Explore a hidden village, Tarku in Sikkim
Sikkim is a state in India’s northeastern region. It is surrounded to the northeast by China’s Special Administrative Region, towards the east by Bhutan, to the west by Nepal, and to the south by West Bengal. Sikkim is also adjacent to India’s Siliguri Corridor, which extends into Bangladesh. Sikkim is India’s smallest and least populous state.
Sikkim, a portion of the Eastern Himalaya, is known for its biodiversity, encompassing alpine and subtropical temperatures, as well as being home to Kanchenjunga, India’s highest mountain and the third highest on the planet. Gangtok is the capital and biggest city of Sikkim. The Khangchendzonga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, covers over 35% of the state.
Tarku, at a height of 6,000 feet, is around 60 kilometres from Gangtok, snuggled into one end of the tea plantation. This little community had a higher secondary English medium school, a small hospital, and kind locals. The place is beautiful, but searching for a motel is definitely a task in tarku. The Cherry Resort, Tarku’s only alternative is a cute place to stay and relax.Tourists can check in there and continue with their explorations. Wandering through the mist-shrouded tea estates, catching occasional but uninterested glances from the tea garden employees is a soothing experience.
It is amazing to wander along narrow, twisting dirt roads amid the plantations in wonderful solitude, with just the foggy fog and the odd sound of the elusive chirping cicada for company, rows of prayer flags floated in the distance, and the hillside was densely forested with oak, chestnut, maple, alder, and sal trees. The promise of a short uphill hike to a gorgeous, little-known location made me feel like a child eagerly awaiting his turn on a carousel. The forests of the fallen leaves, tweeting of birds and buzz of forest insects remind of stories by Ruskin Bond.
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Tarku lurks inconspicuously among the beautiful green tea farms just off the Gangtok-Ravangla state route. Most travellers pause for a few moments to examine the tea gardens and snap photographs before continuing on their journey. They have no idea that staying here for a few days might be restorative. The vistas are quiet, calm, and incredibly beautiful, with mist rolling off the mountain peaks and drifting over the tea estate’s green carpet.
Temi tea
During 1969, The Temi Tea Garden was built by the Government of Sikkim. It is located in South Sikkim, in the northeastern Indian state of Sikkim. It is Sikkim’s lone tea garden and is regarded as one of the greatest in India and the world. High-quality tea is manufactured, which is in high demand in the global market. The garden is built on a gently sloping hill. The tea grown in this garden is also sold under the brand name “Temi Tea.”
The Institute of Marketology (IMO) of Switzerland’s rules for producing organic tea has been applied at the Temi Tea Garden, a project that began in April 2005 and is approaching completion. Tea plantations avoid using agro-chemicals while cultivating organic tea, which results in lower production costs. Many European countries and Japan have shown a preference for tea produced using organic farming methods.
Temi Tea Factory is an excellent spot for urban travellers to get a crash education in the tea production process, from picking the leaves to their ultimate metamorphosis into boxes holding three sorts of tea–green, black, and white.
What to do and see in Tarku?
From your room’s balcony, you may gaze out at the beautiful green tea gardens while sipping a cup of freshly made tea. Take a stroll across the unending rows of nicely maintained tea plants. Sit about in the village and talk to the pleasant folks. Visit the factory and learn how to make tea. Trek up the hills and take in the breathtaking vistas of serpentine pathways writhing through the emerald green tea plants. Visit the little temple on the hillside on the hotel’s eastern side. On clear days, you can gaze at Mt Kangchenjunga to the north and the 8,000-foot-deep with Teesta River Gorge to the south.
Climate of Tarku
The climate of Sikkim varies from subtropical in the south to tundra in the north. The majority of Sikkim’s populated areas have a moderate climate, with summer temperatures seldom topping 28 °C (82 °F). The usual annual temperature in much of Sikkim is approximately 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit).
HOW TO GET TO TARKU
Tarku is a 60-kilometer trip from Gangtok, and you may take a cab there. Bagdogra, 125 kilometres from Gangtok, is the nearest airport. New Jalpaiguri, 120 kilometres from Gangtok, is the nearest railway station.
STDC (Sikkim Tourism Development Corporation)-run Cherry Resort (from Rs 3,000; cherryresort.com) is Tarku’s lone hotel. Located in the heart of the Temi Tea Estate, practically every accommodation offers a stunning view over the tea plantations.
