Day 19
India
Doke Valley, Bihar
“Peace is not a relationship of nations.
It is a condition of mind brought about by a serenity of soul.”
— Jawaharlal Nehru, Indian Prime Minister
Today’s Tea & Peace Reflection
provided by
Mona Kaur and Manish Bansal
Today’s Tea Region:
Doke River Valley, India
The tea included in the Global Tea Blend has been provided by:
Lochan Tea Gardens
Doke River Valley, India
Doke is located in northern India near Kishanganj – an region sometimes referred to as “the chicken neck”. The valley is surrouned by Araria, Purnia, Uttar Dinajpur, Darjeeling and Nepal. Until 1840 this area was part of Nepal and shares a cultural history. It is a valley that was once nourished by runoff from the Himalayan Glacier. But for more than a hundred years, the runoff was diminished and this region was dry. Finally, in the early 1900’s when irrigation projects restored the river and created the possibility for tea gardens.
“Worldwide, wages for tea pickers and laborers is quite low,” he observed. “To mitigate the impacts of low incomes, the education expenses of the Doke workers’ children and marriage expenses of their female child are borne by us,” he said. When asked about his long-range vision for Doke and its effects on the community, Lochan smiled and quoted a local saying, “you dig a well for quenching your thirst and then leave it for the community to drink from it forever.”
The State of Bihar, India
Bihar is located in the north-eastern part of India. In ancient times, it was considered to be a center of culture and education. But in modern times, social and economic factors have lagged behind some other regions. The climate is generally sub-tropical with diverse micro-climates throughout.