Author: Sikkim Temi Tea

The three days there were. Looking back at the Temi Autumn Carnival 2019.

Music. Fashion. Adventure. It wasn’t only one of the world’s finest tea that was served at the Temi Tea Garden, this November.

There’s more to Temi, than being one of the world’s most picturesque tea gardens. Every Autumn, it serves as the perfect setting for much more. In the midst of the green tea bushes, there is a pop of pink everywhere. The cherry blossoms, in full bloom, against the clear blue November sky, fluttering prayer flags and the Kanchendzonga Mountain range, makes Autumn, almost like a live painting in the calendar of the state. With all this, serving as a stage, Temi Tea Garden, for the second time ever, hosted the Temi Autumn Carnival.

This year’s event was inaugurated by Shri Arun Upreity, Hon’ble Minister for Urban Development, the event was also graced by Smt Krishna Rai and other special guests and dignitaries. In the three-day event, an array of programmes went on from 8^th of November, 2019 to 10^th of November, 2019. The first day was a burst of colours and a true showcase of culture. The unique Yak Dance was performed, followed by performances by local bands.

Along with a significant crowd from all around the country, the event also saw interested tea buyers, planters, bloggers, as well as film-makers. In the list with other big festivals in the country like Pushkar, Sunburn and Ziro, the carnival had something for everyone. Temi Autumn Fest has been conceptualised by the Managing Director of Temi, Mrinalini Srivastava. According to Srivastava, the annual festival is aimed at promoting Temi Tea 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 programmes too were an integral part of the annual fiesta.

The second day of the event had many adventure activities. Inaugurated by Shri Karma Loday Bhutia, the Hon’ble Minister of Forest, Environment & Wildlife, Mines, Mineral & Geology and Science & Technology, there were bike stunts, zip lining adventures  and a mini mela that had local music and dance on display.

One of the major attractions of the three-day event was the Fashion Show on the final day. With renowned designers like Sharbari Dutta, Pranay Baidya and Suvagata Das showcasing their work, the ramps saw models walking in the designer’s finest couture collections. With the support of renowned personalities like film-maker, Arjit Dutta, Fashion promoter, Kuntalil Das and model, Mohammad Iqbal, the fashion show was a grand success.   Just like in 2018, the Temi Hills was once again lit up in an unforgettable mood of festivities. With many stalls that sold and promoted local crafts, attire and food, along with the line-up of some very successful events, The Temi Autumn Carnival 2019 leaves behind beautiful lifetime memories in just three days. We, at Temi, look forward to creating more adventure, more fun, more music at Temi Autumn Carnival 2020. After all, there’s more (and even more) to Temi.

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The best quality teas around the world are all harvested by hand to guarantee that the leaf is whole, undamaged, and that only the top two leaves and a bud are picked. On every quality tea estate there are hundreds or even thousands of tea harvesters, that we call as Tea pluckers. The pluckers have a goal each day and they are awarded a bonus if they exceed it, so there is a benefit to efficient work. So how does a typical day look like, for a tea plucker? Here’s this. A rooster wakes them up. Before leaving for work, the handful of leaves into their boiling water makes their favourite liquor. They march to pluck the leaves and to meet their coworkers with sunrise. The day passes for them with one goal in their mind, to pluck the quality leaves  and spread the flavours of tea far and wide.

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The people here in Temi live a simple life – they prefer being around nature and have adopted organic ways of living. Courteous, always smiling and helpful, the people of Temi have always given the tourists and travelers more than one reason to feel happy and safe.

To familiarize oneself with their lifestyle of the locals, travelers have the option of  staying with the locals. With plenty of homestays and home visits to look forward to, one can be a part of the everyday life of Temi. From farming  organic local vegetables to perfecting the art of conjuring up meals with local cheeses, breads and dumplings, one can become a “local away from home” at Temi. Do not miss the farmers’ markets around every village rich with organic produce directly sold to the consumers. Besides vegetables and fruits, you also have wine available, made out of local flowers, especially Rhododendrons.

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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.

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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.