The capitol of Uva Province, Badulla is thought to be one of the oldest towns in Sri Lanka. Today, it is an important transport hub and visitors are likely to pass through it while travelling between the Hill Country and the East Coast.

The highlight here is the KataragamaDevale, a Hindu temple that was built in the 18^th century. The Kandyan-style main shrine houses an image of Kataragama, flanked by statues of Saman and Vishnu. The shrine’s outer walls are painted with murals depicting a perahera. Some fine carvings of human figures, animals and floral motifs can be seen on the pillars and other areas of the temple.

The third point of the Cultural Triangle that also comprises Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, Kandy is the cultural capital of Sri Lanka with a rich heritage of music, dance and architecture. Home of the sacred Tooth relic, the city is on nearly every visitor’s itinerary. It also serves as a gateway to the Hill Country, the mountainous core of the island, where the countryside is dotted with tea plantations are town still preserve the remnants of the British Colonial legacy.

Set amid verdant hills in the heart of the island, Kandy was founded during the reign of Wickramabahu III of Gampola (1357-1374). The city became the capital of SenaSammadhaWickramabahu’s (1473-1511) kingdom in the 15^th century, and its reputation was further cemented when the Tooth Relic arrived in 1592. Over the years, successive kings built, renovated and rebuilt sections of the city, as they staved off Colonial powers. The British, however, were determined to conquer the whole island, and finally, in 1815, succeeded in overthrowing this last bastion of independence, thanks to the unpopularity of the tyrannical Sri WickramaRajasinghe. Kandy soon became an important center for trade, with a railway line linking it to Colombo. Today, it is Sri Lanka’s second city, renowned for the Temple of the Tooth and the spectacular Esalaperahera.

Beyond the bustle of Kandy, the pace of life slackens and the temperate climate provides a welcome relief. The southern Hill Country presents a range of contrasts – from wild and rugged landscapes with gushing waterfalls to carefully manicured tea plantations carpeting the hillsides. The Colonial-era railway creaks along at dizzying heights, past former British hill stations, such as Nuwara Eliya and Badulla, which are now modern towns. The area’s other attractions include the hill towns of Ella and Haputale, which offer scenic views and lovely winding walks.

Sri Lanka is one of the largest exports of tea in the world. Th country produces a wide range of varieties, including grades of the traditional black tea, flavored teas, organic teas and green tea. The first tea plants, brought from china, were grown in Peradeniya Botanical Gardens in 1824, but it wasn’t until 1867 that the first commercial tea plantation was established near Kandy. Before the cultivation of tea began on the island, coffee was the principal plantation crop. However, when the coffee trees were decimated by disease in the 1870’s, tea became a profitable alternative. Today, the tea industry is of great importance to Sri Lanka’s economy. The country’s tea estates attract visitors from around the world and offer tours of tea factories, stays in plantation bungalows and picturesque views of rows of tea bushes. The World Famous Ceylon Tea in Sri Lanka

Tea plantation

About 4 percent of Sri Lanka’s land area is covered with tea plantations. These are mainly found in the Hill Country, which offers the ideal terrain and climate for the plants to flourish. Tea bushes are carefully manicured and kept at waist height for ease of plucking. Tea cutting are kept in a nursery for about a year before being planted in the fields.

The British and Tea

In 1852, a Scottish planter named James Taylor arrived in Sri Lanka to work for a coffee grower. He was put in charge of the Loolecondera estate near Kandy. In 1867, Taylor grew the first tea plants for commercial use in a section of the estate. The plantation’s success eventually led to the expansion of the global tea industry in the late 19th century, with several large British companies buying the smaller estates. The Tea Bush is an evergreen tree, which grows to a height of around 10 m (33ft) in the wild.

Tea Pluckers

Most of the tea pluckers in Sri Lanka are women and the majority are descendants of the Tamil labours who were brought from south India to work in the plantations by the British in the 1870’s. The tea workers are required to pick at least 20 Kg (44lb) of leaves every day. Their wags are low and the living conditions are poor; they often live in barrack-style buildings comprising only one or two rooms.

From Bush to Cup in 24 Hours

Tea production in Sri Lanka is a labour intensive industry. Tea leaves are still plucked by hand, and it is the youngest two leaves as well as the bud that are taken every six to 10 days. After the leaves have been collected, they are delivered to the factory where they are processed using either the traditional or the CTC (crush, tear and curl) method. The end product is then ready to be sent for auction to make its way onto shop shelves. Tea factories offer tours to explain the tea-making process and many of them continue to use machines that have changed little since the 19th century.

Traditional Method

The plucked leaves are dried in huge trays or “withering troughs” while hot air is blown over them to reduce moisture content. They are subsequently crushed, which caused enzymes to be released and the fermentation process to begin. Leaves are left to ferment for a short period after which they are left to ferment for a short period after which they are fired in an oven. They are then left to cool before being sorted and graded.

CTC Method

This method is much faster than the traditional method. Fresh leave are passed through a series of cylindrical rollers that crush, tear and curl the tea. The ground up leaves are then rolled into little pellets and oxi dissed. Tea manufactured by this process is mostly used in tea bags.

Tea Distribution

The majority of tea produced from both traditional and CTC methods is packed into sacks and sent for sale in Colombo, where a variety of grades are auctioned for export and blending purposes.

Grades of Tea

Sri Lanka tea is divided into various grades. While high-grown thrives above 1.200 m (3,937) and is said to have the best color, aroma and flavor, low-grown is founded below 600 m (1,968 ft) and is less flavorful. Medium-grown is cultivated between these two altitudes. Teas are also graded by size and by quality. The finest among leaf teas is Orange Pekoe (OP), which is made with unbroken leaves, and the slightly lesser broken Orange Pekoe (BOP). Fanning’s as well as dust are graded much lower and end up in tea bags. The World Famous Ceylon Tea in Sri Lanka