Nuwara Eliya is
called Sri Lanka’s little England with good reason, as a fine spray of light
misty rain greeted us when we arrived on a long winding journey by road from Colombo.
A summer retreat
of the British, Nuwara Eliya was “discovered”
in 1819 by Dr. John Davy, physician to Governor of Ceylon Sir Robert Brownrigg.
But it was the English Trader and Sailor Robert Knox, who first put Newer ellea on the map in 1681, in his
famous chronicle of old Ceylon. The
credit for developing Nuwara Eliya as an enclave for the
British community goes to the British Governor, Sir Edward Barnes who built
himself a house – “Barnes Hall” – in 1828 on the 38 acres of land that he
purchased here. Nuwara Eliya
soon became the summer hub for British colonial pastimes: horse racing, trout
fishing, polo, golf and cricket. Today, as entry is restricted at the other two
British era buildings – the Queen’s Cottage (now the President’s summer
retreat) and the Golf Club, there is no better way to savour the vestiges of a
bygone era than to check in at the erstwhile residence of Sir Edward Barnes,
the Governor of Sri Lanka from 1830 to 1850!
A Grand Heritage
If you are
looking for that authentic British colonial look and feel, Grand Hotel Nuwara Eliya does not disappoint! This Elizabethan era
manor house turned luxury hotel, complete with colonial furnishing, waxed
wooden floors, grand creaky stairs and liveried staff in crisp white dhotis is
as good as it would have been in its heyday. And since the 1880s, “Barnes Hall”
has hosted the who’s who of British society in the island before changing hands
in transformation to the Grand Hotel - with its look and feel still intact!
We are greeted
at the tastefully furnished Piano Lounge with hot towels to freshen up before
being taken to our rooms. At the reception, a grand coffee-table book titled “Grand
Hotel – Nuwara Eliya” by Richard Boyle catches my attention. Beautifully
illustrated with vintage photographs, I flip through it in leisure. According
to the book, the history of the Grand Hotel is the history of Nuwara Eliya
itself – no wonder!
Soon we are guided
through winding corridors and a squeaky elevator to a sprawling room in one of
the top floors with a bay window overlooking the lawn. We freshen up and walk
to dinner at the Indian restaurant in the premises. The night air at Nuwara Eliya
is invigorating and we take a stroll along the road leading to the town. But
the drizzle threatens to turn heavy and we beat a hasty retreat to retire for
the night. And just as we slide the key into the lock, I think I hear eerie
laughter resonating through the thick doors that reminds me of that mysterious
laughter at Mr. Rochester’s mansion in Charlotte Bronte’s ‘Jane Eyre’. It’s a
warm summer night in May, and tucked in bed I can’t help but wonder at the intriguing
air and spooky noises about the Grand Hotel – maybe that’s what makes it so
endearing to tourists and the Lankans alike!
The next
morning, we wake up to strains of “Una Paloma Blanca…” drifting softly into the
room from the bedside radio. It’s tuned to Gold FM, Sri Lanka’s 24 hour English
FM Music channel that plays hits from the 60s, 70s and 80s non-stop and I’m
instantly hooked! It’s glorious sunshine outside, and after a quick breakfast
at ‘The Magnolia’, we explore the Grand Hotel a bit. Sprawled across the ground
floor are the Red Lounge, the Piano Lounge, the Tea Lounge,
the Tea Veranda, the Grand Ballroom, the Magnolia Coffee Shop, the Wine Bar and
the Billiards Room. And just as we are about to leave, a gentleman walks up and
enquires if we would like to join a Leopard Safari at 10 that night. And before
we could make up our minds, he confabulates with a mysterious-looking couple
and turns around to tell us, that they’ve booked the leopard safari to themselves!
The
Tourist Spots
We set out to Hakgala Botanical Gardens that takes
us through Gregory Lake – Nuwara Eliya’s
famous picnic spot. On the road to Hakgala is the Sita Temple that dates Nuwara Eliya’s history back to the time of
the Ramayan. It is believed that Nuwara Eliya “the city of light” was Ravana’s
capital city and Sita was held captive here at Sita Eliya. And according to
legend, when Hanuman tried to rescue Sita and Ravana set his tail on fire, Hanuman
in turn burnt down Nuwara Eliya, which explains the black top soil here!
Spread over 28 hectares under the shadow of the
Hakgala (meaning Elephant’s Jaw) rock overlooking the Uva Valley, the Hakgala Botanical Garden is beautifully
laid out on the slopes with every leaf in place. There is a steady stream of
day trippers, as it’s the Vesak week and I can’t help but wonder at how
disciplined they are! We spend the afternoon in the town, dodging long queues
of people lining up for the Vesak free food, and lunch at one of the hotels
there.
Our next stop is the Ambewala New Zealand Farm and Milk Factory – Sri Lanka’s premier
milk producer. The route to Ambewala is picture-perfect with rolling green
hills and meadows dotted with scattered herds of Friesian cows. At 6,064 ft
(1,848 m), this area is also the highest (in altitude) and widest grassland in
Sri Lanka.
Revisiting
history…
That evening, we set out to visit the 160 year old
Anglican Holy Trinity Church, which
once was the backbone of 150 British families employed in the tea plantations
here. Built in the valley between Sri Lanka's highest mountain, Pidurutalagala
(Mount Pedro) and the Kikiliyamana mountain range, it is located on Church Road
among towering pines and fir trees. A stroll among the tombstones and tablets
reveals an era when English expats in this part of the world were christened,
wed and buried within an average lifespan of 30-35 years!
Consecrated in 1852, Holy Trinity Church is a grand
little building, complete with a pipe organ, wooden eagle lectern,
stained-glass windows, tablet-lined walls and a sprawling churchyard that’s the
resting place of Nuwara Eliya’s colonial history. Facing the pipe organ is a
beautiful stained glass window with the British Royal Emblem and the words “KINGS
SHALL COME TO THE BRIGHTNESS OF THY RISING” presented by Her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburg when they attended the
Easter Morning Service here on 18 April 1954!
Facing
the Paradox…
The next morning it’s time to pack and leave, and the
familiar drizzle greets us as we step out of the Grand Hotel. Chathura, our
Singhalese driver had promised to take us to a strawberry garden and tea
factory on the way. And so, we stop at a farm on the Ambewela - Pattipola road with
a bright vinyl board that reads “Ramya Strawberry Farm” and are delighted at
the Indian name. But soon a lady in gum boots shoos us away and we’re on our
way once again. We pass by a group of impoverished Tamil boys, waving a bunch
of fresh but equally scrawny carrots. We stop to chat as it’s always a delight
to hear one’s mother tongue spoken in a foreign land. They’re the children of
Tamil plantation workers, we learn - a much-neglected lot in Nuwara Eliya and
victims of political apathy.
Our next stop is at the 150-year-old Glenloch Tea Factory at Katukithula, which
still has some of its original equipment in working condition. Here every
visitor is greeted with a hot steaming cup of tea, and taken around the factory
and given a clear picture of the seven-stage tea-making process! Soon we’re on
our way once again, down the hills and towards the plains, further and further
away from the intriguing paradox that is Nuwara Eliya.
