https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Happy_Valley_Tea_EstateHappy Valley Tea Estate - Revision history2026-07-30T22:55:06ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Happy_Valley_Tea_Estate&diff=207030&oldid=prev>Qwerfjkl (bot) at 14:48, 29 September 20212021-09-29T14:48:03Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Use Indian English|date=December 2014}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2014}}<br />
{{Infobox park<br />
| name = Happy Valley Tea Estate<br />
| alt_name = <br />
| photo = Happy Valley Tea Estate, Darjeeling.jpg<br />
| photo_width = 250<br />
| photo_caption = Happy Valley Tea Estate<br />
| type = <br />
| location = [[Darjeeling district]], [[West Bengal]], [[India]]<br />
| nearest_city = <br />
| map = <br />
| coords = {{coord|27.0521|N|88.258667|E||display=inline,title}}<br />
| area = {{convert|177|ha|abbr=on}}<br />
| open = {{Start date|1854}}<br />
| elevation = {{convert|2100|m|abbr=on}}<br />
| owner = <br />
| operator = <br />
| visitation_num = <br />
| status =<br />
| website =<br />
}}<br />
'''Happy Valley Tea Estate''' is a [[Tea garden (cultivation)|tea garden]] in [[Darjeeling district]] in the [[India]]n state of [[West Bengal]]. Established in 1854, it is Darjeeling's second oldest tea estate. Spread over {{convert|177|hectare|acre}}, it is situated at a height of {{convert|2100|m|ft}} above sea level, {{convert|3|km|mi}} north of [[Darjeeling]], and employs more than 1500 people.<br />
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==History==<br />
{{OSM Location map<br />
| width=420| height=450| zoom=13<br />
| coord={{coord|27|2|0|N|88|16|3|E}}| float=left|caption='''Darjeeling'''<br/> TE: tea estate, F: facility, T: religious place, I: institute<br/>Abbreviations used in names – TE for Tea Estate<br/>Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly<br/>All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map<br />
|mark-coord1= {{coord|27|2|20|N|88|14|58|E}}| label-pos1=left|label1= Arya TE| numbered1=TE| mark-title1= [[Arya Tea Estate]] (TE)|label-color1= #800000 |label-size1=11| mark-size1=12|shape1=l-circle| shape-color1=#87A96B |shape-outline1=white|label-offset-x1=2<br />
|mark-coord2= {{coord|27|3|7|N|88|15|31|E}}| label-pos2=left|label2=Happy Valley TE| numbered2=TE| mark-title2= Happy Valley Tea Estate (TE)| shape-color2=black| label-size2=13|label-color2=black <!-- make the subject of the article stand out with black colors --><br />
|mark-coord3={{coord|27|2|33|N|88|17|58|E}} | label-pos3=left|label3=Lebong & Mineral Spring TE| numbered3=R| mark-title3= [[Lebong & Mineral Spring Tea Garden]] (TE)| shape-color3=#87A96B<br />
|mark-coord4={{coord|27|2|10|N|88|15|46|E}} | label-pos4=left|label4=Darjeeling railway station| numbered4=F| mark-title4= [[Darjeeling railway station]] (F)| shape-color4= #A40000<br />
|mark-coord5={{coord|27|2|42|N|88|16|3|E}} | label-pos5=right|label5=Chowrasta | numbered5=F| mark-title5= [[Chowrasta (Darjeeling)]] (F)| shape-color5= #A40000<br />
|mark-coord6={{coord|27|2|52|N|88|16|4|E}} | label-pos6=left|label6=Mahakal Temple| numbered6=T| mark-title6= [[Mahakal Temple, Darjeeling]] (T)| shape-color6= #C42222<br />
|mark-coord7={{coord|27|3|0|N|88|15|57|E}} | label-pos7=right|label7=Observatory Hill View Point| numbered7=F| mark-title7= [[Observatory Hill, Darjeeling]] (F)| shape-color7= #A40000<br />
|mark-coord8={{coord|27|3|0|N|88|15|46|E}} | label-pos8=left|label8=Raj Bhavan| numbered8=F| mark-title8= [[Raj Bhavan, Darjeeling]] (F)| shape-color8= #A40000<br />
|mark-coord9={{coord|27|3|15|N|88|15|15|E}} | label-pos9=right|label9=Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park| numbered9=F| mark-title9= [[Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park]] (F)| shape-color9= #A40000<br />
|mark-coord10={{coord|27|3|30|N|88|14|55|E}} | label-pos10=left|label10=Himalayan |labela10=Mountaineering|labelb10=Institute |numbered10=I| mark-title10= [[Himalayan Mountaineering Institute]] (i)| shape-color10= #87410E<br />
|mark-coord11={{coord|27|3|30|N|88|15|13|E}} | label-pos11=right|label11=Darjeeling Ropeway | numbered11=F| mark-title11= [[Darjeeling Ropeway]] (F)| shape-color11= #A40000<br />
|mark-coord12={{coord|27|2|40|N|88|15|46|E}} | label-pos12=left|label12= Lloyd’s Botanical Garden| numbered12= F| mark-title12= [[Lloyd's Botanical Garden]] (F)| shape-color12= #A40000<br />
|mark-coord13={{coord|27|1|39|N|88|15|32|E}} | label-pos13=left|label13= Peace Pagoda| numbered13= T| mark-title13= [[Peace Pagoda, Darjeeling]] (F)| shape-color13= #C42222<br />
|mark-coord14={{coord|27|1|0|N|88|14|48|E}} | label-pos14=left|label14= Batasia Loop| numbered14= F| mark-title14= [[Batasia Loop]] (F)| shape-color14= #A40000<br />
|mark-coord15={{coord|27|0|42|N|88|15|1|E}} | label-pos15=left|label15= Ghum Monastery| numbered15= T| mark-title15= [[Ghum Monastery]] (T)| shape-color15= #C42222}}<br />
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It is the second oldest tea estate of Darjeeling (after Steinthal Tea Estate, which was established in 1852),<ref name=time/> and, at a height of {{convert|2100|m|ft}}, is also one of the highest tea factories in the world.<ref name=hin08/> David Wilson, an Englishman, had named the garden Wilson Tea Estate and by 1860 had started cultivation of tea. In 1903, the estate was taken over by an Indian, Tarapada Banerjee, an aristocrat from [[Hugli-Chinsura|Hooghly]]. In 1929, Banerjee bought the Windsor Tea Estate nearby, and merged the two estates under the name of Happy Valley Tea Estate.<ref>[http://www.darjeeling-tourism.com/darj_000025.htm Happy Valley Tea Estate]</ref> G.C. Banerjee was the next owner of Happy Valley Tea Estate. He with his wife Annapurna Devi and three daughters (Nonimukhi, Monmaya and Savitri) lived there for some time. Annapurna Devi was related to the [[Ganguly family]] of [[Khandwa]]; her maternal uncle was Kunjalal Bihari, father of the famous cine Gangulys. Nandini Balial (Ganguly), a young prolific writer in LA is the great granddaughter of Late Monmaya Debi.<br />
[[File:Happy Valley Tea Estate.jpg|thumb|A view of Happy Valley Tea Estate in Darjeeling. It's the nearest Darjeeling Tea estate which is at a walking distance from Darjeeling town.]]<br />
[[File:Happy Valley Tea Estate in Darjeeling.jpg|thumb|Happy Valley Tea Estate in Darjeeling.]]<br />
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In March 2007, after remaining nearly dormant for nearly four years as the tea industry had experienced a slump, the estate was bought over by S K Bansal, of [[Ambootia]] Tea Group, which established a new factory within the premises, and started modernization process, replating and switching to organic farming.<ref name=time>{{cite web |title=India Brews a Stronger Cup|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1684538,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071117102935/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1684538,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 November 2007 |date=15 November 2007 |publisher=TIME }}</ref> Finally, the estate reopened to public in 2008, with the original factory turned into a working museum. It also displayed single piston slow-speed engines, and the shaft machines and sells tea-related mementos. Today, over 1500 people worked in the tea estate and processing unit.<ref name=hin08>{{cite news |title=Tea factory to be open to tourists |url=http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/25/stories/2008032555021300.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080328162743/http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/25/stories/2008032555021300.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 March 2008 |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=25 March 2008 }}</ref><br />
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In 2008, the hand-rolled tea produced by Happy Valley was chosen to be sold at [[Harrods]] in the United Kingdom, with price ranging from {{INRConvert|5|k}} to {{INRConvert|6|k}} per kg,<ref>{{cite news |title=Harrods to sell hand-rolled Darjeeling tea |url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/harrods-to-sell-handrolled-darjeeling-tea/316750/ |publisher= Indian Express|date=31 May 2008 }}</ref> besides this, it is also available at [[Mariage Freres]] in France.<br />
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==Overview==<br />
[[File:Darjeeling.jpg|left|thumb|500px|Happy Valley Tea Estate overlooking Darjeeling]]<br />
The tea estate is spread over {{convert|177|hectare|acre}}, at a height of {{convert|2100|m|ft}}. The bushes in the garden are very old &mdash; the minimum age is 80 years, and some are 150 years old. Very little re-plantation has been done in the recent past. Situated around 3&nbsp;km north of town, below Hill Cart Road, accessible via Lochnager Road from Chowk Bazaar, this tea estate is the closest tea estate to [[Darjeeling]] town, and tourists often visit the garden. The months of March to May are the busiest time here. when plucking and processing are in progress. It is open Tuesday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.<ref>{{cite web |title=Happy Valley Tea Estate |url=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/west-bengal/darjeeling/sights/other/happy-valley-tea-2 |publisher=Lonely planet }}</ref><ref>[http://goindia.about.com/od/topdestinations/tp/5-Best-India-Tea-Gardens.htm 5 Places to Visit India Tea Plantations]</ref><br />
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==DOTEPL group==<br />
The gardens of the Darjeeling Organic Tea Estates Private Ltd. are: [[Ambootia]], [[Chongtong Tea Garden|Changtong]], Happy Valley, [[Monteviot Tea Garden|Monteviot]], Moondakotee, Mullootar, [[Mangarjung Tea Garden (Nagri)|Nagri]], Noorbong, Sepoydhurah (Chamling), Sivitar, [[Rongmook Ceder Tea Garden|Rangmook Ceder]], Rangaroon, Pandam and Aloobari.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.dotepl.com/ | title = The Finest Organic Teas| work= Our Evergrowing Family | publisher = Darjeeling Organic Tea Estates Private Ltd. |access-date = 1 February 2020}}</ref><br />
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==References==<br />
{{Reflist|3}} <br />
*Chattopadhyay S.S. ''The valley of resilience''. Frontline. Volume 20&ndash; Issue 25, 6&ndash;19 December 2003.<br />
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==External links==<br />
* {{Wikivoyage-inline|Darjeeling}}<br />
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{{Darjeeling District}}<br />
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[[Category:Tea estates in Darjeeling district]]<br />
[[Category:1854 establishments in India]]<br />
[[Category:1854 establishments in British India]]</div>>Qwerfjkl (bot)