Books
By Rajah Banerjee
Foundation Books/Cambridge University Press
ISSN 978-81-7596-605-5
Makaibari tea Estate lays claim to being the first tea estate to be established in the Indian Himalayas. Founded by a Captain Samler, a former officer in the British army who debunked in protest at the harsh treatment Indian soldiers were forced to suffer, the estate was seeded with tea plants "liberated" from tea nurseries established in Kurseong and Darjeeling in the 1840’s. In 1859, Samler bequeathed the by now prosperous estate to a young entrepreneur, Girish Chandra (G.C.) Banerjee, whose holdings in the area had already earned him a fortune. Makaibari’s current owner is Rajah Banerjee, the author of this lavishly illustrated book. He is a direct descendant of G.C. Banerjee.
Banerjee spends much of his time riding around his estate on a large horse inspecting, nurturing and developing the teas for which it is justly famous.
What sets Banerjee apart from other estate owners is his steadfast, almost religious, adherence to organic farming. An avid proponent of the late Rudolf Steiner, the Austrian founder of the biodynamic organic principle, Banerjee’s techniques and tenacity, and in particular his love and solicitous concern for the poorer inhabitants of the region, have earned him the prestigious Rashtria Rattan ("Jewel of the Nation") award, presented by the Global Economic Council in 2002.
Banerjee’s book is a personal account of the life and times of Makaibari Estate, and of course its wonderful teas. It simple style and colorful photographs draw the reader into a world of wonder and awe, tracing one man’s evolution from a carefree, wealthy playboy into a caring and considerate champion of the people and the land.
As a young man, Banerjee’s hands, when visiting the estate on rare occasions between his international travels, were more likely to be occupied with a matched pair of Purdy shotguns while hunting pheasants than with the soil and dirt of the land. However, on August 21, 1970, Banerjee was thrown from his horse after it was surprised by a wild boar. The incident triggered a revelation, a cathartic moment in which he heard the surrounding forest cry out: "Save us! Save us!" Deeply affected, Banerjee decided then and there that "I would put my heart and soul; into saving the vanishing woodlands and liberating the people of Makaibari."
The Rajah of Darjeeling Organic Tea traces the remarkable journey Banerjee has undertaken since that time, and presents a vivid portrait of the challenges and successes that have been achieved by this unique personality.
The book includes a free DVD featuring the award-winning documentary "The Lord of Darjeeling" made by Xavier de Lauzanne, a moving biography of Rajah Banerjee that greatly adds to the value of an already impressive book and rewards the viewer with further insights into the man and his mission.
The Rajah of Darjeeling Organic Tea can be ordered online at www.cambridgeindia.org.
