To experience the garden in its full glory, this annual calendar brings in people from all over the country and the world. In the list with other big festivals in the country like Pushkar, Sunburn, and Ziro music festivals, the carnival is full of activities; has something for everyone. Conceptualized by the Managing Director, Mrinalini Srivastava the festival is aimed at promoting Temi Tea Estate as a potential tourism hub. The festival is a major draw for countless nature lovers to witness the cherry blossoms in Autumn’s full bloom. Adventure activities, photography competitions and cultural programs too are an integral part of this annual fiesta leaving all adventure buffs and cultural fans delighted in its wonderful memories for a number of days.
Month: August 2019
Restoring The Classic With a Hint of Modern
Imagine a house that that withstood the test of time. Vintage, architecturally rare but also with all the comforts of today. A magnificent blend of the two, is now brought to you by Sikkim’s first ever private-public partnership in the arena of eco adventure. The heritage Temi Bungalow, that dates back to 1885, is now converted to an eco-adventure hub with five rooms, seven cottages, a view deck, as well as a casino lounge. Partnered with Priya Entertainments Pvt Ltd, this magnificent public property is expected to be inaugurated by the Minister for Tourism, Mr B.S. Panth.
With tea bushes in the yard, that were planted by the last King and Queen of Sikkim and its beautiful old-world charm intact, the Bungalow opens its doors for guests from all over the world. So if you are planning to come, pay a visit, you could also mark the time of the annual cherry blossom festival at Temi. What’s more the resort, according to Arjit Dutta, MD, PEPL, will champion the cause of environmentally conscious and responsible tourism as well as local employment generation. With a unique positioning of being heritage in structure and modern in amenities, this multi-crore investment is expected to act as a gateway for tourists to the beautiful South region of Sikkim.
Built by the British Christian missionaries in 1885, the Bungalow is an antique structure with quite the history. The story goes like this: the Bada Bungalow housed the British pastors during India’s pre-independence. The pastors left Sikkim, a separate country then, while the British left India. It was then when the Forest Rangers took over this beautiful Bungalow. 1960 was also the year when the King allowed a tea garden in Sikkim to be headquartered at Kewzing. However, in a short time the early plantation in Kewzing, with the Tibetan refugees, revealed that the place was unsuitable for tea because of the altitude and terroir issues. In 1973, the headquarter of tea was shifted to Temi and the full-fledged manager began to occupy the Bada Bungalow.
Today, Temi boasts of an annual produce, of one the finest tea, that ranges from 80 to 100 tons in production. Having celebrated its Golden Jubilee, Temi once again opens its legendary Bungalow for travellers. Dedicating this restored and renovated Bada Bungalow, now called the Temi Bungalow, to the visit of His Majesty Palden Thondup Namgyal and his wife Queen Gyalmo Hope Cooke when they planted the two bushes side by side, Temi believes that this new journey will always be one connected to its glorious past.
Tourism
The tea estate spread out on a gentle hill slope, from Tendong Hill provides a magnificent view of the surrounding villages. A night spent in a Homestay with the locals of Temi can take one back in years. Down untrodden paths and new lanes, these homestays promise to give you an experience that is pure and beautiful. With various options and activities lined up for the day, you could perhaps learn the art of a local dish, if you like or just drinks cups and cups of tea with a good book in a private tea garden.
The estate, enroute Tendong Hill, could be a rewarding experience for those who want a good mix of nature, culture and adventure. From paragliding, mountain biking, ziplining, one has an array of adrenaline-pumping options at this, otherwise calm, tea estate. What’s more, the amazing fact about paragliding in Temi Tea is, it is the world’s first paragliding spot above a tea estate. Temi Tea offers tourists and travelers a unique adventure experience to fly down its sprawling tea garden.
Another way to experience this tea estate is to perfect the art of tea-making all the way from scratch. Here one has the option to witness the journey of tea – from garden to factory, to the cup. Guests can get involved in this entirely beautiful process and take back some self-made tea leaves with souvenirs.
Cordyceps in tea – the superbrew
For ages, the only people who had something to do about fungi commonly termed as mushrooms, were chefs who utilized them in recipes for their taste and texture and Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners. But now the word is well and truly out on the health benefits of mushrooms.
One of the most powerful types of fungi is Cordyceps sinensis, a highly sought after Himalayan medicinal mushroom. In Bhutan, Tibet, Sikkim and Nepal, indigenous peoples have witnessed the curative power of Cordyceps first-hand for generations, and centuries-old Traditional Chinese Medicine texts like the Ben Cao Cong Xin praise the fungus’s innumerable abilities to ward off common colds, combat back pain, suppress coughs, sharpen the senses and more.
Scientists have started putting Cordyceps under the microscope to examine it at the molecular level.
For example, one study found that H1-A sterols from Cordyceps may aid in the treatment of lupus and other autoimmune diseases, a second discovered that the fungus’s polysaccharides might inhibit the growth of cancerous cells, and a third identified its powerful anti-inflammatory elements. Further studies summarized in a Science Direct meta-analysis noted the potential for Cordyceps to enhance cellular function, deliver antidiabetic effects, and enhance lung health. It’s no coincidence that the Chinese sometimes refer to Cordyceps as “soft gold.”
Cordyceps when blended with Tea brings a whole new concept of healthy beverage being rich in antioxidant and also anti-carcinogenic. It helps strengthen the body in terms of physics and psyche. Additionally, Cordyceps tea nourishes the immune system and said to delay the aging process.
Sikkim has emerged as a major source of Cordyceps as well as Cordyceps blended with natural organic green tea.
So let’s enjoy the good health from Sikkim.
Read original post here: https://letschatovertea.wordpress.com/2019/08/26/cordyceps-in-tea-the-superbrew/
Factory Tour
One of the region’s best-kept secrets is the Temi Tea Factory. It is here that the wondrous and organic produce of the garden is turned into a fine collection of tea. The visit to the factory gives an inside peek to those interested in knowing tea processing methods.
Best known for its black teas, the tea estate started the mass manufacturing of its teas in 1977. Over the years, the estate has grown to bring nearly 500 acres of the mountainside under tea plantation. Apart from the certified clonal varieties of bushes that Temi Tea Estate has, there are also plants from the chinary seeds which help the estate grow teas of flavoured varieties. It is worth visiting and assessing this decades-old factory to understand where one of the world’s finest tea varieties is produced.
