The Kolukkumalai Tea Estate in Tamil Nadu is the highest tea estate in the world, situated at a height of about 8,000 feet above sea level. Its time-tested tea factory still sticks to the orthodox (handmade) methods of tea processing it has practiced since the British constructed it in the 1930s.
The factory at the center of the estate has stood for several generations, having been built more than 70 years ago. It uses traditional techniques even today that serve as a draw for tea enthusiasts. Orthodox tea-making is a seven-step process that includes withering, rolling, sieving, fermenting, drying, fiber extraction, and grading. All of this work happens in the small factory that has not been changed since the British constructed it in the 1930s.
The estate was the 2005 Southern Tea Competition winner of the Golden Leaf India Awards.
Picture Credit : Google