Isabel May & Munnar's Taj Mahal
Hill stations spell mystery and romance. And they abound in love stories too. The stories of longing and undying dedication are woven intricately into the fabric of the land. However, Eleanor Isabel May's story is neither a myth nor a fading memory: it is real, etched in stone, standing as a silent witness to an undying love in the mist-laden hills of Munnar. No trip to Munnar is complete if you do not know this story and visit her resting place near the CSI Church in Old Munnar.
So, who was Eleanor Isabel May? For that, we have to go back in time. After John Daniel Munro, the British Resident of the then Travancore kingdom set up plantations in the late 1870s, Munnar became home to many from England. In 1894, Henry Mansfield Knight became the manager of the tea plantation. He was in love with a dainty lass called Eleanor Isabel May. She, like most Britishers of the time, had imagined India as a land of mystics and snakes, and her impending journey to Munnar filled her with scepticism. However, after her wedding to Henry Mansfield Knight, she embarked on a trip to Munnar.
Way back in 1894, reaching Munnar was an arduous feat. Eleanor set sail from England and reached India after a brief halt at Sri Lanka. The couple landed in Tamil Nadu and proceeded to Bodinayakanur by road and from there, they traveled uphill to Munnar. She was tired, and, yet the magic of Munnar wove its spell on her. She fell in love with the whispering winds, the rolling greens and the little brooks on her way.
After reaching Munnar, and setting up home, the couple used to walk hand in hand, through the misty hills. They used to enjoy the view from one particular place. The wind carrying wisps of cloud up the valley, the rolling greens and the birds chirping around them painted a pretty picture. One evening, while gazing at the breath-taking valley below, Eleanor told Henry, “If I ever leave this world, bury me here.” Neither of them knew how soon those words would come to pass.
A few days later, a sudden bout of cholera struck Eleanor. Two days before their first Christmas together, she was gone. She was only 24. Henry was devastated. He decided to fulfil her wish to be laid to rest at Munnar. Against the wishes of her family, he laid Eleanor to rest on the very hill where she had once stood, dreaming of forever. The first Britisher to have a grave in the misty hills of Munnar.
According to the old timers associated with the Church, Henry used to spend a lot of time near her grave. Love, after all, does not fade with death. To honour his beloved, he built a grave with three headstones for her, with white marble that he imported from England. This monument stands the test of time, telling their story. He was one of the strong advocates for the CSI Christ Church that was built there in 1911, the first instance of a church being consecrated after a cemetery came to be. The stunning Scottish-style church is made of rough-hewn granite, its beauty mirroring the love that had inspired it. Its bell, imported from England, still chimes in the crisp mountain air, as if calling out to Eleanor’s spirit.
Even today, as travellers visit Munnar, drawn by its beauty, many make their way to the old churchyard. There, amidst the silence, stands Eleanor’s grave—a love letter in stone, a promise kept beyond time. The writing on the three-tiered headstones read “ELEANOR ISABEL MAY,” ‘DEARLY BELOVED WIFE OF HENRY MANSFIELD KNIGHT AND YOUNGEST DAUGHER OF BEANFORT BRABAZON, M.D.” “DIED – 23RD DEC 1894 AGED 24 YEARS,”
And if you listen closely, in the rustling leaves and the whispering wind, you may still hear her laughter, echoing through the hills she once called home.
The CSI Church is in Old Munnar, a little under 3 kms from the famous tea museum. Would you love to stop by and honour Eleanor Isabel May's memory while you are in Munnar? Get in touch with us, we will make the necessary arrangements.
