You may have visited tea estates during your journeys across eastern and southern India. You may have even taken a tea tasting and tea factory tour or plucked a leaf or two with tea planters. But, have you ever been to a tea garden on a full moon night
According to experts, if tea is plucked during full moon and processed fresh, you get one of the best orthodox teas in the world. The first such experimentation was done by tea legend Rajah Banerjee at Makaibari estate in Kurseong.
The tea that evolved was called 'Silver Imperial'. It was consumed by the royal families of UK and Japan.
Later, tourists started showing interest in the process of 'moonlight plucking' as the process was said to bestow special natural energy upon the people who were present during that period.
Banerjee wanted this to be practiced by all organic tea gardens of North Bengal. He chose the extraordinary 'Hornbill Tea' of the tiny yet ideal Adarsh Munna Garden, located amidst hornbill forests of Nim Tumglabong during the festival of Holi in 2019.
The event was to be repeated by the local people of the area in 2020, but that could not happen because of the pandemic-induced lockdown.
Fortunately, the event is back for tourists this year. Even the locals are in no mood to miss the opportunity. They have planned to organise the moonlight plucking event on Sunday, March 28, from 5pm onwards.
Apart from the experience, on offer is excellent local food, camping and homestays. Tourists will also get to celebrate Holi according to the local folk cultures.
