OUR GARDENS
From morning till night, to keep your mind and body fresh and also to extend your hospitality to your guests with love, tea is the best thing that you can offer as a drink anytime of the day. Each Assamese household has a tradition of offering tea to its guests that is prepared in their own kitchen. The picture is same in every household.
In village life:
In City life:
A tea garden’s natural ambience especially the smell of tea leaves with two leaves and a bud keeps me in a state of mental bliss. I was drawn to the life in a tea garden by marriage. I am advancing with life and keeping my memories in store. Tea plant, tea cultivation, tea workers, tea business, all these have became parts of my life. I learnt about tea and also learnt to prepare a good cup of tea in my childhood. My father loved tea and used to drink cups after cups of tea. During my younger days, tea from Doloujan and Ghilabori tea gardens were popular because of its quality. In those days, tea from Doloujan Tea Estate was sold unpacked and unbranded and Ghilabori tea was sold in packets with a brand name. The shop that sold tea was Binnani Tea Stall. In case the tea purchased was not up to his liking, my father used to return the tea. The shopowner knew my father’s taste.Our home was usually frequented byquite a number of people all around and tea was an item that was invariably served to each and everyone. I remember the days when there was no other means of entertainment except a radio at home and also remember the days of the Assam Movement when people used to come to our house and discuss matters with cups of tea being served by me.
Introducing Tea
Let’s first talk about the word “Chah”. Most of us believe that ‘Chah’ is an Assamese word and ‘Tea’ is an English word. But the fact is both ‘Chah’ and ‘Tea’ are Chinese in origin – in Chinese ‘Cha’ and in Assamese ‘Chah’. Similarly, Chinese ‘Tay’ became ‘Tea’ in course of time. The Dutch carried the world Tea from the Java Island. It was the Dutch that imported tea from China. In 16th Century the Dutch bought tea from Amoy port in the Fuijan province. They pronounced it as Te (Tay) and the Dutch pronounced it as Thee. The word tea thus was derivedfrom the Chinese. The word tea in Latin is Thea,Teja in Latvian, Tey in Tamil and Thay in Singhaleese. The word ‘Cha’ thus entered India, japan, etc. It is called Shai in Arab, Ta in Tibet, Chai in Russia and Chay in Turkey.
Rakhi Dutta Saikia
Golaghat, Assam.
Srimati Rakhi Dutta Saikia is an enterprising lady. She is closely associated with tea and she has an emotional attachment with tea garden. She is engaged in other businesses too. She is active in cultural field as well. “Asaamica” the book is a unique creation of Srimati Rakhi Dutta Saikia. Srimati Saikia has done a great service to Assam by putting a book on tea with its history and evolution. This book will also be of great help to those who want to learn the method of preparing tea.
Nepul Saikia was the founder of Organising Secretary of all Assam small tea growers. His work began in 1978 with Athabari Tea Estate acting as their mother garden for his family. He and his brothers worked together to establish their own tea gardens. Hattighar Matikhula Tea estate, Progati Tea Estate and Balijan Tea Estate were planted by their own hands and with help from their employees.
Now he is the managing director of Arin Tea Pvt. Ltd. Under his ownership, Arin Tea has about 5 tea gardens with around 600 hectors of the total area.
5 private gardens listed below:
- Hathighar Mathikula Tea Estate
- Udoyjyuyti Tea Estate
- Merabheti Tea Estate
- Pabhojan Organic Tea Estate/ Factory
- Amlungshang Tea Estate
Nepul Saikia's social touch - Former councillor of
Dakhin-Dakhinhangera (Khumtai Constituencies), 1992-1996. He also is an active member of
- Lions Club of Golaghat since 1995
- A member of NETA since 1990,
- Life member of Kaziranga Wildlife Society
- Member of veracious social organisations in Golaghat
Nepul Saikia
Managing Director
Personal Information Of Nepul Saikia's
Son of late Babu Saikia
Place of Birth: Athabari Tea Estate
Spouse:Rakhi Saikia
Sons:Arindam Saikia & Indranil Saikia
Place of stay: Arin Complex,Arengapara Road, Golaghat
Education:
High school: Kamarbhandha High School
College: D.R College