Sinna Dorais Bungalows Balance Comfort and Old World Charm

Tea time on the lawn at Sinna Dorais Bungalows. Photo by Preetam Koilpillai Narrated tour by Aravinda Anantharaman Sinna Dorai is how assistant managers were addressed on turn-of-the-century tea estates in south India: Dorai would have been the manager, and Sinna Dorai loosely translates to 'small manager.' At three estates owned by the Murugappa Group - in

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Writer, editor, columnist, tea reporter, and running Copac Media, a creative consultancy. Her interests are history and literature, and their influence on contemporary society. Aravinda has published with Penguin Random House (India).

2 Comments

  1. Indi Khanna
    on August 3, 2025 at 7:22 pm •Reply

    There is a book in the bungalow which is a must read while there – Tea Totum written by a gentleman (Richard Benson) who was an S.D. on Kadamane, when the estate was being planted. An absolutely brilliant, at times interestingly tongue in cheek narrative.

  2. [email protected]
    on September 1, 2025 at 12:55 am •Reply

    I did read Tea Totum, Indi! Good stuff, indeed!

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