30 Nov 2015, 03:21 pm

The event was held on Dec 3 from 2 pm to 3 pm.
Darjeeling's tea bushes stretch across a picturesque landscape steeped in religious, sacred and mythical history. Planted at high elevation in the heart of the Eastern Himalayas, in an area of northern India bound by Nepal to the west, Bhutan to the east and Sikkim to the north, the rows of brilliant green, waist-high shrubs that coat the steep slopes and valleys around this Victorian 'hill town' produce only a fraction of the world's tea, and less than one per cent of India's total.
Yet the tea from this limited crop, with its characteristic bright, amber-coloured brew and muscatel flavours - delicate and flowery, with hints of apricots and peaches - is generally considered the best on the globe.
This is the story of how Darjeeling developed its prodigious tea industry under Imperial British rule and eventually came to produce some of the highest-quality leaves in the world. It is a fascinating portrait of the region from the days of the Raj to that of the 'voodoo farmers' of the present day, who get world-record prices for their fine teas, all set against the backdrop of the looming Himalayas and drenching monsoons.
It is a story rich in intrigue and empire, full of adventurers and unlikely successes in culture and religion, ecology and terroir, and one that began with one of the most audacious acts of corporate smuggling in history. It is also the tale of how the industry had spiralled into decline by the end of the twentieth century, and how this paradisiacal spot in the high Himalayas seethes with union unrest and a violent struggle for independent statehood.
It is on the front line against the devastating effects of climate change and decades of harmful farming practices, a war that is being fought in some tea gardens - and, astonishingly, won - using radical methods.
- Oudh 1590 introduces diabetic-friendly Biryani in Kolkata
- Memory on a plate: I want to demystify Indian cooking, says Kolkata-born British chef Asma Khan
- Three Tables, One Journey – India’s Culinary Heritage Served in Dubai
- CONVERSATION: Indian firms are seeking French-proficient engineers, says Alliance Francaise du Bengale head Nicolas Facino
- Firpo’s: Remembering a slice of colonial Calcutta’s nightlife
- Sri Lanka: An offbeat itinerary in a destination for all seasons
- Planet Word museum: Washington DC's ode to power of language
- In crust you trust: Pizzeria Paradiso in Washington DC’s Georgetown is mood-lifter
- Of Paris, a chronic pain and a pivotal friendship: Frida Kahlo meets Mary Reynolds at the Art Institute of Chicago
- Taiwan: An island full of surprises beckons
Malaysia Airlines will expand its South India network by adding more flights on the Kuala Lumpur–Trivandrum route to meet rising demand, the airline said. From September 12, the carrier will operate five weekly services, with daily flights to start from December 1.
IndiGo has expanded its codeshare agreement with KLM, the Netherlands’ national airline, providing its passengers with enhanced access to destinations across Europe and the United Kingdom through KLM’s network, the airline said.
Etihad Airways and Azul Brazilian Airlines have signed a frequent flyer partnership, allowing members of Etihad Guest and Azul Fidelidade programme to earn and redeem loyalty points across both airlines.