caught up in the initial operation of cultivating tea in the country was no other person than Rev. E. F. Gapp who at that time was the tutor to the son of Sir A. Oliphant, Chief Justice of Ceylon.

He recalled having received about thirty plants, and after careful consideration, had planted them on a patch at St Anthony’s land, in the neighbourhood of the present Queens Cottage. He was confident that the plants were doing well at the time of his departure from the country.

There were also the Worms Brothers of the Rothschild family, who in 1841 attempted to raise the Chinese tea plant on a correctly prepared plot on Labookelle estate on the slops of the Ramboda Pass. The plants thrived well, but their attempt to process the leaf proved a total failure.

It has now been established beyond any reasonable doubt that, the tea bush as it is known to us today, was first founded in the district of Nuwara Eliya, and it will remain the citadel of the tea industry in the country. In a much quieter way and later in the field, the then proprietors of Loolecondure estate Hewaheta Messes G. D. B. Harrison and W. M. Leake and later the Anglo Ceylon and General Estates Company Ltd who under the careful management of Taylor were able to acquire the highest eminence as having commenced commercial planting of tea in the country.

   

Nuwara Eliya as a convalescent post

The creation of the modern Nuwara Eliya was exclusively British. Its discovery was accidental, but thereafter it took many years of gestation, to model it physically to what this township is today. It was the British Governor, the civil servant, the military official, the clergy, and the British administrator, who encouraged the establishment of a health resort, with such a combination of attractions.

The earliest published reference to Nuwara Eliya in modern times was made by Dr. John Davy, who unwittingly come across the plane in 1819, and it had been his detailed description of the location that stimulated Governor Barnes to establish a convalescent post at that site.

When Nuwara Eliya was discovered, Ceylon was a unified country, but a war-like situation existed in the rural areas. It was its strategic location based on militaristic reasoning that prompted Governor Barnes to set up a recuperating centre for the troops at this spot.

When Nuwara Eliya was established by the British its attractions had been widely documented. Henry Cave being one of them went on to expand on the luxurious environment and the landscape of this hill-top resort of Nuwara Eliya, He found it to be more captivating in many ways than one to the West Highlands of Scotland, and located it to be ideally suited to the health of the Europeans. To Cave it was most enchanting. He could experience the change from a glorious bright day to a cold Scottish mist, and yet, if he chooses to leave the moist mist and laden sky behind, he could still do it by an hour’s walk and reach the dry hills and sunny plains down below.

To a newcomer, the highlands of Ceylon would appear as an eruption covering an area of about 4,000 square miles, with a jagged surfaces of hills and peaks of sketchy elevations, deep ravines and grassy planes, dense forests and open valleys, gentle streams and gushing waterfalls each enjoying a dozen different climates, with its special characteristic. It would range from the lofty palms and magnificent flowering shrubs of the lower elevations to the hard wood trees and English flowers of the hills, from the customary rendezvous of the buffalo and the bear, to the cool regions cherished by the elk and the elephant. Nuwara Eliya had a pick of climates and scenes to suit any disposition and, to enchant every taste. There was the savage rocky country for the tough and the sweetest undulating grassy plains for the feeble, wild sports for the adventurous types, and trout-fishing for the calm spirits, and a new world who needed a complete change from customary environment.


Nuwara Eliya’s prime agro asset is Tea

This lofty plateau was discovered by accident when some British hunters came across it when they penetrated the mountain territory in pursuit of elephants in 1826. Sir Edward Barnes, then Governor of the island, alive to its importance as an unpolluted area made it a station for the troops. Construction works commenced thereafter, and in 1829, Nuwara Eliya was conceived a health resort, and according to British Colonial terminology was referred to as the “Hill Station.”

Sir Samuel Baker went on to develop this unblemished location further. After having fallen under its charm, he decided to make it his home. He established a farm with colonists from England. He introduced a large variety of European vegetables, which has now become a staple crop in the island. Once the pastures were ready, he introduced English live stock into the island. This section of the country still has some semblance of an alien character, and the charisma of an old fashioned British country side.

It was intended to be an English country town, and forthwith, all the paraphernalia needed to cast such a perception was imported. These included a Bailiff Hereford and Durham cows, and even a blacksmith to work on metal.

To be an Englishman, one had to fish, or at least talk about fish. So they painstakingly imported embryo and hatched brown and rainbow trout and stocked the streams around Nuwara Eliya for licensed anglers.

During the early part of the year, from December to March, the mornings are breezy and frosty. Conditions change from about May, and by June, the turbulent monsoon is ushered with thunder and cloudbursts. This is accompanied by strong winds unknown in the low country. The monsoon change again from July to November, and Nuwara Eliya presents the same characteristics of Climate and foliage. Flowers spring up after the rains, and the pilgrims to Sri Pada, a sacred mountain, starts their ascent.

Although Nuwara Eliya inaugurated its agricultural revolution on oats, potatoes, and exotic English vegetables, it soon had to surrender to the local aspirations. By the early 1840’s the coffee craze had commenced, and there were the Governors, the clergy, the public officers, and the private entrepreneurs, all briskly manipulating to purchase crown land at nominal rates. Soon the forests were felled, and the virgin forest converted to sprawling extents of coffee, although the ideal altitudes were within the limits of 2500-4000 feet.

The advancement of the coffee enterprise was short-lived, and the coffee rust that surfaced quite unexpectedly saw to it that the industry was entirely wiped out within three decades of it coming into prominence. The few planters that survived the debacle were looking for alternatives. Cinchona was their next choice, and they were interplanted along with the dying coffee. Soon there was overproduction, and international prices tumbled. This was the second calamity the planter had to face, and some driven near to destitution. It must however be stressed that only a few estates were abandoned in the highly organised regions such as Nuwara Eliya.

Nuwara Eliya although acknowledged as the region where the tea plant was experimented with for the first time in the island, many doubts had to be cleared before this fact was established. Dr. Triman who succeeded Thwaites as the Director of the Royal Botanical Gardens in his report published in 1886 was able to clear all doubts regarding the introduction of tea to Ceylon. The report went on to say that in December 1839, Dr. Wallich, the eminent Indian Botanist at the time as the head of the Calcutta Botanical Gardens, sent to Peradeniya, the seeds of the then discovered Indigenous Assam tea seeds. These were followed in February 1840 by 205 plants. In May the Superintendent of Peradeniya Mr. Normansell sent several plants to Nuwara Eliya, along with a person to look after them.

Again in April 1842, another consignment of Assam plants arrived from Calcutta. A further batch of plants was sent Mr. Mooyart at Nuwara Eliya with all details regarding its cultivation, but no one was sure as to what became of them. It was through sheer accident that Mr. Normansell was able to meet up with the person to whose care and attention that second batch of plants was committed. The person caught up in the initial operation of cultivating tea in the country was no other person than Rev. E. F. Gapp who at that time was the tutor to the son of Sir A. Oliphant, Chief Justice of Ceylon.

He recalled having received about thirty plants, and after careful consideration, had planted them on a patch at St Anthony’s land, in the neighbourhood of the present Queens Cottage. He was confident that the plants were doing well at the time of his departure from the country.

It has now been established beyond any reasonable doubt that, the tea bush as it is known to us today, was first founded in the district of Nuwara Eliya, and it will remain the citadel of the tea industry in the country. In a much quieter way and later in the field, the then proprietors of Loolecondure estate Hewaheta Messes G. D. B. Harrison and W. M. Leake and later the Anglo Ceylon and General Estates Company Ltd who under the careful management of Taylor were able to acquire the highest eminence as having commenced commercial planting of tea in the country.

Up to contemporary times, Nuwara Eliya teas were treated as any other western high grown, with a lively colour, and adequate strength in the liquors. They were the main qualifying factors. Little did they realise that they were manipulating teas grown on the highest mountainous regions of Sri Lanka, at elevations well above 6000 feet above sea level, where the fields are continuously sheltered in mist.

It took a long time for the planters to realise the uniqueness of the teas grown at such elevations, and to find ways of laying stress on this aspect. A unique characteristic in Nuwara Eliya teas was established.

They soon got down to the task of identifying this unique characteristic in the Nuwara Eliya teas. They spared no expense, troubles nor frugal in money to accomplish this objective. It was said that this singular quality in teas planted at such high elevations was nurtured in the field, and not in the factory. Field experiments and testing commenced thereafter.

It all happened at Park estate. It was no doubt a lucky discovery to detect the first quality stock growing side by side with other tea bushes on this plantation. It was all due to the resourcefulness of the manager. To him, the most important task was to identify the ideal planting material capable of fast duplication for propagation. It would have been a red-letter day for the Nuwara Eliya Plantation Company, the owners of the property, when this was discovered. Similar strains have been detected on Heathersett and Concordia later.

After many years of study at the premier Tea Research Station at Talawakelle, they have now established their lineage. When tested, these varieties were found to be highly productive, and above all, imparting to the leaf that exceptionally rare quality, which is unique to Nuwara Eliya teas.

These early discoveries have remained the surest guide for those in search of quality at high elevations up to present times. It remains the pass-word for distinction. The Tea Research Institute has ascertained their identities and, has classified them as Park 2 for the Park varieties, HS 10 and CC 34 for the types found on Court Lodge and Heathersett respectively.

After having triumphantly accomplished their objectives in the field, the proprietors moved into the more costly task of factory modernisation. The total destruction of the Pedro factory in 1953 in a way, helped them to redesign their new factories. The new Pedro factory became the nucleus for experiments. Unlike all traditional tea factories, this factory was designed differently. A novel form of heating ambient air for withering was fabricated to ensure that only the purest of the circulating air was used for this purpose. This contraption was housed in a separate building to prevent any form of contamination.

The main factory building was constructed to allow maximum amount of sunlight to fall on the operational areas, not realising that quality emanates mostly at low temperatures at night. These lapses did not in any way dampen their voyage of discovery, nor capital a restraint at any stage.

Further investigations were carried out, and another bold step was taken during the latter part of 1950’s. They tried out the most creative form of tea manufacture then known to the world. Pedro factory was fitted up with CTC (Cut Tear Curl) machinery, which meant a complete break away from orthodox manufacture. Pedro being the core for all trials, had to record this venture too as another failure. Orthodox form of machinery reappeared in their factories.

The identity of the Nuwara Eliya teas was finally ascertained as a separate entity, in the mid 1960’s. Though it was a very expensive and a wearying operation all the way, these teas have now obtained a niche in all up market sale centres. It has gained a world-wide reputation for its distinct fragrance and irresistible taste that is strange. Although Sri Lanka teas had been known for over a century, this singular distinguishing character discovered in the Nuwara Eliya teas is the result of a recent breakthrough.

Nuwara Eliya is only six degrees north of the equator, and more than six thousand feet above sea. The mean temperature is about 57 degrees Fahrenheit. It is an oval-shaped mountain valley surrounded by steep mountain ridges. The teas classified under this distinctive name is grown on these charmingly undulating plains. It is the influence of climatic conditions prevailing at such high elevations that imparts to the product a distinct flavour and aroma synonymous with Nuwara Eliya.

   

Commercial Planting of Tea undertaken

Commercial planting of tea was undertaken in this region only during the latter part of the 19th century but nevertheless Nuwara Eliya has played an important part during the initial stages of its propagation. With the success achieved from the introductory batch of tea seeds that arrived in the island from Assam in 1840, it became, clear the it was going to be the citadel of the country’s premium teas. It may be worth a search to discover whether some of the plants may be still in existence.

The trial run proved a success. It established above all, that the soil of Ceylon was congenial to the tea plant. It went further to ascertain that the tea bush could flourish at elevations much higher than the extreme limit of the growth of the coffee plant. Unlike most other tea plantations in the hill country, that were started on the graves of dead coffee, these were in most cases opened up exclusively for tea. The British who pioneered the cultivation of tea in the island, deferred the destruction of this wonderful natural domain where plants and shrubs spring up with such astounding rapidity, and a garden of one year, would without attention be a forest. Such were the flourishing conditions that prevailed in the hill country of Nuwara Eliya.

These conditions could not be maintained for long, as the temptation was too great. The British planter knowing the potential available, set to work turning the virgin jungle into a tea garden. By the turn of the century, the fields were green, the axe no longer sounded in the forest. Houses appeared in centres of activity, and roads were seen deviating in all directions.

The vicissitudes and the change of fortunes faced by the planters during the initial stages had passed away, and the vision of the pioneers who contemplated decades before, to establish a tea plantation on the topmost mountains of the country had become a reality. It was established from the very inception that, Nuwara Eliya teas were foreordained to produce that golden nectar, which was going to take the world by storm. And which the connoisseurs the world over are now looking for.

By 1875, tea was well rooted in Nuwara Eliya with Alston Scott & company managing all plantations. J.A.Rossiter was a pioneer tea planter in this district. In 1875, he opened up Fairyland with 35 acres, Hazelwood with 18 acres, and Oliphant with 150 acres in tea. He was the contented owner of 203 acres of original tea, which, with time was going to be the most accepted tea in the world. There was F.Bayley who owned Pedro with 35 acres and Tullibody owned by G.Armitage with 50 acres.

Tea was fast becoming an internationally traded commodity, and if Ceylon was to find a niche in quality markets, then an improvement in the preparation and manufacture had to take place. For this machinery had to be introduced. Unlike in coffee where it was attended to in Colombo, tea machinery had to be installed at the point of production. Further, during the early days when tea holdings were small, one could not have expected each planter to provide all the facilities for processing the leaf.

It was during this time that the concept of constructing central factories was contemplated. This suggestion was well accepted, and the few planters who had the capital to construct such processing units had the option of either curing the tea at a fixed charge, or buying the green leaf outright.

It was only after this stage that the tea industry started on its second but a more expensive course. Central tea factories sprang up in areas where green leaf was freely available. One such factory was erected on Fairyland (Pedro) in the Nuwara Eliya district by Rossiter in 1884. This factory acted as the nucleus for the manufacture of Hazelwood (Pedro) Parkwood and Kandapola (Park) all within close proximity.

The start made by James Taylor in the propagation of tea, and subsequent experience gained in its manufacture placed the planter in a position of strength. The spirit of competition among the planters was so strong at that level, that they wanted to market their own teas under their own garden name.

This trend no doubt was most desirable, as it indicated that the tea industry was fast gaining sophistication, and directing their sights at the ultimate goal of marketing their produce. The plantations however small they were remained a little kingdom on its own, over which the superintendent reigns and rules. Their properties in most cases, were so small to venture out on this expensive course of factory building. It was at this stage that the process of amalgamations started, and before long, the number of separate units in the Nuwara Eliya planting district was reduced from over a score to just about seven. There was Lovers Leap that carries a story to its connotation, Mahagastotte, Naseby, Fairyland, Moon plains, and Elephant Nook, while Portswood, and Court Lodge has vanished into 1,596 acres of Park Group. Further amalgamations have taken place since.

The expertise required for the construction of tea factories was readily available. So started the final stage in the mechanisation of tea manufacture in the country. This attracted a host of engineers with proven ability serving in world renowned construction companies to set up business establishment in the country.

When discussing the progress of the tea industry in the Nuwara Eliya district during the initial stages, the name of Mr G.H. Masefield keeps surfacing at every turn. After his long term of pioneering work, he retired to England only to be elected as the president of the Ceylon Association in London, for the period 1925 and 1926.

He arrived in the island as a “creeper” in February 1897, and commenced training under Mr W.A.M.Denison on Kintyre Estate Maskeliya. In December 1897 he joined the Nuwara Eliya Tea Estates Company Ltd which was incorporated in 1895. He worked as an assistant on Portswood and Concordia during the period 1898 and 1900, and taking charge of these plantations during the latter part of his professional life in the Company. In 1901 he joined Ceylon Tea Plantation Company Ltd and the following year he took charge of Dewalakande. It was at this property that his instinctive talents were detected, and thereafter his rise to the top was accelerated. In 1910 he was appointed the general manager of the Ceylon Tea Plantations Co. Ltd, Ceylon Proprietary Tea Estates Co. Ltd, Central Tea Co. of Ceylon Ltd, and the Digilla Co. His interests in tea extended far and wide, and remained an active member of the South Indian Association in India for many years.

The Champagne of Ceylon tea

   
 

Peace in a bowl of tea

“I like a nice cup of tea in the morning for the start of the day you see,
And at half past eleven
My idea of heaven
Is a nice cup of tea.
I like a nice cup of the with my dinner
I like a nice cup of tea with my tea
And when its time for bed
There is a lot to be said
For a nice cup of tea.”

The late A. P. Herbert’s song quoted below brings to mind the fact that drinking tea is a past-time that is enjoyed the world over. To the Chinese who discovered the tea plant, and to the Japanese who refined the art of tea drinking, it had ceased to be just a habit, nor an art. It has become a way of life. The basic way of tea could be explained with four Japanese characters. “WA” means harmony, “KEI” means respect, “SAI” purity, both worldly and spiritual, and “JAKU” that can be translated to mean tranquillity or peace of mind.

Tradition has it that the green powdered green tea that Zen monks brought when they returned from their studies in China in the thirteen century was the beginning of the tea-ceremony that is practised even today. It would however strange today, in this world of high speed, fast tempo, and such, that so much time, labour, and energy are spent on this slow sedate ceremony.

The tea drinking habit, thanks to the Seventh Duke of Bedford, has now been well founded on the Western sector, though lacking in all these rituals. To satisfy the needs of the connoisseur for this irresistible beverage, The Uda Pussellawa plantations are proud to offer this unique cup of tea that has been processed from specially propagated high quality clonal material. ( This section has to be expanded )

High above, situated at an elevation ranging from 5,000 to 6,500 feet cuddled up on a wild and wind swept saddle of the highest central mountain range in the country, lays the cluster of the Nuwara Eliya plantations. It is positioned in the path way of the seasonal monsoon rains that blow twice a year. When the South West monsoon blows, the moisture is deposited on the West of the central hills, and strong desiccating winds blow over the region during June to September. These dehydrating winds' producer a strange ingenuous character in the shoots that is unique to this area, due to its strategic location. When the North East monsoon starts, the wind directions are reversed, but a similar change takes place, which helps to produce some excellent teas during February to April.

Nuwara Eliya teas from the very onset, has enjoyed an eminence over most other teas, and due to its location, is capable of producing the Champaign teas. It is the smallest planting district in the country. Tea cover today is limited to only about 1000 hectares, which are only 0.53 of Sri Lanka’s total area under tea. This miniature tea district curls up at the highest elevation in the country, has the advantage of enjoying both monsoons, with the result they are capable of offering quality teas during the better part of the year.

The air is cool and intoxicatingly fresh, blowing clean and cold, from the high cloud crowned Pidurutalagala range at 2,524 metres, Kirigalpotta (2,389)Totapalakanda (2,357)and over the sacred mountain of Sri Pada (2,238) The air is always scented with the fragrance of the cypress that grow mentholated, with the wild mint and eucalyptus. It is the combination of all these factors that has given the Nuwara Eliya teas this unique character, and it is recognised by all the connoisseurs of tea in the world.
   

The story of Nuwara Eliya tea

This story of tea is but a tale of a fragrant brew, much steeped in history. It is a tea classic written very much on the text of the Ch’a Ching of China’s fame, but this is all about the Nuwara Eliya teas, that has won from the seat of passion, the admiration it aptly deserves from the many thousands that have had the privilege of yielding to it's enticements. It proceeds to acclaim the virtues of this invigorating beverage, which responds spontaneously by stimulating the fancy of the consumer, and setting his spirits ablaze as though it was wine.

Despite the widespread use of Chinese teas in the West, from about the sixteenth century, the Nuwara Eliya teas remained unknown until the latter part of the nineteen centuries. Originally, tea was consumed for its therapeutic values, and was carefully thought about as a medieval marvel. The Nuwara Eliya counterparts have all this in plenty and many other pleasing qualities.

The tea drinking habit today, is firmly established as a cultured, mannerly, disease-free, and a healthful drink, suitable for the home and the family. Nuwara Eliya teas go further. They have already consolidated themselves to meet up with the new challenges that may arise when endeavouring to take this concept to the next millennium. All efforts are directed at modelling consumer needs. Tea is tipped to be the product that will be the bridge for tomorrow.

Production targets have been maintained through the adaptation of scientific agricultural practices, which include plant protection and weed control, expansion in plant density, foliage applications of nutrients and water management.

For Nuwara Eliya teas, the accentuation is on quality. Considerable improvements have been achieved through scientific processing, but it is not the end of the road to them. In collaboration with the Tea Research Institute Talawakelle, extensive research is been carried out to propagate high quality mother species, through vegetative propagation. This will help to develop a new family tree, which will ensure a steady supply of planting material, with the instinctive quality of the a characteristic Nuwara Eliya, well embodied in it. All doubtful plants are uprooted, and a large replanting programme is at hand. In addition, the existing planting stock is been upgraded to ensure that the exquisite Nuwara Eliya character is reintroduced and retained. .

This will remain an ongoing operation, and our valued customers who have been savouring this fascinating blend of tea, will once again be assured of regular supplies. We are determined to give ‘consumer marketing’ a new dimension in the new millennium The proof of the tea is in its drinking, and our esteemed clientele is assured of this living commodity.
   

Tea is like wine—A gourmet drink

As with wine, the method of manufacturing is only part of the story. Much depend on the ability of the tea maker to draw out the inherent characteristics of the leaf in the process of manufacture. As wine varies from plot to plot and region to region, so too do teas. The climatic conditions, and forms of manufacture provide an immense possibility in the production of the final product.

The most important factor in the production of wine and tea is the elevation at which the planting material is grown. This is where Nuwara Eliya Teas displace all others in the preference list.

High above, situated at an elevation ranging from 5,000 to 6,500 feet cuddled up on a wild and windswept saddle of the highest central mountain range in the country, lay the cluster of the Nuwara Eliya plantations. It is positioned in the path way of the seasonal monsoon rains that blow twice a year. When the South West monsoon blows, the moisture is deposited on the West of the central hills, and strong desiccating winds blow over the region during June to September. These dehydrating winds' producer a strange quality in the shoots that is unique to this area, due to its strategic location. When the North East monsoon starts, the wind directions are reversed, but a similar change takes place, which helps to produce some excellent teas during February to April.

Nuwara Eliya teas from the very onset, has enjoyed an eminence over most other teas, and due to its location, is capable of producing the Champaign teas. It is the smallest planting district in the country. Tea cover today is limited to only about 1000 hectares, which are only 0.53 of Sri Lanka’s total area under tea. This miniature tea district curls up at the highest elevation in the country, has the advantage of enjoying both monsoons, with the result they are capable of offering quality teas during the better part of the year.

The air is cool and intoxicatingly fresh, blowing clean and cold, from the high cloud crowned Pidurutalagala range at 2,524 metres, Kirigalpotta (2,389)Totapalakanda (2,357)and over the sacred mountain of Sri Pada (2,238) The air is always scented with the fragrance of the cypress that grow, mentholated with the wild mint and eucalyptus. It is the combination of all these factors that has given the Nuwara Eliya teas this unique character, and it is recognised by all the connoisseurs of tea in the world.

The universality of the beverage, its world-wide fame, and its socio-political importance due to its labour intensive structure, has made Nuwara Eliya teas in particular a national asset. The reawakening of Nuwara Eliya teas under state management was centred mainly round production and technological advancements. They however failed to preserve and elevate the quality aspect that the Nuwara Eliya teas were celebrated for.

All attempts are been made to re-establish the original Nuwara Eliya tea with its unique character and aroma. Current manufacture is carried out under a new set of guidelines, and the old fundamentalists are fast regrouping themselves to enjoy their favourite beverage manufactured under the new formula. Some thought that the Nuwara Eliya character was dead or dying, and the tea gardens were too weak even for miracles.

Miracles have happened in the recent past, and old alliances are being re-established to savour the goodness in the new Nuwara Eliya blends.

With the privatisation of the Regional Plantation Companies, salvage operations commenced, and for the Nuwara Eliya teas, quality was their gift which nature had bestowed. This aspect had to be enhanced. They got down to this despicable task of putting things right. They got their old faithful who had gained wide experience in tea to work on the properties. The plantations turned around and soon struck a happy balance between quality and quantity.

Teas that are drunk today are not all from Nuwara Eliya, This enormous goodwill that these teas have acquired over the years and which had remained rather dormant in the recent past, must be exploited and sold abroad.

   

Property Profile

   

Court Lodge:

- Extent 296 Hr.

 

 

Elevation 1890 M to 2150 M.

  

 
 

 

  

 

  

 

Selling Marks

 

 

  

 
 

 

Court Lodge Production Capacity

413,900 Kg
 

 

Kandapola Production Capacity

22,200 Kg
 

 

Total

436,100 Kg
 

 

  

 

  

 

Concordia :

- Extant 444 Hr

 

 

Elevation 1524 M to 2024 M.

 

 
 

 

  

 

  

 

Selling Marks

  

 

  

 
 

 

Hethersett Production Capacity

339,700 Kg
 

 

Kenmare Production Capacity

381,600 Kg
 

 

Total

721,000 Kg
 

 

  

 

  

 

Park :

- Extent 263 Hr

 

 

Elevation 1676 M to 1890 M.

 

 
 

 

  

 

  

 

Selling Marks

 

 

  

 
 

 

Tommagong Production Capacity

488,400 Kg

 

 

  

 

  

 

Pedro ;

- Extant 566 Hr.

  

 

Elevation 1950 M to 2100 M.

 

 
 

 

  

 

  

 

Selling Marks

  

 

  

 
 

 

Lover’s Leap Production Capacity

395,100 Kg
 

 

Mahagastote Production Capacity

218,600 Kg

 

 

Total

613,700 Kg
     
   

The vision for the future

Tea above all is regarded a healthy, and a natural drink free from artificial processing, colourings, and calories, and most important of them all, tea does not damage the environment. This is what the new management wants to uphold.

Unfortunately production of tea has been a contentious issue both environmentally and socially. In most instances, the top soil had been washed away. It has also remained a source of chemical pollution. Socially, the estate labour is unable to progress due to the poor wage structure on which the tea economy has been based.

The new owners are becoming increasingly aware that conventional farming systems that are based on external inputs such as fertilisers and pesticides do not offer all the solutions to agricultural problems. It tends to conceal the purity of this natural drink.

They are conscious of the fast changing dietary habits in the world. Every one wants to lead a healthy life style. Analytical evidence confirms that the leaf contains at least three groups of beneficial chemicals, vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols. A cup of tea warms, cools, calms, cheers, and brews all at once.

With a view to enhancing the health benefits of tea consumption further, the owners of these hill top plantations have introduced an organic tea production system capable of sustaining agricultural production within a stable ecosystem. It is their intention to expand on this project, and their ultimate plan is to convert them all to Organic or Bio Tea, and in the process fostering the therapeutic value of tea further. Soil management is their top priority now. They have already commenced extensive planting of shade trees, and wide use of compost to yield rich crops, with minimum environmental contamination.

Above all, tea is a healthy, and a natural drink free from artificial processing, colourings, and calories, and most important of them all, tea does not damage the environment. This is what the new management wants to preserve.

All these moves may prove futile if they fail to obtain the goodwill of the workers. To win their hearts and admiration, the authorities are offering further assistance to the labour force. Various social welfare schemes have already been fitted out for them. As a founder member of the Plantation Housing and Social Welfare Trust, they are committed to enhancing the quality of life of their work-force.

The dormant tea fields have now been nurtured into hustling production units with the exquisite Nuwara Eliya character, but the new management wants to go further. After having perused an industry that is environmental friendly, they are now determined to re-establish Nuwara Eliya to its former glory, as a health resort and an attraction for tourists. They have identified many-sided avenues of economic development in the district that could create favourable conditions of prosperity in the locality.

The area and the topography are naturally striking. With very little effort, every tea garden in Nuwara Eliya could be turned to a tourist attraction. The former Hethersett tea factory that stood on top of a hill with a panoramic view, has been converted to a modern hotel with all agreeable pursuits for a quite holiday.

Unimaginable opportunities are available at this hill top resort to make it appealing to those who want to enjoy the salubrious climate that Nuwara Eliya can offer. Prosperity in the district would ultimately lead to the conversion of this sleepy little hamlet on the hills into a bustling town of amusement. It could very well end up a miniature Switzerland with rope-ways and picnic spots.

The management proposes to initiate a programme of “Make Your Own Tea," The creation of a miniature tea factory in the midst of tea fields, could pull in the tourists to share in the actual manufacturing process, starting with plucking and the tea ultimately winding up in a packet, which could be purchased from the factory. The publicity values of such a programme will in itself create an awareness for Nuwara Eliya teas.

   

Commercial planting of tea followed

With the success achieved from the introductory batch of tea seeds that arrived in the island from Assam in 1840, it became, clear the it was going to be the citadel of the country’s premium teas. Commercial planting of tea commenced thereafter.

The British who pioneered the cultivation of tea in the island, deferred the destruction of this wonderful natural domain where plants and shrubs spring up with such astounding rapidity, that a garden of one year, would without attention be a forest. Such were the flourishing conditions that prevailed in the hill country of Nuwara Eliya.

These conditions could not be maintained for long, as the temptation was too great. The British planter knowing the potential available, set to work turning the virgin jungle into a tea garden. By the turn of the century, the fields were green, the axe no longer sounded in the forest. Houses appeared in centres of activity, and roads were seen deviating in all directions.

The vicissitudes and the change of fortunes faced by the planters during the initial stages had passed away, and the vision of the pioneers who contemplated decades before, to establish a tea plantation on the uppermost mountains of the country, had become a reality. It was established from the very inception that, Nuwara Eliya teas were foreordained to produce that golden nectar, which was going to take the world by storm. And which the connoisseurs the world over are now looking for.

By 1875, tea was well rooted in Nuwara Eliya with Alston Scott & company managing all plantations. J.A.Rossiter was a pioneer planter who opened up Fairyland with 35 acres, Hazelwood with 18 acres, and Oliphant with 150 acres in tea. He was the contented owner of 203 acres of original tea, which, with time was going to be the most accepted tea in the world. There was F.Bayley who owned Pedro with 35 acres and Tullibody owned by G.Armitage with 50 acres under tea.

Tea was fast becoming an internationally traded commodity, and if Ceylon was to find a niche in quality markets, then an improvement in the preparation and manufacture had to take place. For this machinery had to be introduced. Unlike in coffee where it was attended to in Colombo, tea machinery had to be installed at the point of production. Further, during the early days when tea holdings were small, one could not have expected each planter to provide all the facilities for processing the leaf.

It was during this time that the concept of constructing central factories was contemplated. This suggestion was well accepted, and the few planters who had the capital to construct such processing units had the option of either curing the tea at a fixed charge, or buying the green leaf outright.

It was only after this stage that the tea industry started on its second but a more expensive course. Central tea factories sprang up in areas where green leaf was freely available. One such factory was erected on Fairyland (Pedro) in the Nuwara Eliya district by Rossiter in 1884. This factory acted as the nucleus for the manufacture of Hazelwood (Pedro) Parkwood and Kandapola (Park) all within close proximity.

The start made by James Taylor in the propagation of tea, and prior experience gained in its manufacture placed the planter in a position of strength. The spirit of competition among the planters was so strong at that level, that they wanted to market their own teas under their own garden name.

This trend no doubt was most desirable, as it indicated that the tea industry was fast gaining sophistication, and directing their sights at the ultimate goal of marketing their produce. The plantations however small they were remained a little kingdom on its own, over which the superintendent reigns and rules. Their properties in most cases, were so small to venture out on this expensive course of factory building. It was at this stage that the process of amalgamations started, and before long, the number of separate units in the Nuwara Eliya planting district was reduced from over a score to just about seven. There was Lovers Leap that carries a story to its connotation, Mahagastotte, Naseby, Fairyland, Moon plains, and Elephant Nook, while Portswood, and Court Lodge has vanished into 1,596 acres of Park Group. Further amalgamations have taken place since.

The expertise required for the construction of tea factories was readily available. So started the final stage in the mechanisation of tea manufacture in the country. This attracted a host of engineers with proven ability serving in world renowned construction companies to set up business establishment in the country.

When discussing the progress of the tea industry in the Nuwara Eliya district during the initial stages, the name of Mr G.H. Masefield keeps surfacing at every turn. After his long term of pioneering work, he retired to England only to be elected as the president of the Ceylon Association in London, for the period 1925 and 1926.

He arrived in the island as a “creeper” in February 1897, and commenced training under Mr W.A.M.Denison on Kintyre Estate Maskeliya. The Nuwara Eliya Tea Estates Company Ltd was incorporated in 1895, which company he joined in December 1897. He worked as an assistant on Portswood and Concordia during the period 1898 and 1900, and taking charge of the plantations during the latter part of his professional life in the Company. In 1901 he joined Ceylon Tea Plantation Company Ltd and the following year he took charge of Dewalakande. It was at this property that his instinctive talents were detected, and thereafter his rise to the top was accelerated. In 1910 he was appointed the general manager of the Ceylon Tea Plantations Co. Ltd, Ceylon Proprietary Tea Estates Co. Ltd, Central Tea Co. of Ceylon Ltd, and the Digilla Co. His interests in tea extended far and wide, and remained an active member of the South Indian Association in India for many years.