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In pictures: Album photographs of Glenburn Tea Estate’s luxury boutique hotel

A pictorial journey — from a tea planter’s bungalow to luxury boutique hotel — two-and-a half-decade long

Karo Christine Kumar Published 09.08.22, 08:15 PM
A photograph of The Burra Bungalow at Glenburn Tea Estate from 1997, before the building was restored into the luxury boutique hotel that it is today. The idea was inspired by French wineries that have chateaus for visitors to reside in. Only this one, near Darjeeling, would offer tea and tea experiences! Glenburn is sprawled across 1,600 acres, of which 780 acres is tea plantation and the rest is villages and reserved forest
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A photograph of The Burra Bungalow at Glenburn Tea Estate from 1997, before the building was restored into the luxury boutique hotel that it is today. The idea was inspired by French wineries that have chateaus for visitors to reside in. Only this one, near Darjeeling, would offer tea and tea experiences! Glenburn is sprawled across 1,600 acres, of which 780 acres is tea plantation and the rest is villages and reserved forest

Courtesy Glenburn Tea Estate
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Started by a Scottish tea company in 1859, Glenburn passed into the hands of one of India’s leading tea planting families — The Prakashes — in 2001. They have, over the years, come to be known as the “Chaiwala family”. Seen here are Husna-Tara Prakash and husband Anshuman during the restoration years, reading The Telegraph
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Started by a Scottish tea company in 1859, Glenburn passed into the hands of one of India’s leading tea planting families — The Prakashes — in 2001. They have, over the years, come to be known as the “Chaiwala family”. Seen here are Husna-Tara Prakash and husband Anshuman during the restoration years, reading The Telegraph

Courtesy Glenburn Tea Estate
The restoration work began in 2002. Layers of paint and plywood were stripped to reveal the original structure, and everything from old cast iron window frames to the antique furniture was restored
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The restoration work began in 2002. Layers of paint and plywood were stripped to reveal the original structure, and everything from old cast iron window frames to the antique furniture was restored

Courtesy Glenburn Tea Estate
Australian Bronwyn Latif (left) found herself at Glenburn and fell in love with the place. An interior designer based in Delhi, Latif worked closely with Husna-Tara (right) to restore the grandeur of the bungalows
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Australian Bronwyn Latif (left) found herself at Glenburn and fell in love with the place. An interior designer based in Delhi, Latif worked closely with Husna-Tara (right) to restore the grandeur of the bungalows

Courtesy Glenburn Tea Estate
The main verandah of The Burra Bungalow offers a sweeping view of the Kanchenjunga range. It was restored in 2002 (left) conserving the style of a colonial planters’ bungalow, and retains the look two decades later (right) down to the fresh flowers and rattan chairs
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The main verandah of The Burra Bungalow offers a sweeping view of the Kanchenjunga range. It was restored in 2002 (left) conserving the style of a colonial planters’ bungalow, and retains the look two decades later (right) down to the fresh flowers and rattan chairs

Courtesy Glenburn Tea Estate, Karo Christine Kumar
Brew with a view! The working tea estate produces some of the finest tea in the country. But that’s not the only thing that’s not changed. Here are pictures of one of Bronwyn's creations, a ‘tea table’ in the main verandah, photographed in (far left) 1997 and (far right) 2022, maintaining the look of a ‘planter’s bungalow’ with exact detailing
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Brew with a view! The working tea estate produces some of the finest tea in the country. But that’s not the only thing that’s not changed. Here are pictures of one of Bronwyn's creations, a ‘tea table’ in the main verandah, photographed in (far left) 1997 and (far right) 2022, maintaining the look of a ‘planter’s bungalow’ with exact detailing

Courtesy Glenburn Tea Estate
An album photo of the interiors of a guest room, with hand-written notes about the bed skirting and curtain hooks. "This is how we would communicate when Bronwyn was in Delhi and I was on site," says Husna-Tara
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An album photo of the interiors of a guest room, with hand-written notes about the bed skirting and curtain hooks. "This is how we would communicate when Bronwyn was in Delhi and I was on site," says Husna-Tara

Courtesy Glenburn Tea Estate
A picture of the Glenburn staff from the early years. On the far right is Sabin Mukhia, who is a third-generation Glenburn resident, now the head chef at the plantation retreat. He was born and brought up in Shikari Dura, one of the eight villages in Glenburn. His grandfather Bikram laid the foundation of the gardens around the Burra Bungalow
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A picture of the Glenburn staff from the early years. On the far right is Sabin Mukhia, who is a third-generation Glenburn resident, now the head chef at the plantation retreat. He was born and brought up in Shikari Dura, one of the eight villages in Glenburn. His grandfather Bikram laid the foundation of the gardens around the Burra Bungalow

Courtesy Glenburn Tea Estate
The story of Glenburn is incomplete without mentioning the snow-fed Himalayan rivers Rangeet and its tributary Rundung Khola. The waters flow through the 1,000 acres of private forest that are part of the tea estate, and the confluence is believed to be a spawning ground of the prized Golden Mahseer
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The story of Glenburn is incomplete without mentioning the snow-fed Himalayan rivers Rangeet and its tributary Rundung Khola. The waters flow through the 1,000 acres of private forest that are part of the tea estate, and the confluence is believed to be a spawning ground of the prized Golden Mahseer

Courtesy Glenburn Tea Estate
The hotel as we see it today in the lap of luxury. The Water Lily Bungalow, with four more suites, was added in 2008 to keep up with demand
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The hotel as we see it today in the lap of luxury. The Water Lily Bungalow, with four more suites, was added in 2008 to keep up with demand

Karo Christine Kumar
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