Jennifer Betten-Fox writes in her book 'In The Shade of Kanchenjunga', "Imagine a giant walking up the side of a steep mountain. Where once that giant put his feet, man was able to build the gardens of Darjeeling. The giant had paused a moment at Tukvar, enjoying the cooler air and the view of the snowy mountains and the footprint he left on the hillside was, the Lepchas thought, shaped like a fishook-Tak Var. Jennifer is one of our regular customers and grew up on this beautiful plantation which offers some magnificent and varied teas. This one will not disappoint with its subtle notes of almond and fruits. Tukvar is now known as Puttabong, except locally and lies 9kms to the north east of Darjeeling town in the West Valley. Planted in 1852 this was the first tea estate in the history of Darjeeling tea plantations. The tea estate stretches up to 6,500 ft. and covers over 22kms ending at the little Rungeet River. It is planted with chinese bushes and clonal tea stock especially developed to meet the agro-climatic conditions of the area. It was the first tea estate to fetch the world record price of £140Kg for its Antique Tea in 1992. It was also the first to receive ISO 9002 certificate in manufacturing, plantation and marketing. The garden employs 1,476 workers who are provided with all the amenities such as healthcare, housing and social upliftment. In March 1992, a Shiv-Gauri temple was built for worship by the local people. It also has the best Garden Hospital in Darjeeling.