Raipur Tea Estate

Working at Raipur Tea Estate in Thakurdwara means your life follows the rhythm of the tea bushes. We are based out of Tehsil Palampur, and the estate stretches out across the slopes. Most of our mornings are spent outdoors checking on the growth and seeing if the leaves are ready for plucking. It’s a lot of walking, and the ground is often uneven and muddy, especially when the rains start coming down hard. We have an old office where we keep the records of the harvest and the worker schedules, but nobody likes staying inside for too long. The air here smells like wet earth and green leaves, which is much better than the smell of the city. We deal with the typical problems of a tea farm, like keeping the pests away and making sure the drainage is working so the roots don't rot. It’s not a glamorous job. We wear old boots and carry umbrellas most of the time. When the season is busy, there are people everywhere in the fields, and the sound of chatter fills the air. When it’s the off-season, it gets incredibly quiet, and we just focus on pruning and preparing for the next cycle. It’s the kind of work that stays the same for decades, and we’re just the latest people looking after this patch of land in Thakurdwara. We don't really have a big fancy sign out front, just the tea bushes that let you know you've arrived. It's hard work, but looking out at the mountains makes it okay.