Chapter Sketch
The chapter ‘Glimpses of India’ consists of three parts 1 ‘A Baker from Goa’ by Lucio Rodrigues 2. ‘Coorg’ by Lokesh Abrol 3. ‘Tea from Assam’ by Arup Kumar Datta The first part is a pen-portrait of a traditional Goan village baker or pader who still has an important place in Goan culture although the Portuguese have left India long back. The second part is a pen-portrait of Coorg, which is a coffee country, famous for its rain forests and spices. The third part is about the tea plantations in Assam.
About the Characters
Part III
Tea from Assam
Rajvir
He is a youngster from Delhi. He is a person who is always excited to learn about new things.
Pranjol
He is a friend and classmate of Rajvir. He belongs to Assam.
PART I
A Baker from Goa
Summary of the Chapter
Bread Making in Goa
This is a pen-portrait of the traditional Goan village baker, who is still remembered by Goans. Bread making started from the Portuguese days. They were the lovers of bread. Bread making was an art which needed perfection. Mixing, moulding and baking were the areas of specialisation of making bread. The loaves were baked in time tested furnaces. This profession has been continued by the baker’s descendants.
The Author’s Childhood Days Recalled
The author remembers his childhood days when the baker used to be their friend, companion and guide. He used to visit twice a day, once in the morning during his selling hours and then again while returning after selling all his bread. The jingling thud of the bamboo, he carried, woke them up in the morning and they ran to meet and greet him. They ran for getting the bread-bangles, which were a specially made sweet bread.
Delivering the Loaves
As the baker came, he would call out the lady of the house and wish her ‘Good Morning’. The children would be pushed aside and the loaves would be delivered to the maid servant. The author re.calls the aroma of loaves that filled the air. The children would not even brush their teeth and ate bread bangles made of bread with tea.
Importance of Bread in Traditional Ceremonies
The various kinds of bread were very important for all occasions. No marriage was complete until and unless the traditional bol was served. The lady of the house on the occasion of her daughter’s engagement would prepare sandwiches and bolinhas would be prepared for Christmas and other festivals. (bol and bolinhas are the varieties of bread)
The Baker’s Dress
The baker was usually dressed in a kabai, a long frock reaching down to the knees or a shirt and a trousers which were shorter than full-length ones and longer than half pants. Even today if anyone dares to go out in the streets wearing half pants, he is referred to as a pader (baker).
Bread Making -A Profitable Profession
The baker usually collected his hills at the end of the month. All the accounts were written on a wall in the premises with a pencil. It was a profitable profession during those days because Portuguese were lovers of fresh baked loaves. The baker, his family members and his servants looked prosperous and happy.
Part-2
Coorg – A Heavenly Place
Coorg district of Karnataka lies between the towns of Mysore and Mangalore. It is like a heaven on Earth. It is inhabited by martial men, beautiful women and wild creatures.
Weather and Environment of Coorg
It is the smallest district of Karnataka. It consists of evergreen forests, spices and coffee plantations. The best season to visit Coorg starts in September and continues upto March. The weather in Coorg is pleasant during those months.
People of Coorg
The people here are possibly of Greek or Arabic descent. According to a legend, Alexander’s army moved South along the coast and settled there only when they were unable to return to their country. These people married among the locals and their culture can be witnessed by their martial traditions, marriages and religious rites. The Kodavus (residents of Coorg) wear a long black coat with an embroidered waist belt. Known as Kuppia, it resembles Kuffia worn by the Arabs and the Kurds.
Bravery Tales of Coorg
Coorg people are well-known for their bravery. The Coorg Regiment is one of the most decorated regiments of the Indian Army. General Cariappa, the first Indian Army Chief, was a Coorgi. Even today, only the Kodavus are permitted to carry firearms without a licence.
Wildlife in Coorg
Coorg is home to a large number of wild animals and birds. Mahaseer, a large freshwater fish, is found here. Kingfishers, squirrels and langurs live without any fear. Wild elephants enjoy being bathed and scrubbed in the river by their mahouts. The river Kaveri gets its water from the hills of Coorg.
Coorg — A Tourist Place
Even the laziest tourists become adventurous on coming to Coorg as it is full of adventure sports like river rafting, canoeing, rock climbing etc. The climb to Brahmagiri hills brings smiles to many faces as one can see the panoramic view of Coorg from there.
Nature at its Best
India’s largest Tibetan settlement at Bylakuppe is inhabited by monks in red, ochre and yellow robs. There are many more surprises waiting at Coorg for the tourists to discover.
Reaching Coorg
Coorg can be reached by road and by rail. If one prefers to go by air, then the nearest airports are Bangalore and Mangalore. By road, it is around 250-260 km from Bangalore.
Part-3
The Beautiful Tea Gardens
Rajvir 1,,k, a, the scenery outside and is mesmerised by Is beauty. ‘I he view trum the train was also panoramic (0 wide view). -r was greenery outside. The soft green paddy fields gave way to tea bushes. Tea bushes spread as tar as the eye could see. Legends about Discovery of Tea There are many legends about the discovery of tea. The Chinese legend says that when a few tea leaves accidentally fell into boiling water which the emperor tasted and liked, and tea making started. Indian legend tells that a Buddhist monk cut off his eyelids because he felt sleepy during meditations. Ten tea plants grew out of these eyelids. The leaves of these plants when put in hot water and drunk, drove away sleep.
Chinese—the Tea Lovers
Rajvir told Pranjol that tea was first drunk in China. Words like `char and ‘chilli’ are of Chinese origin.
From China, it spread to Europe and then to Asia. Earlier tea was drunk more as a medicine than as a beverage.
Dhekiabari
The boys alighted at Mariani junction. Soon, they were driving towards Dhekiabari, the tea garden managed by Pranjol’s father. Groups of tea pluckers, with bamboo baskets on their backs and wearing plastic aprons, plucking the newly sprouted leaves, could be seen everywhere. The best tea is obtained during the period of May to July.