Mehtab Bagh

The Tea Museum, officially known as the KDHP Tata Tea Museum, is situated within the historic Nullatanni Estate just 1.5 km northwest of Munnar central town in Kerala, standing as India's first dedicated tea museum celebrating over 140 years of plantation history.

Established in 2005 by the Kanan Devan Hills Plantations Company (KDHP) at one of Munnar's oldest processing factories, this engaging heritage center chronicles the fascinating journey of how wild Western Ghats forests were transformed into sprawling emerald tea estates since the late 19th century.

It's the home of antique 1905 Rotorvane tea rollers and 1920s Pelton wheel hydro turbines, vintage dial telephones and colonial planter artifacts, live miniature factory demonstrations of CTC and Orthodox black tea processing, guided tea tasting sessions, and factory fresh plantation tea counters.

It represents a rich educational and sensory destination where colonial engineering triumphs, authentic tea processing secrets, highland plantation culture, and warm cups of fragrant cardamom tea unite in central Idukki.

Located along Nullatanni Road, it sits 1.5 km from Munnar Central Bus Stand, 110 km from Aluva Railway Station, and 115 km east of Cochin International Airport (COK), making it the most convenient and essential indoor attraction in Munnar.

Plantation History & Colonial Relics

The museum traces the pioneering efforts of early British planters, starting in 1877 when A.H. Sharp cleared the first jungle patch at Parvathi to plant tea, followed by James Finlay and Tata Tea.

Inside the heritage galleries, visitors can inspect original 19th century Chubb iron safes, manual wooden tea rollers, colonial furniture, vintage typewriters, and black and-white photographs documenting the hardship of constructing roads, bridges, and mountain rail lines across untamed terrain.

Truth is, one of the most remarkable exhibits is the 1920 Pelton Wheel turbine from the Kundala Valley hydroelectric project, which generated the region's first clean electric power to run tea factory machinery.

Live Factory Processing & The Art of Tea Making

A functioning demonstration factory floor inside the museum takes visitors through every step of traditional and modern tea manufacturing.

Knowledgeable factory staff explain the sequential stages: Withering (reducing leaf moisture), Rolling (crushing leaf cells to release essential oils), Fermentation (natural enzymatic oxidation turning green leaves coppery brown), Drying (locking in aroma with hot air dryers), and Sorting into leaf grades like Pekoe, BOP, and Dust.

Tea Tasting Sessions, Documentaries & Shopping

Tea Tasting Experience: Visitors can participate in guided tea tasting workshops conducted by professional tea tasters, sampling distinct varieties such as delicate White Tea, antioxidant rich Green Tea, robust Orthodox Black Tea, and fragrant Cardamom/Ginger spiced infusions.

Documentary Theater: A 30 minute documentary film is screened regularly in the auditorium, narrating the dramatic transformation of the Kannan Devan Hills into an employee owned plantation cooperative.

Factory Outlet Store: Before leaving, you can purchase vacuum packed premium Ripple brand teas, factory fresh green tea, authentic homemade chocolates, and pure eucalyptus and wintergreen essential oils directly from the plantation store.

Pair your museum visit with scenic outdoor excursions to nearby Mattupetty Dam, Eravikulam National Park to view Anamudi Peak, and the cascading waters of Attukal Falls.