"Udarata Menike"

Bernard VanCuylenburg.

My Dad was on Carolina Group, Watawala for 27 years, and  before he retired, he planted in Bandarawela for four years. Carolina was a huge estate of 2230 acres. By a topographical twist of fate, the railway line from Colombo to Badulla went through one of the divisions of Carolina called Mt.Jean. In fact the Watawala railway station was located on Mt.Jean division! Our bungalow on Kadawella division was some distance away from the railway track, but each day around 1.30 pm. we could hear the sound of the horn and the throbbing hum of the diesel locomotive as the "Menike" slided on ribbons of steel on her onward journey uphill amidst spectacular landscape on the way to Badulla. The blast of the horn would echo through the green hills and in the solitude of an estate bungalow it was a reassuring sound.

When the"Udarata Menike" was first introduced in 1954 it was powered by two British diesel locomotives. Before this, the train to Badulla was hauled by two steam engines which meant getting flecks of coal in one's eye, when looking out of the window ! And with the puffs of smoke blowing all over, the journey was not very pleasant. The introduction of diesel changed all that. A new set of carriages were hitched onto the diesel locomotives on her maiden run, and thats how it remained as long as I remember. The icing on the cake was the gift of twelve Canadian diesel locomotives under the Colombo Plan in the late 50's  - an outright gift from the Canadian government under the premiership of Pierre Trudeau. These diesels were a joy to behold, and I still remember the names of some of them, on either side of the locomotive gleaming in silver and blue. They were "Alberta" "Montreal" "Sasketchwan" "Prince Edward Island" "Vancouver" "Manitoba" "Toronto" and "Ontario". Out went the British locomotives  - at least on the up-country run, and in came one Canadian diesel to take their place. I later picked up some trivia about the Canadian locomotives. The distances they covered in Canada were at times over a thousand miles, and apparently the distance from Colombo to Badulla was insufficient for such high powered diesels of 2500 horse power. So after the "Menike" reached Badulla around 6.20 pm each evening, the locomotive had to be kept running for some hours after that, even though the journey had ended ! Apparently, one locomotive could provide electricity for an entire town ! After Dad went to Bandarawela, I used to travel by the "Udarata Menike" several times whenever I came to Colombo, and the return journey was one which I always anticipated with joy. It was not the train per se, but the incredible journey and the terrain of the track.

In the the low country from Colombo to Rambukkana it was a smooth run. But once the train reached Kadugannawa the climb began, and if you sat on the right and dared to look out of the window when the train skirted the ridge called "Sensation Rock" you risked a nervous breakdown because a thousand feet below, you could see the roofs of thatched village houses and expanses of paddy fields  - all in minature. There was no protective barrier along this length of track and the train was travelling on the edge of a sheer precipice ! Once this nerve shattering climb was negotiated, the terrain evened out to a level run upto Nawalapitiya. It was past Nawalapitiya that the real torturous climb began all the way to Nanuoya and from there to a spot on the track between Ambawela and Pattipola which is the highest point on the railway. After this it was 'downhill' all the way in the plains of Uva to the terminus at Badulla. On one of these trips I happened to be in the compartment up front behind the locomotive, and a very friendly guard took me into his section of the compartment from where I could see the driver in his cabin and observe this Canadian powerhorse in action. I was introduced to the driver, Mr.Wadugodapitiya an old Trinitian, and a senior driver in the Ceylon Government Railways. It was he who gave me the trivia I quoted earlier on the Canadian diesels.

I have done many trips by train in other countries and can tell you that the trip from Colombo to Badulla should be classed as one of the great train journeys of the world. Apart from the spectacular scenery through which the track goes through, specially in the hill country, just consider the near impossible gradient which the train traverses.......In fact there is a place called for some unknown reason, "Soda Bottle" bend on the line between Kotagala and Great Western which is an engineering marvel. So steep is the gradient that at a certain point on looking out of the window if one is seated on the right side of the train, one can see the railway track in two tiers below -   a graphic indication of the height the traveller has just passed through. And then there is the engineering masterpiece of the Demodera loop ! Once the train leaves Demodera station (two halts before Badulla) it goes full circle and at one stage passes right under the station which it has just left, on its way to Badulla ! Imagine leaving a station and then after about five minutes looking out of the window - or rather, looking up  - to find the station you just left is right above you !! Talk about the realms of fantasy ! It is a matter of regret that the name of the engineer who devised this masterpiece has not been recorded for posterity. On the return trip past Nanuoya, one gets a clear view of Adam's Peak in the distance - weather permitting -  until one reaches Talawakelle.  At Nanuoya - and this is addressed to old Anthonians in particular  - there is a little hill near the station, with a neat little bungalow on its summit. This was the home of Freddy, Paddy, Gerry, and Merry Guneratne when their Dad Alec Guneratne  - an old Anthonian and legendary soccer star of a bygone era - was stationed in Nanuoya during his service with the Ceylon Government Railways. I once walked with Royston and Basil Hyde from their home on Scrubbs Estate, Nuwaraeliya to the Guneratne home at Nanuoya  - a distance of four miles. We were entertained with cordon bleu home made delicacies by Paddy's Mum   - it is still a warm memory that never fades and sparks nostalgia for a happy time and place...... But I digress, so I had better get back on track........ 

From Ohiya station upto Haputale the track seems to defy gravity ! It is cut on the side of a mountain and runs at the edge of a precipice with heart stopping views of the little villages far down below. It is a hair raising experience which I term as death defying ! You have to sit on the left of the compartment to get your hair standing on all ends ! If you wish to play it safe, just sit on the right and all you will see is the side of a cliff. But the scenery which greets the traveller will live in memory forever. A panorama of deep valleys, green hills and lush countryside where nature has run riot with her paintbrush painting the land in colours of every hue......This kaladescope of nature's bounty penetrates your very soul to inspire and nurture the spirit........It is a photographer's delight and an artists paradise........and the bracing mountair air gives one a near supernatural sense of well being. The scenery on this entire journey is a nature lover's delight. From the lush hills on the Kadugannawa climb right upto Nawalapitiya, and then the beautiful tea country all the way to Nanuoya.

There were no luxury compartments. There was 1st, 2nd and 3rd class, and an excellent Restaurant Car staffed by uniformed waiters. The catering was done by U.K.Edmund.  For Rs.1.50 you could enjoy a delicious rice and curry and the tea was the nectar of the Gods. There was no Observation Car.

I think today the "Menike" is powered by a German Henschel locomotive and has some Rumanian compartments. In my humble opinion the Henschel diesel does not in any way, shape or form look as sleek, majestic and inspiring as her Canadian counterpart. During my last visit to Sri Lanka in 2000, I was pleased to see some of the Canadian locomotives still riding the rails. On a trip from Haputale to Colombo in the "Udarata Menike" we crossed the "Podi Menike" the younger sister of the "Udarata Menike" which I observed was hauled by a Canadian diesel locomotive, "Montreal". With that I shall conclude this email. But the "Menike" - 'The Maid of the Mountains' or, as I prefer to call her 'The Maid of the Mists', will forever travel the corners of our minds in the realms of memory on a journey that has no end...

Bernard VanCuylenburg. 

Bernard turned 70 on the 25th February.

Golden History of Carolina

Carolina Tea Factory stands tall at the entrance to the western slopes of the Central hills, where teas of exquisite quality are manufactured almost throughout the year. It is at this point that the entire scenery changes from the clusters of tea to an unbroken mantle of green. To the discerning visitor, Carolina tea plantation will offer a true representation of the immense work that goes into producing their favorite beverage.

It would be an unforgettable encounter to watch the tea pluckers with their fine glossy hair and dreamy eyes, decorated with silver ornaments and clothes of many colors, wending their way through cramped tea bushes, to pluck the young flush that is required to produce this tea that goes to be accounted as the best tea in the world.

The coordinated action of sight, brain and fingers at high speed and brought to bear through sheer practice is a matter that an onlooker finds difficult to comprehend with, especially when he/she realizes that it is only the young and succulent leaf that goes to the basket. This is a highly skillful operation perfected through experience passed on from generation to generation. For over hundred years, Carolina has taken immense care of its priceless possession of tea and continues to do so, to offer the world that perfect cup of tea.

Carolina Tea Company of Ceylon Ltd. incorporated in 1892 was one of the pioneer tea companies in the country, set up primarily to plant tea. It consisted of a group of plantations situated in Lower Dickoya. They were Agarawatte, Carolina, Kadawala, Mount Jean, Wigton, Udapola Group, Trafalgar, Goatfell and St. Margaret Estates. The Management of this group that was originally with Leechman and Company changed to Mackwoods Estates & Agencies Ltd. at a later date.

According to the Times of   Ceylon - Green Book of 1939, this group had over 1,000 hectares in tea, 245 hectares in rubber, a few hundred coconut trees, and 726 hectares uncultivated. This composite total extent at the stage was considered a substantial area for administration.

The Carolina tea factory was one of the original "Central Factories" constructed by the river that ran by the estate, to avail themselves of water power. It was indeed an improvement to some of the other factories of the day, with no mud floors and cadjan roofs. The building was of wood assembled firmly on stone pillars. It had three floors going up to the height of 42 feet from ground to ridge. Provision had been made for further expansion, but   there was sufficient space to accommodate all the leaf not only from that group, but from many other adjoining plantations who were satisfied with a return of 9 cents (about 2p) per pound. The novelty was that very often than not, the green leaf arrived by train.

John Walker, who was responsible for founding the present Colombo firms of Walker sons & Company and Walker & Grieg, had by then acquired much prominence as a designer of plantation machinery. The task of planning and equipping Carolina factory was entrusted him. A modern factory has now been built by the road side offering a panoramic view to the causal visitor travelling up to the hills.

At the time the plantations were nationalized, Carolina group had in all 1023 hectares with 579 hectares in tea. Many other subsidiary crops had been planted on this property by then.

Following the re-privatization process in 1992, Carolina has been developed to produce CTC teas that achieve premium prices on a regular basis at the auctions to be the most sought after. It can also boast as having a well-established mini hydro power project within its premises.

A haven in the hills of Hatton- Strathdon Estate

Strathdon Estate is located in the famed hills of Hatton. This is where most of the picturesque tea gardens of Watawala Plantations are located, with the slopes truly resembling a sheet of strikingly visible tea fields belonging to one Plantation Company that lie alongside each other. Located at an elevation ranging from 915 meters to 1370mm above mean sea level, the estate records an annual rain fall of 3500mm distributed over a period of 185 wet days on average.

Strathdon estate consisting of 646.37 hectares of land is the largest Plantation in the area. The cultivated extent of 403.29 Hectares comprises 55% vegetative propagated cultivars and 45% of old seedling tea which is over a hundred years old. The estate records an overall annual yield of 1300 kilos per hectare. According to the history of Strathdon Estate the cultivation commenced in the year 1913. Few known British planters during the era to follow were Mr. Edward Charles Keyte 1961-1968 and Mr. Cornelius O Callaghan 1968.

Strathdon Estate was in its earlier days owned by the Scottish Ceylon Tea Company and managed by Leachmen & Co. Ltd. It was taken over by the Lands Reform Commission and subsequently absorbed into the Janatha Estates Development Board. With the re-privatization of Plantations on the 16^th June 1992, Strathdon estate came under the management of Lankem Plantations Ltd.  and thereafter to Watawala Plantations PLC as at present.

There is well-trained and experienced health staff that provides excellent medical facilities to the entire estate. The estate maintains a dispensary which could be well compared to a present day private hospital. In addition to their normal functions connected to the estate medical work the health staff is also in the process of conducting useful health camps, workshops and health awareness programmes, for the benefit of community. There are six well maintained child development centers to look after the children of associates. Sports meets and various activities such as concerts are held from time to time with the active participation of the parents as well.
Strathdon is popular for producing strong, bright and thick liquoring teas of CTC manufacture. These are bought by reputed tea buyers for mainly the export market. The product has good quality and has the ability to meet the competitive market demands as well.

Vellaioya Estate

Vellai Oya Estate is surrounded by green hills and natural beauty of the up country.It is one of the beautiful estates owned by Watawala Plantations PLC. This is enlightened with floral gardens,springs and fauna.To reach the estate it takes 15 minutes from Hatton town.

In the year 1966  the estate started the cultivation.This estate consists of 840 hectares out of 546 hectares are cultivated with tea 362.50 Ha.The elevation of this estate from the lowest 1156 to highest 1337 meters from mean sea level.

Vellai Oya Estate consists of 4 divisions.They are as follows;

• Lower Vellai oya
• Upper Vellai oya
• Upper Dandukelewa
• Lower Dandukelewa

Vellai oya has tea factory which is situated in Lower Vellai Oya Division,at the entrance had been operated with Hydro Power pror to 1930.The new large factory which commenced operation in 1930 has the capacity to accommodate 24,192 kilos of green leaf per day.Factory is categorized under western medium and the product has its own inherent character. Vellai Oya has established its mark of which the leading buyers familiar.This factory is equipped with latest machinery and massive development program.

Vellai Oya has been manufacturing excellent teas with high liquor since the year of establishing this factory and recognized annually for obtaining highest net sale average in Hatton/Dickoya Agro climatic range.

Kenilworth Estate

       

Kenilworth Tea Graden is located in the Central Province in the district of Nuwara Eliya,approximately 102 kiometers from Colombo-the Capital city of Sri Lanka. Kenilworth is the flagship Estate of Watawala Plantations PLC.
It would appear that the name KENILWORTH originated from an English background,which it is traced to a magnifcent Castle situated in Warwickshire,UK.
The Estate nestles between two prominent rivers of Sri Lanka "Kelani" & "Mahaweli".Kenilworth experiences an annual rainfall of approximately 4500 mm spread over 200 days and enjoys the benefits of both the south West and the North East monsoons.Elevations varies from 616 to 640 meters.

Field
The total extent of Kenilworth is 603.11 Hect.Of which 295.36 Ha(49%) is planted in Tea.The remaining 51% is under Fuel wood cultivation/Forestry and in grass to be replanted into tea.Of the total extent in Tea 86% is under high yielding vegetatively propagated (VP) tea.The annual production of Kenilworth is around
560000kgs of made tea representing a yield of 1900 kgs per hectare.

Processing Center 
Under the medium Grown category ,Kenilworth occupies a prestigious position in the Sale average and is possibly one of the prime selling marks of Sri Lanka.The factory is situated at elevation of 616 meters and carried out an orthodox process of manufacture.The annual protection including bought crop is approximately 800,000 kgs made tea.The factory has obtained"Fairtrade Certificate" in July ,2008.(FLO certified producer)existing Tea factory was built in 1947 having demolished the old factory built in 1942.

Kenilworth Tea garden,which consists of five divisions is situated in the Central Province and comes under the district of Nuwara Eliya,and in close to the Ginigathhena town.

Social Welfare Activities
Vocational Training Center for Differently-abled:This center commenced operation on 24th June,1998 to assist the differently able persons in the vicinity of the estate .Presently around 12 disabled persons are employed in the sector with a Training Supervisor.This is not a profit oriented venture,but is operated purely to assist the differently able people to earn an income and also to keep them occupied.Expenditure on salaries,Transport,Medical etc.are incurred by the estate.

  

                                                                                 

Achievements 

• Achieved highest sale Average in Jhon Keels Catalogue in the Western Medium Grown Category for Year 2006.
• Most number of Top Prices obtained for BOP, BOPF,OP,OPI,FBOP,Pekoe & BOPI grades in the Western Medium Grown catergory.
• Out of 50 sales in 2006,163 top prices were recorded.
• 7 awards of excellence achieved within a year itself is a magnificent record,which is proud contribution for the better performance of the company.
• The estate tea factory has progressed tremendously since the year 2001 with prestigious merits& awards as detailed below in the recognition of the commitment & dedication of its employees.

Waltrim Estate remarks as a Flagship Estate

Waltrim estate nestles in the Lindula Valley of Talawakelle Region in the Nuwara Eliya District at an elevation of 1207-1448 meters above the sea level.Acclaimed as the Flag bearer of Lindula region of Watawala Plantations.Waltrim was recognized for high quality of tea processing.This estate was the beneficiary of a "state of the art"factory that was newly constructed and commisioned onthe 18th of March 2011 after a disaster struck on 28th April 2008 when the old tea factory went abalze spontaneously in an inferno that literally struck from nowhere.Within an hour the building was reduced to ashes completely gutted by a fire.Watawala plantations rather than lamenting over this catastropic situation through its sheer determination built a new ultra-modern state of the art and ecofriendly tea processing centre at a site just 100 meters from where the old factory was located.It was the goal of the company to revive the glory and fame of the Waltrim Mark by making it the best manufacturing facility in Sri Lanka with the potential to being the best in Asia if such a determination was to be made.

Having a land extent of 578 hectares with a tea cultivated area of 408.08 hectares,Waltrim carries a total population of 4765 people of which the workforce accounts for 1013 associates.The staff cadre consists of 43 members and five executives -all under the guidance of a  senior manager.This includes the new recruit for the implementation of Rainforest Alliance and Quality Assurance and other related standards.They all shoulder a great deal of responsibility in maintaining required levels of standard needed by the company and its stake holders.