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A British-era tomb perched atop a small hill near Old Munnar in Idukki has been an epitome of the story of love and affection of two people. The tomb, built by a Briton to fulfil his partner’s dying wish, has completed 130 years on Monday (December 23). The tomb predates the C.S.I. Church and the cemetery here, keeping the story of an immortal love story from England to Munnar alive.

When the early period of tea plantation industry in Munnar began, Henry Mansfield Knight reached Munnar as the general manager of the British Tea Planting Company, accompanied by his wife, Eleanor Isabel May. They had fallen in love in England, and their love grew further in the valleys and hills of Munnar. They got married in India in November 1894. They had a habit that every evening the couple walked through the valleys and hills of Munnar. One day when they hiked the Old Munnar Hills, Eleanor is said to have playfully told Henry to bury her body on the top of the hilltop after her death.

The 113-year-old British church was constructed in Gothic style typical of Scottish architecture

The 113-year-old British church was constructed in Gothic style typical of Scottish architecture. The church was constructed using rough-hewn granite. Most of the materials for the church came from England. At first, the prayer service here was only in English and Tamil.