When it's spring in the Himalayas...
When the sun-spun rain falls gently on the mountains...
When magical mists like divine dragons rise from forests...
That is when the mystique of Darjeeling Tea is created. |
 |
HISTORY OF DARJEELING TEA
The Darjeeling tea story dates back to 1835 through the initiative of the British Governor General, Lord Bentinck. Dr. Campbell, a civil surgeon, was transferred from Kathmandu to Darjeeling in 1839 as the first superintendent of Darjeeling. At this time, there were hardly twenty families living in the entire tract of hills. Dr. Campbell brought China tea seeds from Kumaon hills of north India in the year 1841 and planted them near his residence in his Beechwood garden in Darjeeling, 2134 mtrs. above sea level. Seeing the success in the plantation of tea, the government elected to put out tea nurseries in these areas in the year 1847.
Following the footsteps of Dr. Campbell came several others, for example Dr. Withcombe, Mr. James Grant of the Civil Service and Capt. Samlar. In 1848, Dr. Hooker planted tea at Lebong, almost at thousand feet below Darjeeling where the tea plant grew as anticipated and successfully.
Several other plantations advanced by the year 1852 and Darjeeling perceived its first commercial tea estates namely Tukvar, Steinthal and Aloobari.
These entire plantations used seeds procured from the government nurseries. The development was rapid by the year 1856 as the experimental stage had successfully passed.
According to the 'Darjeeling Gazetteer', Aloobari Tea Garden was opened by the Kurseong and Darjeeling Tea Company and another on the Lebong spur by the Darjeeling Land Mortgage Bank. For this purpose several hundred ha of land was cleared starting from an elevation of 750 m to 1800 m above sea level. By 1857, 25 to 30 ha was planted.
Dr. Borgham started the Dhooteria garden in 1859, and in between 1860 and 1864 this was followed by 4 other gardens at Takdha, Ambootia, Ging and Phoobsering which were established by the Darjeeling Tea Company. The other gardens such as Tukvar and Badamtam were started by the Lebong Tea Company. Besides these there were other gardens that begun during this contemporary period. Presently they are known as Makaibari, Pandam and Steinthal tea estates.
NEPALESE LABOURERS
Dr Campbell’s primary problem was to draw the settlers and the natives to this uninhabited region. During this time, Shri Dakman Rai, a nobleman from Nepal had arrived in Darjeeling. Shri Dakman Rai was requested by Dr.Campbell to assist him by immigrating and bringing workers from Nepal. Acquiescing to this request, Shri Dakman returned to Darjeeling with a thousand immigrants who all belonged to the Gorkha or the Nepalese community. In appreciation of the helpful service rendered, Mr. Rai was given the grant of free-hold lands presently known as Soureni, Samripani and Phuguri.
But this initial lot of labours did not suffice the requisite and one of the Directors of the Darjeeling Tea Company, Mr. Christison, requested Shri Dakman to provide with additional laborers from Nepal and promised him to supply tea seeds so that he could establish his own plantation in the lands that he was gifted by East India Company through Dr Campbell. This is how gardens were initiated by Sri Dakman in 1878 at Soureni, in 1880 at Phuguri and in 1883 at Sampripani. After all the preliminary efforts, by this time each and every garden had a team of labour recruiters who used to bring labourers from Nepal , Sikkim and the adjoining areas.
PRESENT DAY
Today, Darjeeling Tea is renowned for its flavour and is known as "The Champagne of Teas". It now has 86 gardens, many with ethnic names reminiscent of a romantic past and each gifted with its own scenic character and topography. It is spread over a total area of 19,000 hectares and employs over 52,000 Nepalese people on permanent basis, while a further 15,000 persons are engaged during the plucking season which lasts from March to November. More than 60 per cent are Nepalese women.
