Gandrapara and Lakhipara Tea Estates

Last updated
Gandrapara and Lakhipara Tea Estates
Location Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal, India
Nearest city Banarhat
Owned byGoodricke
Openlate 1800s/ early 1900s (late 1800s/ early 1900s)

Gandrapara Tea Estate and Lakhipara Tea Estate are tea gardens, located near each other in the Dhupguri CD block in the Jalpaiguri Sadar subdivision of the Jalpaiguri district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Both the tea estates are located in the north-central portion of the Dooars.

Contents

Geography

Gandrapara and Lakhipara Tea Estates
Invisible Square.svg
Invisible Square.svg
Mapscaleline.svg
15km
10miles
Red pog.svg
B
A
N
G
L
A
D
E
S
H
B
H
U
T
A
N
Jaldhaka
River
River
Teesta
Chapramari
Wildlife
Sanctuary
NP
Invisible Square.svg
Gorumara
National
Park
NP
Invisible Square.svg
New Jalpaiguri JRS
F
Invisible Square.svg
Lakhipara TE
TE
Gandrapara TE
TE
Danguajhar TE
TE
Invisible Square.svg
Belakoba
R
Invisible Square.svg
Rajganj
R
Invisible Square.svg
Phulbari
checkpoint
R
Invisible Square.svg
Binnaguri 1
C
Invisible Square.svg
Dhupguri
M
Invisible Square.svg
Jalpaiguri
M
Invisible Square.svg
Telipara TG
CT
Invisible Square.svg
Banarhat
CT
Invisible Square.svg
Gairkata
CT
Invisible Square.svg
Dakshin Khagrabari
CT
Invisible Square.svg
Mainaguri
CT
Invisible Square.svg
Kharia
CT
Invisible Square.svg
Binnaguri 2
CT
Invisible Square.svg
Chakiabhita
CT
Invisible Square.svg
Places and tea estates in Jalpaiguri Sadar subdivision (including Rajganj, Jalpaiguri, Maynaguri and Dhupguri CD blocks) in Jalpaiguri district
CT: census town, R: rural/ urban centre, N: neighbourhood, C: cantonment, NP: national park/ wildlife sanctuary, TE: tea estate
Abbreviations used in names – TG for Tea Garden (town/village), TE for Tea Estate, JRS: junction railway station
Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly

Location

Gandrapara Tea Estate is located at 26°48′08″N89°00′13″E / 26.80214°N 89.0036°E / 26.80214; 89.0036 .

Gandrapara Tea Estate is located the hilly northern part of the district close to the Bhutan border. [1]

Lakhipara Tea Estate is located at 26°49′34″N89°00′53″E / 26.82614°N 89.0148°E / 26.82614; 89.0148

Lakhipara Tea Estate is located in the misty hills close to the Bhutan border. [2]

Area overview

The map alongside shows the alluvial floodplains south of the outer foothills of the Himalayas. The area is mostly flat, except for low hills in the northern portions. [3] [4] It is a primarily rural area with 62.01% of the population living in rural areas and a moderate 37.99% living in the urban areas. [5] [6] Tea gardens in the Dooars and Terai regions produce 226 million kg or over a quarter of India's total tea crop. [7] [8] Some tea gardens were identified in the 2011 census as census towns or villages. [9] Such places are marked in the map as CT (census town) or R (rural/ urban centre). Specific tea estate pages are marked TE.

Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the subdivision. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.

Etymology

Gandrapara Tea Estate got its name from an illustrious Machia tribesman, Gandra Machia. [1] the name Lakhipara means ‘the abode of Goddess Lakshmi’ in local languages. [10]

The gardens

Gandrapara Tea Garden was established in 1894. [1] Parnell, the first manager planted 258 acres in 1895. Duncan Brothers were the owners since inception. Goodricke took it over in 1978. [11]

Lakhipara Tea Estate produces CTC tea. [2] It was established in 1912. [10]

Goodricke

Established in 1977, Goodricke owns 18 tea estates in India, all inherited from sterling tea companies, who operated from the late 1800s. Goodricke has 12 gardens in the Dooars. With its rich agro climate the area produces CTC tea. Goodricke’s tea gardens in the Dooars are: Danguajhar, Leesh River, Meenglas, Hope, Aibheel, Chulsa, Chalouni, Jiti, Sankos, Gandrapara, Lakhipara and Kumargram. [12]

Eight sterling tea companies viz., The Assam-Doors Tea Co. Ltd., Hope Tea Co. Ltd., The Lebong Chulsa Tea Co. Ltd., The British Darjeeling Tea Co. Ltd., The Chulsa Tea Co. Ltd., The Leesh River Tea Co. Ltd., The Danguajhar Tea Co. Ltd., and The Meenglas Tea Co. Ltd., were amalgamated with Goodricke in 1977. [13]

Events

Gandrapara Tea Estate is at times visited by herds of elephants, in spite of barbed wire fencing to prevent the animals from entering the garden. [14] On the other hand Lakhipara Tea Garden faces problems with leopards straying in. [15]

Although, most of the better organised tea gardens go in for periodical wage revisions of the workers with the trade unions, there are people who protest against the daily wage, considered to be low by many people, prevalent in the tea gardens. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malbazar</span> Town in West Bengal, India

Malbazar, also known as Mal, is a town and a municipality in Jalpaiguri district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Malbazar subdivision. It lies about 65 km from Jalpaiguri and 55 km from Siliguri. It lies on the bank of river Neora.

Binnaguri is a cantonment town located in the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal state, India. It is located at 26° 46' N latitude and 89° 3' E longitude at an altitude of 216 metres above sea level.

Banarhat is a census town of the Banarhat CD block in Dhupguri subdivision of the Jalpaiguri District in the state of West Bengal, India. Sharing nearest international border with BHUTAN.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dhupguri</span> City in West Bengal, India

Dhupguri is a town and a municipality of Jalpaiguri district near Jaldhaka River in the state of West Bengal, India.It is the headquarters of the Dhupguri subdivision.

Gairkata is a census town in the Dhupguri subdivision of the Jalpaiguri district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the native town of prominent Bengali writer Samaresh Majumdar, poet and journalist Bikash Sarkar and CPI leader Samar Ganguly. Gairkata, home to Gosaihat Eco-Park, features Telipara as its main industrial hub. An NGO named Aaranyak was also located in Gairkata.

Dabgram is a census town in the Rajganj CD block in the Jalpaiguri Sadar subdivision of the Jalpaiguri district in the state of West Bengal, India.

Phulbari also known as Fulbari is a road border crossing for vehicles and people on the India-Bangladesh border and a proposed municipality in Rajganj community development block in Jalpaiguri district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The Bangladesh side of the border crossing is Banglabandha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belakoba</span> Town in West Bengal, India

Belakoba is a small town in Jalpaiguri Sadar subdivision of Jalpaiguri district in the Indian state of West Bengal, known for its Chamcham, a type of sweet originating in the Pora Bari locale of Bangladesh. Belakoba is not only a cradle to Chamcham, but also cradle to art and music.

Rajganj is a neighbourhood in the Rajganj CD block in the Jalpaiguri Sadar subdivision of the Jalpaiguri district in the state of West Bengal, India.

Binnaguri is a census town and a gram panchayat in the Rajganj CD block in the Jalpaiguri Sadar subdivision of the Jalpaiguri district in the state of West Bengal, India.

Chakiabhita is a census town in the Rajganj CD block in the Jalpaiguri Sadar subdivision of the Jalpaiguri district in the state of West Bengal, India.

Dakshin Khagrabari is a census town in the Maynaguri CD block in the Jalpaiguri Sadar subdivision of the Jalpaiguri district in the state of West Bengal, India.

Telipara Tea Garden is a census town in the Dhupguri CD block in the Jalpaiguri Sadar subdivision of the Jalpaiguri district in the state of West Bengal, India.

Meenglas Tea Estate and Leesh River Tea Estate are tea gardens, located near each other in the Mal CD block in the Malbazar subdivision of the Jalpaiguri district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Both the tea estates are located in the western end of the Dooars.

Hope Tea Estate and Jiti Tea Estate are tea gardens, located near each other in the Nagrakata CD block in the Malbazar subdivision of the Jalpaiguri district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Both the tea estates are located in the north-central section of the Dooars.

Chalouni Tea Estate, Aibheel Tea Estate and Chalsa Tea Estate are tea gardens, located near each other in the Matiali CD block in the Malbazar subdivision of the Jalpaiguri district in the Indian state of West Bengal. All the three tea estates are located in the north-western section of the Dooars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gurjangjhora Tea Garden</span> Village in West Bengal, India

Gurjangjhora Tea Garden is a village in the Mal CD block in the Malbazar subdivision of the Jalpaiguri district in the state of West Bengal, India.

Danguajhar Tea Estate is a tea garden, located near Jalpaiguri in the Jalpaiguri Sadar subdivision of the Jalpaiguri district in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Kumargram Tea Estate and Sankos Tea Estate are tea gardens, located in the Kumargram CD block in the Alipurduar subdivision of the Alipurduar district in the Indian state of West Bengal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dooars-Terai tea gardens</span> Tea gardens in West Bengal, India

Dooars-Terai tea gardens refers to the tea gardens in the Dooars and Terai regions in the Jalpaiguri Division of West Bengal, India

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Gandrapara". Goodricke. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Lakhipara". Goodricke. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  3. Debnath, S. (2010). The Dooars in Historical Transition (PDF). Shiv Mandir: N. L. Publishers.
  4. Dinerstein, E., Loucks, C. (2001). "Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
  5. "Jalpaiguri". District Profile. District administration. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  6. "District Statistical Handbook 2014 Jalpaiguri". Tables 2.2, 2.4b. Department of Planning and Statistics, Government of West Bengal. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  7. "Tea Growing Regions". Dooars and Terai. Indian Tea Association. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  8. "Dooars-Terai". Tea Board India. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  9. "2011 Census – Primary Census Abstract Data Tables". West Bengal – District-wise. Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  10. 1 2 "Garden Diaries". Goodricke. Archived from the original on 5 July 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  11. "Garden Diaries". Goodricke. Archived from the original on 5 July 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  12. "Overview". Goodricke. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  13. "Goodricke Group Limited – Company history and annual growth details" . Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  14. "Elephant Herd Barges Into Tea Garden In West Bengal's Jalpaiguri". NDTV. 20 August 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  15. "Leopard trapped in a cage in Lakhipara Tea Estate". Siliguri Times, 14 February 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  16. "The brew darkens". The Hindu Business Line, 24 January 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2020.