Vivekananda Estate
Vivekananda Estate
AUGUST 22, 2023
Vivekananda Estate is a collective holding of 45 acres, a majority of which is located 3000 ft above sea level in the old Jainkolli forest area of Coorg. Just under half of the estate is dedicated to Arabica, with Cauvery, Chandragiri and Kattwai varietals all grown. The remaining 25 acres are devoted to Robusta, with pepper and passion fruit plants grown as well.
The wet-processed coffee is pulped after picking directly at the estate before being sun-dried on a cemented drying patio. Milling is done locally while the final product is hand graded back at the estate.
Like many coffee estates, Vivekananda is very much a family affair. Apparanda Mudapa originally set up estate in the 1950s and managed operations for nearly 40 years. After his demise, Mrs Kamy Mudapa, took over management of the coffee estate, which was fairly unique given the male-dominated plantation culture at the time. At 92, she is now based in Mysore, and keeps tabs on the estate from afar, while her son and daughter-in-law oversee daily operations.
The third generation also supports the efforts at the farm through Pig Out, a business started by siblings Anjali & Ambika Ganapathy in 2013. They specialize in authentic Coorg food, and offer select products that are an extension of their cuisine, made with produce grown on the estate and the coffee is their ode to Mr & Mrs Mudapa.
