TRAILBLAZERS OF THE TRAVANCORE PLANTATIONS: CHEERS TO UNSUNG HEROES

TRAILBLAZERS
OF THE
TRAVANCORE
PLANTATIONS:
CHEERS TO UNSUNG HEROES

SUNITHA SRINIVASAN

Trailblazers of the Travancore Plantations, is a historical narrative of 13 stories based in the Idukki district of Kerala. The story of the transformation of the hills of Central Travancore from impenetrable jungle to a bustling plantation district and then to a hub of education and a tourist destination within a span of about a 100 years is definitely worth telling. It is replete with accounts of ingenuity, skill and sheer grit. Strangely enough, little has been written about this area. The book captures a bygone era that that the world will never see again. The colourful characters depicted were not famous people, and yet their achievements were phenomenal. Each chapter features a person, family or event that had an impact on the economic development and ethos of the region. They range from planters to monks, maharajas, servants and dogs. This is a part of Indian history that will resonate not only with people who are connected to the region, but would also interest the general reader. The book is supported with maps and photographs dating back to the 1920s. Sunitha Srinivasan the author, grew up in Central Travancore, and personally knew most of the people she has written about. The book she has written provides delightful sketches of each of them from a perspective of pure innocence and delight. It also serves as a well-researched historical narrative.