The most highly prized tea plantation in the world revolutionizes a flagging industry. Makaibari Tea Estates in Darjeeling have developed sustainable, biodynamic agriculture at high returns. Rajah Banerjee, the enigmatic fourth heir to the estate, sells the world’s most expensive tealeaves. His main clients in the US, Japan, France and Germany buy up his entire harvest – before it is harvested. Now Makaibari has opened its doors to eco-tourism. Tom Vater climbs the winding road to discover more. Photos by Aroon Thaewchatturat

“Life is chaos, the world is chaos. The only constant is change. I like chaos and the way you position yourself in it. Where do we come from? What are we doing here and where are we going? We need to answer these questions to be free, to find our way. That’s what I’m doing in my tea garden.”

Not the sort of introduction one would expect from a tea plan­tation owner in the Darjeeling hills. But then, Rajah Baner­jee is not an ordinary man. The green revolution brings high dividends and attracts thousands of visitors a year.

Darjeeling, once under the rule of the Rajahs of Sikkim, be­came a British hill station in the 1840s. The forested ravines, the cool climate and friendly population made Darjeeling a summer retreat for the colo­nial gentry, escaping from the heat of the Bengali plains and the swelter­ing colonial capital Calcutta. In the latter half of the 19th century, the small mountain village in the foothills of the eastern Himalayas quickly grew into a sizable town crammed with sanitariums and hotels. In the past two dec­ades, Darjeeling, synonymous with tea the world over, has become a popular tourist destination, not least for its magnificent Himalayan views and the plantations.

In the 1870s, the first tea plantations were founded in the area. The British plantation owners employed large numbers of Nepa­lese workers and Nepali remains the first language in the area. The Darjeeling hills have the perfect sub-tropical climate for tea. A quarter of the country’s crop is grown here and today more than 40,000 people are di­rectly employed in the industry. Almost half a million people are looking at Darjeeling tea for an income.

Rajah Banerjee is revolutionizing the tea business with a holistic approach towards his business – a happy management, work­force and environment all contribute to the tea quality -while catapulting the Makaibari brand right to the cutting edge of the global market. He is also keen to be accountable for his methods and therefore asks research­ers, both professionals and laymen/women to visit the estates in order to witness his green revolution first hand.

“I run the first internationally certified or­ganic tea garden in Darjeeling. There are about 60 tea plantations in the district in all. Around ten of them are organic, but we were the first to switch. Our plantation covers 670
hectares of steep hillsides, 270 are covered with tea, the rest with forest. Thirteen leopards and two tigers live on the estate. And our doors are wide open to everyone who wants to experience the unique ambience of the region.”

Rajiv Mitra, owner of the Tea Emporium, one of Darjeeling’s most success­ful tea wholesalers, confirms this splendid isolation, “Because of inefficient management, many tea estates have become dangerous. When we show tourists or clients the tea gardens we choose one close to the city. Those further in the hills are not safe and robberies are common. Makaibari is the exception and receives visitors all year. If you want to see how the legendary tea of Darjeeling is grown, Makaibari is the safest place in the district to do so.”

The Makaibari Estate is the only tea business in the region with no union representation amongst its workers, no strikes and little violence. While oth­er tea estate owners prefer to employ managers to deal with the workforce, Rajah Banerjee and his employees have founded a forum, the Joint Body, where problems can be voiced.

Tea dealer Rajiv Mitra agrees, “Makaibari has great organic tea, but it is out­standing for a different, simple reason – the work force is happy because their boss knows them personally and takes part in their lives.”

Mr. Gosh, one of Darjeeling’s old school, tough-talking managers, joined Makaibari two years ago, “We invite visitors to attend our meetings. We talk about marriage disputes and education issues. If the workers feel like they have a stake in the company, life is peaceful. Part of my job here is to convey our philosophy to outsiders.”

Many of the visitors to the estate stay at Mr Gosh’s house, a beautiful British built Chalet, where comfortable rooms, a garden and home cooking welcome weary travelers. Bunga­lows in the tea garden’s villages offer a more intimate view of life in the hills of Darjeel­ing.

Banerjee is keen for guests to immerse themselves in the life of the plantation, “Visitors to Makaibari can experience a hands-on environmental approach to tea growing. For example, we built biogas chambers behind the worker’s houses so they could utilize cow manure to generate gas for cooking. 50% of the houses now have this system installed. It saves chopping down forests for firewood. This in turn limits erosion and keeps our beautiful forests intact. We employ 13 rangers to watch for poachers and protect the wildlife.”

Rajah Banerjee is an enthusiastic host, “We receive 50,000 day visitors a year, tourists, both Indian and foreign, potential clients, environmentalists and researchers all come to see the tea gardens or study and end up staying far longer than they planned because they can get an insight into the culture of the district and the tea industry. And because the place is laid-back, a respite from the road, a world away even from the crowded lanes of Darjeeling.”

Growing up in Darjeeling in the 1960s, the young Rajah had little interest in his father’s business or tourism and thought only of escape. As soon as he’d finished school, Rajah Banerjee left the foothills of the eastern Himalayas for the heart of swinging London.

“It was like a dream. I became President of the Student Union of London University. On the back of an excellent engineering degree, I got very rich when I was in my twen­ties but, as you know, the ego feeds on money and power and I was seduced like everyone else. I wanted to own the world. I never thought of running the tea estate.”

A brief visit to the plantation in 1970 proved to be a life changing experience. Rajah Banerjee recalls the trip viv­idly, “After three years abroad I came back to Makaibari on a holiday and I experienced what I call a CIP – a ‘critical ig­nition point’ – one of those moments that change your life completely. I was riding my horse through the plantation when a wild boar crossed my path and I fell. I saw a flash of white light and the next thing I remember were the work­ers trying to wake me up. At that moment, I experienced a revelation – we are nothing but stewards, caretakers, not owners of this world. I had to stay and take over the tea estate to preserve my family’s property and offer the tea workers a better life.”

Every day, Rajah Banerjee walks through his plantation for four hours, talks to workers and checks both cash crop and ecology. Visitors are welcome to accompany the plantation owner on his rounds, getting a first hand experience of all aspects of life on the estate.

“The reason why I am here is simple -making great tea is a craft, not an industry. In fact it is an art and a cup of Silver Tips is like a Picasso, it is totally unique. Makaibari is totally unique. This tea garden has negative population growth, women empowerment and operates within an environmentally friendly agricultural system that sustains more than 1500 people. Makaibari provides sufficient jungle cover for the greatest land predators in the world. The scenery is stunning, visitors have total access to my property and can enjoy traditional lifestyles and extensive guided tours. Come and have a look.”

Getting there
Makaibari Tea Estates in Darjeeling District/West Bengal are best reached from Darjeeling or Calcutta. From Darjeeling regular jeep taxis take 90 min­utes to the factory gates. From Calcutta, the closest international airport, an overnight train or a one hour flight to Siliguri and a 90 minute jeep ride make the tea garden easily accessible.

Rooms at a colonial chalet cost 1000 Rupees (25US$) incl. Breakfast. Accommodation in the villages costs 100 Rupees (2.5 US$)
E-Mail in advance at www.makaibari.com