India, Nov. 3 -- I've never understood what wellness centres have against my favourite beverage. Maybe I'm happier not knowing it. The last time I stayed at a detox facility, the withdrawal symptoms drove me crazy by the second day. My husband salvaged the trip by travelling all the way to sneak in my favourite tea-bags; I was reminded of ecstatic kids when tuck was smuggled into their boarding schools. His act of compassion has been favourably recorded in the annals of marriage. Truly, the tea tradition, in all its diverse forms, can claim to be the organiser-in-chief of lives of a large part of humanity. Be it black, green, white, oolong, blended, flavoured, herbal or another - it kickstarts the circadian rhythm of the body at sunrise. The mid-morning tea-breaks, at work or home, are no less than a maternal hug. There is absolutely no replacement for a relaxed evening cuppa that gives a fresh lease of life to the remains of the day. Some varieties of tea are eye-opening. My first encounter with matcha was at my son's apartment in San Diego. I noticed a tray with a bamboo whisker, an exquisite bowl, a sleek spoon and small sieve on the kitchen counter top. His flatmate, a matcha aficionado, told me that they were called the chasen, chawan and chashaku in Japanese, respectively. My son later drove me to the picturesque Tea Pavilion at the Balboa Park for an exotic Japanese tea experience. Matcha powder is now dusting its way through ice-creams, bakes, drinks, lattes and condiments in the West. Green is in. While the process of making different teas is complex, none lays it bare like the 'living museum' at the Lockhart Tea Factory, the oldest plantation in Kerala (1857) situated on the misty mountains of Munnar. Its quaint, non-fussy and well-ordered ambience quietly alerts the visitor to the regal lineage of tea. The accidental drifting of the leaves of camellia sinensis plant into a pot of hot water noticed by Chinese emperor Shen Nong was no mean discovery. In terms of historical sentiment, it's for sure, a red-letter day for tea-lovers. Thereafter, there has been no stopping the seductive leverage of the beverage. From nursery rhymes to opium wars to the American War of Independence, its aromatic clout has been in constant play. How else would the Boston Tea Party finally succeed in loosening the British tax grip over the New World? My thoughts have been set rolling by an exquisite gift I recently received - an ornate Basilur tea-book container with pure Ceylon black tea. I haven't had the heart to tear it open, let alone drink it. Teaholics will agree that be it plucking, pruning, crushing/rolling, steaming/drying, packaging, offering and sharing, every step in the process is an expression of expertise and passion. Be it the 'kadak' masala tea with lip-smacking pakodas or samosas on a monsoon afternoon, the Zen Japanese cha-no-yu ritual, or the Savoy style aromatic sips from elegant crockery with sandwiches, cakes and scones, tea drinking is a ceremony of bonhomie, an intoxicating work of art. TGFT - Thank God for Tea....