35. Begonia
Get yourself a cup of tea before you settle down to read it, because you will be lost in Mamlu Chatterjee’s spellbinding narrative. And I am sure you will love the beautiful photographs from the…
Indian Chai Stories
What started off as an exciting new collaboration with Indian Chai Stories as part of the Chai for Cancer Season 8 Campaign, has only grown from strength to strength.
Indian Chai Stories is a blog by Gowri Mohanakrishnan with almost 200 original stories from 58 contributors from the tea gardens of Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Sri Lanka!
Season 8 Campaign tagline was “Ek Chai Zindagi ke Naam”, and it was felt that there was no better way to take the campaign forward than to showcase the real life stories of tea planters. As Gowri herself puts it, “Back in the tea gardens, our motto has always been “Ek Zindagi Chai ke Naam”.
So, while our tagline changes Season wise, the sentiment remains the same!
When Gowri got married to a tea planter in 1986, she had to leave her city life behind and experience first hand life in the “Dooars”. Amazed by the incredible stories people shared at the tea garden clubs, she decided to start a blog and share their stories with the world! “Life here is a celebration of the human spirit. Indian Chai Stories is all about the people who live here!”
Tune in to Chai for Cancer every Friday for stories of elephants and leopards, of people and of ghosts; some stories so vivid and amazing, they beggar belief!
34. Shobha the Bison
Here’s Norman Woods’ lovely story about a rather unusual pet – truly, this could only happen in a tea garden.Read the story
33. From Town to Tea
Ranu Singh Taragi describes a little one’s first trip to a tea garden in this utterly charming story –Read the story
32. Hello Darkness My Old Friends
Story by Gowri MohanakrishnanRead the story
31. The Power-full Problem
With the festive season here, let’s keep the laughter alive and set aside our worries for a while. And let’s try to carry a little spark of laughter in our hearts, so we can offer…
30. Language Opens Hearts
Mirza Yawar Baig’s story, ‘Language Opens Hearts’ is very special: “I recall Mr. Ahmedullah, the General Manager, telling me, ‘You must speak Tamil not only fluently, but like a Tamilian; not like a Hyderabadi or…
29. The Great Flood of ’54
Please bear with me as I bring you another story about the hardships that people endure in the tea gardens. And at the end of it, fear not, you will feel cheer, because it is…
28. Drama in Real Life
There are all kinds of tea garden stories, as I mentioned at the outset. For the most part, I’ve shared the happy, carefree ones. Do take a look at what P.G. Wodehouse once said about…
27. Darjeeling Days
Shall we take a peek at a tea garden in Darjeeling today? Not just any garden, mind, but one with a view of the majestic Kanchenjunga! Radha Madapa writes with deep affection for her surroundings:…