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| Pic of Hattigor T.E. from the Amalgamated Plantations website - https://amalgamatedplantations.co.in |
Memories ! It's true, the brain is the finest camera. Thirty-five years ago, images seen, clicked & stored - glorious memories, clear as if it's yesterday. I can see them, but unfortunately I can't print them.
I was introduced to a young Assistant Manager of Tata Tea. Frankly, I didn't know Tatas made tea.
I barely knew where Assam was. I don't know what I fell in love with first, the romantic notion of moving to Assam or with the young man, but fall in love I did, with both.
My journey from Bombay ( my home ) to Delhi ( his home ) to Assam ( our home to be ) was a long, long train journey followed by a long car journey to 'Hattigor Tea Estate' where I was met with the warmest people who would soon become family.
To say that I was in another world would be trifling. From concrete jungle to vast open spaces.
Picture perfect carpets of tea bushes between endless straight lines of trees. A sky full of stars, I have never seen so many anywhere else ! Birds chirping, crickets screeching, plants & flowers that I had never seen or heard of...ahhhh, pure bliss !
I firmly maintain that Assam has more stars in the sky than anywhere else.
Here are a few first impressions that I was introduced to....
Chang Bungla - A house on stilts that creaks from head to toe every time someone moves.
Telephone - A curio that generally adorns all " Burra Banglas "
Burra Bangla - Manager's bungalow.
Mali Bari - Kitchen garden, basically your main source of sustenance.
First Class - Car, generally an Ambassador.
Tick-Ticky - Lizard, & believe me there were plenty of them !
Poka - insects - cockroaches the size of a sparrow, I kid you not ! v Chokku - Eyes. All pervasive, all seeing.
The list is endless, the recall memory needs to be recharged, so I'll stop here.
Meet the writer:
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| Radhika Tandon |
Is this your first visit here? Welcome to Indian Chai Stories!
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There are over a hundred stories here, and they are all from the tea gardens! Our storytellers are tea planters and their memsaabs, baby and baba log. Each of our contributors has a really good story to tell - don't lose any time before you start reading them!
Do you have a chai story of your own to share? Send it to me here, please : indianchaistories@gmail.com. My name is Gowri Mohanakrishnan and I'm a tea planter's wife. I started this blog because one of the things that I wouldn't want us to lose in a fast changing world is the tea story - a story always told with great seriousness, no matter how funny - always true (always), maybe a tall tale, long, or short, impossible, scary, funny or exciting but never dull.
Happy reading! Cheers to the spirit of Indian Tea!
Having had the opportunity of visiting family on a number of occasions, in various tea estates, i remember we were fascinated by the sheer greenery and vast expanse of the estates. We were also in awe of the lifestyle of the tea people. So much ceremony went into otherwise mundane activities, adding glamour to their life. And finally deep rooted respect for making such a beautiful life for themselves, so far away from the city, almost cut off from civilisation. They've really done a good job of it.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed that. Thank you. It was another way of life in tea. You either loved or hated it. There was no mid way! I know many who did not like it and left. As for me, 'tea life' offered the most rewarding experiences both professionally and socially. I still miss it.
ReplyDeleteVisited and enjoyed the warm hospitality in Assam and now in Bangalore, not as often as I should have though !!! The chai wala lady has transformed to a mother, gourmet cook and one of the warmest people I know !!! Lookig forward to more blogs......
ReplyDeleteThanx a ton for Mrs Mohanakrishnan for this lovely gesture of opening this blog..! Will remain ever thankful to you..!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, can you not start another project like you all lovely ladies did long time ago the 'CAMELLIA'
This time CAMELLIA on-line..?
How kind of you, Pamma Walia! Thank you!
DeleteAnd we must check with Mrs Shalini Mehra, who started the Camellia, whether she can put up all the old issues online.
Brought back memories evoked by strange words not found anywhere else. We still use “Jinis pattar “ for tools and “kaal sahib “ for factory engineer. I still “teepo “ chillies off plants; flick off “boochees “ that attach themselves to my clothes and shake a “ghanti “ to call the one man who is bearer cum masaalchi cum “paaniwallah “ cum polish boy cum cleaner cum “bartan wallah.” Thank you for bringing back nostalgic times!
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely memories and what a classic way of remembering them...meandering through time. I remember you telling me about your car rides and the elephants too. Also how there was only one small store that sold processed foods like biscuits and how you excelled at making jams. Your memories come alive like no one else's.
ReplyDeleteReally liked the terminology used by Ms Radhika Tandon. In fact, after a long time I came across the word 'first class'! Yes, it is 'the ambassador'. Having been born & brought up in Assam, spent the childhood mostly in the tea estates, those words of Ms Tandon made me nostalgic. The concrete of Delhi - where I am for last 25 years - is no match to the beauty of a tea garden. By the way, as a child we used to watch plenty of movies in the tea garden - open air - a movie a month is a must, two in Diwali and perhaps 8 to 10 movies during Dussehra (Durga Puja in tea estates), and surprisingly I have not come across anyone mentioning about it! - Firoz Ali
ReplyDeleteShort and Sharp and tells a long story. Essence of good writing.
ReplyDelete