Rajah Banerjee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Swaraj Kumar Banerjee
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Rajah Banerjee at Makaibari Tea Estate
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| Born | 16 August 1948 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Other names | Rajah Banerjee |
| Occupation | Environmentalist, Tea Planter, Writer |
Rajah Banerjee, also known as Swaraj Kumar Banerjee, is a special tea farmer, a person who cares for the environment, and a writer. He is most famous for taking care of his family's tea farm, Makaibari Tea Estate, in Darjeeling. His family owned Makaibari Tea Estate from 1859 to 2017. Rajah was the fourth generation in his family to manage this famous tea garden.
He was one of the first people to start organic farming in Darjeeling. Under his care, Makaibari became fully organic and also used biodynamic methods. He is well-known for his unique Silver Needle Moonlight Plucked Teas. These special teas are picked only at midnight during a full moon in the spring season.
Rajah holds a world record for the most expensive tea ever sold at a wholesale auction. It sold for ₹1.11 lakh per kilogram, which is a very high price. Several films have been made about him, like Lord of Darjeeling and Hamro Makaibari. He also appeared in Vir Sanghvi's TV series 'A Matter of Taste'.
During his 44 years at Makaibari, he turned it into an "organic oasis" with many trees. He helped plant nearly 2 million trees there. Rajah also created the Makaibari Joint Body (MBJB). This group worked to improve the lives of people living and working at the tea estate.
Rajah is a global ambassador for Darjeeling tea. Makaibari tea was the official tea partner for the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In 2015, when Prime Minister Modi visited the United Kingdom, he gave some of Rajah's special Imperial Needles Darjeeling Tea to the Queen. Rajah now runs his own special tea brand called Rimpocha.
Rajah's Early Life
Rajah went to school in Darjeeling. He then studied at the University of London in England. In 1970, he came back to India. He was then asked to take over the management of the Makaibari Tea Estate.
Rajah's Career in Tea
Rajah started managing the Makaibari Tea Estate in 1970. Under his guidance, Makaibari became the first of Darjeeling's 87 tea gardens to be fully organic. Later, he also made Makaibari a bio-dynamic farm. This was based on the ideas of Rudolf Steiner.
Over the next ten years, Rajah helped other Darjeeling tea gardens, like Longview Tea Estate, become organic too. During this time, many films and documentaries were made about him and his work at Makaibari. These films showed how he helped women become more independent through homestay programs. He also improved schools and health services for the community. Rajah worked to increase the income of community members using biodynamic farming methods.
The Makaibari Joint Body (MBJB) supported these efforts. Rajah also made sure Makaibari was a place for research, art, and culture. The filmmaker Chaitanya Tamhane even shot his first film, "Six Strands," at Makaibari in 2011. Many students also wrote research papers after volunteering or interning there.
In 2014, Rajah sold most of his ownership of Makaibari Garden to the Luxmi group from Kolkata. However, in 2017, he disagreed with them about how to manage the estate. Later that year, his old family home at the garden burned down. After this, he left the tea estate and gave up all management control.
In 2018, Rajah started a new special tea brand called Rimpocha. His goal was to help small tea growers in Darjeeling.
Awards and Special Recognition
Rajah and Makaibari Tea Estate have received many honors:
- 1988 - Makaibari became the first Darjeeling tea garden to be certified as organic.
- 1991 - The Makaibari Joint Body (MBJB) was created. It worked for social improvements and women's rights in Makaibari.
- 1993 - Makaibari became the first tea garden to get the Demeter Certification. This means it met high standards for biodynamic farming.
- 2008 - TIME Magazine featured Makaibari in its "The Best Of Asia" cover story. It was praised for its quality and fair labor practices.
- 2014 - Rajah set a world record for the most expensive tea sold. It sold for $1850 per kilogram.
- 2015 - Makaibari Tea was given to Queen Elizabeth II of England by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
