Hard Working Tea Pluckers of the Tea Gardens of Darjeeling
Inside the stunning Tea Estates, women naturally pluck tea leaves to prime them before production. Everything is handcrafted and done manually without any automation.
Life of a Tea Plucker
Wake up!
Rise before the sun. Breakfast and lunch are prepared and packed. Children are sent to school. And then off to the tea garden she goes.
Dress for the job
She wears loose fitting airy clothes and covers her head to protect from the cold and afternoon sun. She fixes her basket on her back and makes sure it’s firmly on.
Snip snip...
With her fingers, she plucks the tender two leaves and a bud that is not mature or not too young. Clenches them in her palm with care not to crush. Tosses the leaves into her basket. The ideal leaves produce the best aroma. Skilled pluckers use both hands and are quicker than your eyes.
Breakfast break
She sits by the slopes and enjoys breakfast amidst a mesmeric view of the tea fields.
Take up the challenge!
The hours are long as she snips all day to collect a sack weighing 18 kilograms. That’s her goal for the day.
Weights and scales
It’s the decisive point! The sack of tea leaves is taken to the collection point. The crushed unusable leaves are sorted out. The tea is then weighed and given to the factories.
All in a day’s work
It’s time to head home as the sky dims. Her feet might be tired and her hands stiff. But her body is invigorated by the day long workout. As she hits the pillow, it will be a good night’s sleep. There’s no wonder why tea pluckers are so fit!.
