HERMONS ON THE MOUNT

Cheers to Lt. General Man Raj Singh Mann, Pratap Rai, Rajah Banerjee and Sonam Wangyal

Three Hemonites (ex-students of Mt. Hermon School, Darjeeling) of the ‘60s have almost simultaneously launched three books in three days this week. And all of them are known public figures in our region.

   Lieutenant General Man Raj Singh Mann, GOC (General Officer Commanding) of 33 Corps based in Sukna/Siliguri, who was the Guest of Honour, released Dr. Pratap Singh Rai’s book, “The Little Rungeet of Darjeeling: On Its Other Side” at Surya Grand Hotel (owned and run by a Hermonite of 1971 batch, Surender Pal Singh Lamba) in Siliguri on Sunday (Jan 10, 2026) amidst a packed audience of Hermonites from Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Kurseong, Jalpaiguri, Sikkim and Siliguri.

   Apart from the book release, the highlight of the function was the presence of two distinguished personalities – Lt. General Mann, a Hermonite of the early ‘80s, and Darjeeling’s tea icon, Rajah Banerjee, once the proud owner of Kurseong’s world-renowned Makaibari Tea Estate. While Banerjee began his schooling in Goethals Memorial School, Kurseong, he did his Higher Senior Cambridge (HSC) from Mt. Hermon in mid-1960s.

   On January 11, Siliguri saw another book launch by another Hermonite of the late 1960s. The launch of 1968 batch Hermonite, Sonam B. Wangyal’s book, “Darjeeling to Distant Destinations”, is yet another feather in his cap.  The book reminisces the author’s travels to distant lands such as Africa, South America and Southeast Asia. A medical doctor by profession and a writer by passion, Sonam’s earlier books include “Sikkim and Darjeeling: Division and Deception” and “Footprint in the Himalaya”.

   Rajah Banerjee needs no introduction to Darjeeling and its adjoining areas. As the owner of his ancestral Makaibari Tea Estate, he “holds the world record for the most expensive tea ever sold in wholesale auction, at Rs. 1.11 lakh per kilogram.” He is also credited with having planted close to 2 million trees at Makaibari, owned by his family since 1859 till 2017. No wonder he likes to be known as a “tea planter” as well as a “tree planter”.

   Rajah’s book, “Chai Time”, launched in Kolkata on January 12, 2026, will surely be an interesting read.

Cheers to all Hermonites wherever you are and Hail, Mt. Hermon!s