The monsoons have just arrived, and Pothia is already a veritable wonderland. Clusters of jackfruit hang from trees, ready to ripen. Succulent gourds dangle from meshes of wiry branches. Green pineapples glisten, awaiting the yellow of maturity. Jute plants are a mutinous green. The last of the ripened corn fields are ready to be harvested. And nimble fingers work on manicured patches of tea bushes with practised ease. The Dauk river (also called Dahuk and Doke) meanders unhurriedly, adding to the languid beauty of Bihar’s Kishanganj district on the state’s northeast edge, bordered by West Bengal on the east and Nepal on the north.

Pothia comes after a drive of an hour-and-a-half (about 80 km) southwards from Bagdogra airport. A narrow, bumpy road veering off just before Islampur leads us through the lush Pothia landscape to Doke Tea garden.

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