Panighata Tea Estate

Our place is at Plot No.89 in Belgachi, which is right near the Shree Temple. You can see the temple from our gate and sometimes you hear the bells ringing in the morning while we are starting our shift. Panighata Tea Estate covers a good bit of land here and there is always something to do outside. Whether it is raining or the sun is beating down, the work doesn't really stop. We have been part of the Belgachi community for a long time. The office is just a simple building where we keep the records and talk about what needs to be done for the day. It’s not a polished corporate office with glass walls. We have wooden desks that have been here forever. Most of us have dirt under our fingernails from being out on the estate grounds. It’s a quiet life for the most part, except when the harvest is in full swing. Then everyone is moving fast and the trucks are coming in and out of Plot No.89. We don't try to be anything we aren't. We are just people who grow and look after tea. Sometimes the weather makes things difficult and we worry about the plants, but we just manage as best as we can. It’s a lot of walking every day and we all wear sturdy shoes because the ground is uneven. It’s just how things are at our estate.