Did you know that 7 coffee beans laid down the foundation for the coffee cultivation in India? It all started with the coffee beans that a Sufi saint, Baba Budan, smuggled into India while returning from his pilgrimage to Mecca. He then planted them on the sloping hills in Chikmagalur, which were later named as Baba Budan Giri Hills in his honour.
Of freshly brewed coffee and lush green plantations, we were keen to explore India’s coffee country, Chikmagalur, a quaint town 250 kms from Bangalore.
Come see Chikmagalur through my lens?
En route Chikmagalur, we stopped by at the Chennakeshava temple at Belur to gaze at its architectural beauty. Intricate figurines and carvings adorn the walls and pillars.
Our humble abode at PlantationTrails– A 140 year old heritage bungalow belonging to a former British planter
The view from our room overlooking the coffee plantations
All set to explore the gorgeous green estate
The towering silver oak trees that allow filtered sunlight for the coffee plants to grow
The ripe berries waiting to be plucked
Your trip is incomplete if you don’t pick coffee berries
The coffee pickers who work tirelessly through the day
Oh look! A pepper vine. Pepper is also grown in the estate along with the coffee
Coffee beans laid out to dry
Imagine sipping some freshly brewed coffee underneath a massive fig tree amidst the coffee plantations
Lastly, pay a tribute to the courageous saint who started it all at the Baba Budan Giri Hills
This post is a part of the series- #12TravelTales wherein I plan to explore 12 new places in 2017- one every month and share my experiences on the blog.
