It is sad that the Tea story of India often starts and ends with nostalgic memories of how European planters converted Darjeeling and Assam into a goldmine for this commercial crop and how they cemented global dominance in aroma, colour and taste. Little do we know that much before all these, another type of exclusive Indian tea rocked the world leaving behind its all Indian cousins. It was tea produced in Kangra, a place in west central Himachal Pradesh, then in undivided Punjab, which won world’s recognition as first Indian tea.

Kangra tea story of India starts with a place on the lap of Himalaya overlooking majestic Dhauladhar range and bathed by the streams of Himalayas including a beautiful river named Bundela. It was here in Trigarthlater known as Palampur a picture square small tribal tea town on east of Kangra. Today Palampur is still a small tea town offering adequate memories of a bygone era.

The relics of Raj in its century old church, club house and cemetery still give a visual testimony of how the town used to look a century back. Sadly much of this heritage is lost. The first tea estate to come up here was Hotla in 1852 almost on the same time when tea was gradually becoming a signature of East India Company’s biggest commercial crops produced in India. Soon more than 1000 big and small tea gardens came in and around Palampur winning it the hub of Kangra tea planters. Kangra became strongest contender in international arena.In in 1886 at London Tea Auction it was crowned with gold medal and again in 1895 it won a silver medal at Amastordom Tea Auction. It shows that once Kangra tea of this region was biggest Indian tea brand in Europe.

The picture postcard image of Palampur still exists though little unplanned urbanisation and pressure of population are slowly engulfing it. Still the shadowed and leafy roads running in between of alluring green bushes are amazing places to have a walk or a slow drive.The horizon is decorated with snow-dusted Dhawladhar ranges.

The rocky hilltops are covered with dark pine and rhododendron. In between of the woodland colorful flora and fauna, Himalaya lives up in full bloom. For bird watchers it is a feast. At the beginning of 20th century when everything was moving smooth and Palampur was slowly taking a shape to become a rival of Dalhousie or Shimla as hill station, a devastating earthquake smashed Kangra region on 4th April 1905. Huge loss of property and life was resulted. It grounded almost all structures from MacLeodganj to Kullu including Palampur that not only lost its landmark church and narrow gauge railway track but also its base and infrastructure of tea business.

The loss of tea plantation was so huge that immediately after this most of the European planters sold their business to locals and shifted their investment in Assam and Darjeeling. Sad to say though Indians continued plantation with success but the old international glory of Kangra tea was never salvaged.

Today some dilapidated British bunglow and old machines in tea plants still are a painful reminder of that deadly earthquake. The most significant of such pensive relic of Palampur’s lost glory is the St John in Wilderness Church and a European cemetery adjacent to it where not a single grave stone can be found after 1905. It shows the entire European population was slowly shifted from Palampur after 1905. The church which was a replica of St John in Wilderness of MacLeodganj was razed to the ground and later rebuilt in a compromised form. A plaque inside the church shows that its foundation stone was laid by one Sir Thomas Douglas . The newly built church now stands inside of a walled compound. Those who love history and heritage must pay a visit there.

A visit to Palampur holds little sense if a steaming coffee aptly supplemented with a plate of pakoda are not consumed at iconic Neugal Café run here byHimachal Pradesh tourism. The café offers magical ambience from its open cafeteria which overlooks thick woods on hill slopes backed by snowcovered peaks of Dhauladhar behind which prevail mighty passes and peaks of other Himalayan ranges like Bara Bhangal and Pirpanjal. From this café the gurgling of stream water can be heard.The café looks very ordinary and modest yet its extraordinary set up and good food at good prize attracts huge visitors.

There is a small village named Andretta situated hardly 16 km from Palampur. Known for its art and craft this village once housed some noted intellectuals of Punjab.

Tashijong Buddhist monastery is just 14 km from Palampur. Built by the Tibetan refugees in 1970 this colorful structure with a huge Buddha statue is one of the most gorgeous Buddhist centres in the region. For a feel of knowing the life of rich Indians in British era a visit can be made to Taragargh Palace built in 1931 by a royal family of Punjab. Later on it was brought by Nawab of Bahawalpur of Kashmir. The palace is now converted into a heritage hotel and loaded with many vintage artifacts and furniture.

For budget travellers HPTDC hotels like Tea Bud and Neugal are ideal. Both are decent, comfortable and value for money. Tea Bud is virtually inside a tea garden while the matchless panorama of Himalaya seen from Neugal is well known.

Palampur has witnessed a watershed of modern Indian history as well. It was here in 1989 in a conference Bharatia Janata Party sanctioned and adopted VHP’s movement of Ram janmabhumi at Ayodhya. After such a drastic decision the course of Independent India’s politics was changed forever. BJP’s gradual emergence as a powerful political party of India started from a small tea town of Himachal named Palampur.



Travel Logistics :

# Palampur is 260 km from Shimla and 281 km from Chandigargh.
# Road condition is good. HPTDC lodges are the best option to stay.
# Both Anretta and Tashijong can be covered on a same day by car.
# Baijanath( not to be confused with Uttarakhand's Baijanath ) temple is just 20 km from Palampur.

This article was published in The Hitavada on 16th May 2021.

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