Located around 32 kms from Munnar, often called the ‘Kashmir of South India’, Top Station is a sight worth witnessing! It is the highest point of Munnar, and derives its name from being the uppermost railway station in the Kundala Valley, the ruins of which can still be seen from the Munnar Tea Museum.
The 5500 feet high destination is a blissful viewpoint for a panoramic visuals of the Western Ghats and the beautiful valley of Theni in Tamil Nadu. Once you’re at the peak, you almost feel like you can reach out and touch the clouds, making this point truly ‘Heaven on Earth’! Top Station is also popular for its abundant foliage and the Neelakurinji flowers which bloom once in twelve years, adding a blush blue, vibrant look to the destination.
Being in Munnar, Top Station is also famous for its sprawling tea gardens, where you can take a stroll and learn about the cultivation process from the locals. Originally, Top Station was a trans-shipment point for delivery of tea between Munnar and Bodinayakanur. Being the terminal of the Kundala Valley and the upper terminus of an Aerial Ropeway route, lent it the name Top Station.
This station was built in 1902 between Munnar, Kundala and a low point in the crest of the hills with a monorail goods carriage system being installed along the route. Six years later, in 1908, a 24-inch gauge railway replaced the monorail.
On these tracks, the tea chests that arrived at Top Station from the Kundala Valley were transported by a ropeway, 5 km downhill to the south to Kurangani, Tamil Nadu. The tea was first shipped by cart to Bodinayakanur, then by rail to other places in India and lastly by ship to England.
