Sudipta Bhattacharjee | | Published 09.05.21, 12:32 AM
As charming nomenclature goes, there are few to beat Margherita or Monabarie in Assam, Happy Valley and Rungamuttee in Bengal, Nallathanni in Kerala, or Craigmore and Glendale in Tamil Nadu. These are some of the tea gardens in India whose initial appeal lies in lilting names. The sylvan expanse that overwhelms the senses comes only on reaching the destination.
Thus it was with a sense of disbelief that we learnt the name of the garden we were headed to, that boasted of India’s first boutique tea resort: one as mundane as New Chumta! Founded in 1866, this huge (14,330 acres) plantation is the pioneer of tea plantations in the Terai. Located near Siliguri, the garden is not only a refuge for the Covid-haunted, serenity-seeking wayfarer, it also houses antiques that make its Director’s Lounge a veritable trea