It was once an estate bungalow where top officials of Peerumade Tea Company Ltd. lived. The British-era bungalow has fallen into disrepair now, with creepers conquering the main structure. Another bungalow at the Lone Tree division of the estate is no more.
The degeneration of the buildings is complete with the tea plantation remaining closed for two decades since a global crisis hit the industry. The estate, spread over 3,000 acres, had 1,600 workers on its roll when it was abandoned by the management.
The skeletal bungalow represents the state of things on the estate where 500 workers eke out a living by plucking green leaves or working outside. Others have left the area as time passed.
“There was a well-maintained garden, cattle shed, car porch and open area in front of the main structure,” says author Sunitha Srinivasan, who had spent her early childhood in the bungalow. She was the daughter of an official who worked here 40 years ago.
The plantation life was lively and it was a flourishing village almost self-sufficient then, she says. Ms. Srinivasan and her husband, Markus Pfefferer, visited the bungalow recently prior to the release of her book Trailblazers of the Travancore Plantations, which deals with the early plantation life in Peerumade taluk.
The beautiful bungalows in typical British architecture had many features and some of the items used, including tiles, were imported from there. A hearth, decorated wooden structures, main entrance, and a wide kitchen area are a common feature. They are often situated on a hill with a good view of the tea garden.
As one moves through the bungalow now, its degeneration could be gauged. It is difficult to enter inside with creepers and plants overgrown on the broken tiles. The roof has almost fallen except in the front.
The main structure on the entrance to the bunglow remains as it was constructed with stones. With no one to look after the buildings, furniture and other items were stolen when the estate was closed, says Siva, son of an estate worker, who is an autorickshaw driver at Parappu, near Upputhara..
One cannot imagine constructing a bungalow like that and its grandeur fascinated us. “We look at the building from outside and had never ventured in,” says Kannan, whose father was a worker at the plantation.
