Ambootia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ambootia Ambotay
Tea estate village
Ambootia Location in West Bengal Show map of West Bengal Ambootia Location in India Show map of India
Country	India
State	West Bengal
District	Darjeeling
Lok Sabha constituency	Darjeeling
Vidhan Sabha constituency	Kurseong
Administrative Body	Gorkhaland Territorial Administration
PIN	734203
Telephone/STD code	0354

Ambootia (also called Ambootay) is a special village in India. It is famous for its tea gardens. You can find Ambootia in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. It is part of the Kurseong subdivision. This area is known for its beautiful tea estates.

Exploring Ambootia's Location

Where is Ambootia Located?

Ambootia is found at these coordinates: 26°52′36″N 88°14′27″E / 26.8766°N 88.2407°E / 26.8766; 88.2407. It sits below the town of Kurseong. This area is in the foothills of the mighty Himalayan Mountains. The main language spoken by people here is Nepali.

Understanding the Area Around Ambootia

The map next to this text shows the eastern part of the Darjeeling Himalayan hill region. It also shows a small flat area called the terai region. These are all within the Darjeeling district. Many people in this district live in rural areas.

There are about 78 tea gardens in the district. These gardens grow and sell Darjeeling tea all over the world. Many people work in these tea gardens. Some tea gardens are even big enough to be called towns or villages.

The Ambootia Landslide Event

In October 1968, a huge landslide happened in the Darjeeling Himalayan hill region. This was caused by a lot of rain. It was called the Ambootia landslide. The area slowly became stable again in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This happened as new plants grew there.

Who Lives in Ambootia?

In 2011, a survey counted the people in Ambootia. The total population was 4,811. There were slightly more females (2,467) than males (2,344). About 370 children were aged 6 years or younger. Most people in Ambootia know how to read and write. About 73% of people over 6 years old were literate.

Ambootia's Famous Tea

Ambootia is one of the most well-known tea estates in Darjeeling. It was one of the first tea gardens started by British tea planters in the 1850s. It is also the second largest producer of Darjeeling Tea in India.

The Darjeeling Tea Company of England started Ambootia Tea Garden in 1861. After India became independent in 1947, Indian owners took over in 1954. In 1987, the Bansal Tea Group bought the garden. At that time, it was not doing well financially.

However, Ambootia has become a very successful tea garden. It is now a strong and environmentally friendly place. It grows tea in a way that helps nature.

The Ambootia Tea Group

The Ambootia Group used to own 15 tea estates. Twelve of these were in Darjeeling. The others were in Assam and Dooars. Ambootia was known worldwide for its amazing teas.

In late 2022, the company faced money problems. Ambootia and five other gardens were taken over by Mr. Sushil Kumar Agarwal. His company is called Lemongrass Organic Tea Estates Pvt. Ltd. (LOTEPL). LOTEPL now manages nine tea estates in the Darjeeling area. They are becoming a very important company for Darjeeling Tea globally.

How Ambootia Tea is Grown

Ambootia Tea Garden covers a large area of 790.64 hectares. Tea plants are grown on 350.48 hectares of this land. The garden has a modern factory where the tea is processed.

In 1992, Ambootia started growing tea in a special way. They became 100% certified organic and bio-dynamic. This means they use natural methods without harmful chemicals. In 1994, they also got Fair Trade certified. This means they treat their workers fairly.

Supporting the Workers

Ambootia Tea Garden employs about 800 workers. They also have 84 staff members. Workers receive important food items like wheat, rice, and kerosene at low prices. They also get coal or firewood, slippers, and umbrellas every year.

The garden provides homes for its workers and staff. There are four daycares for young children of female employees. Four primary schools are run by the local government. There is also a hospital with 8 beds. A doctor visits regularly. Workers and their families get free medical care at this hospital.

Tea Estates of the LOTEPL Group

The tea gardens managed by Lemongrass Organic Tea Estates Private Ltd. (LOTEPL) include:

• Ambootia
• Chongtong
• Happy Valley
• Monteviot
• Moondakotee
• Mullootar
• Nagri (Mangarjung)
• Sepoydhoorah (Chamling)
• Sivitar

Getting to Ambootia: Transport Options

Famous People from Ambootia

• Hira Devi Waiba
• Navneet Aditya Waiba