May Sky

Posted: May 19, 2013 | Author: Santosh | Filed under: photos | Tags: gulmohar, Kundan Park, May, photo essay, Pune, summer evenings | Leave a comment »

Indecisively weighing both blue and red.

Orange gulmohar flowers add a touch of flair and drama.

Giving in to the thirsty spirit of the summer evening.

The Eyelids of the World

Posted: February 23, 2013 | Author: Santosh | Filed under: photos | Tags: AJS motorcycle, bodhidharma, eric francis, kanan devan hills plantations, kerala, munnar, tea, tea estates | 2 Comments »

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.

In conversation with the sky.

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.