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Glimpses of India Summary
A Baker From Goa Summary of the Lesson
Goa is very much influenced by the Portuguese. Their traditional work can be still seen there. The Portuguese are famous for preparing the loaves of bread. We can come across the makers of bread in Goa. The furnaces baking the bread still exist there.
It is a traditional family work and these bakers are known as pader in Goa. The writer tells about his childhood days in Goa when the baker used to be their friend.
He used to visit their house twice a day. In the morning his jingling sound of the bamboo woke them from sleep. They all ran to meet him. The loaves were purchased by the maidservant of the house. But they always ran to get bread bangles. Sometimes the baker had special sweet bread.
His entry created the ‘jhang-jhang’ sound from the bamboo. Through one hand the baker supported the basket on his head and the other hand banged the bamboo on the ground. After greeting the lady of the house by saying ‘Good morning’, the baker would place his basket. He had loaves for the elders’ and the bangles for the children. There used to come a typical fragrance from the loaves.
The villagers were much fond of the sweet bread known as ‘boll The marriage gifts were meaningless without it. So the bakers’ furnace in the village was the most essential thing.
The lady of the house prepared sandwiches on the occasion of her daughter’s engagement. Cakes and lbolinhas’ formed important items on various occasions like Christmas and other festivals.
In those days the bread-seller wore a particular dress known as ‘Kabai’. It was a single piece long frock up to the knees. Even today they can be seen wearing a half pant that reaches just below the knees. People usually comment that he is dressed like ‘a Pader’.
The baker would collect his bill at the end of the month.
They recorded their accounts on the wall in pencil. Baking was a profitable profession in old days. The baker and his family never starved and they looked happy and prosperous.
Coorg Summary of the Lesson
Coorg is situated midway between Mysore and the coastal town of Mangalore (now Mangaluru). It is a heaven on earth carried gently by the air with great efforts from the kingdom of God. Here one can find the martial men who have shown their valour in the war.
It is a home of evergreen forests, spices, coffee, wild animals and other kinds of shrubs. During the monsoon, it rains heavily and visitors fail to enjoy the perfect bliss of the earth. From September to March the weather is all embracing and the air breathes of invigorating coffee.
In prime comers one can see coffee estates and colonial bungalows. Coorg or Kodagu is the smallest district of Karnataka. Its people are possibly of Greek or Arabic descent. As the story goes on that a part of Alexander’s army moved south along the coast and settled here since the return became impossible.
So these people married the locals and adopted their rites. Even today we can see some differences from the Hindu mainstream in that place. There is another theory of Arab origin that the Kodagus wear black coat with an embroidered waist belt known as kuppia, it resembles the kuffia worn by the Arabs and the Kurds.
Coorgi homes are very hospitable. There are so many tales of valour related to their sons and fathers. The Coorg Regiment is famous in the Indian Army. General Cariappa, the first Chief of Indian Army was a Coorgi. Only the Kodagus are the people in India who are permitted to carry firearms without a licence. They are famous for showing utmost bravery before the enemy.
There flows the Kaveri river from the hills and forests of Coorg. Fish like Mahaseer and kingfishers etc. are abundant in these waters. Other creatures like squirrels, langurs and elephants enjoy the splash and ripple effect in the clear water.
The elephants can be seen bathing and their mahouts scrub them. The games like rafting, canoeing, rappelling, rock climbing, mountain biking and walking trails are favourite with the trekkers.
There one can enjoy the birds, bees, butterflies, Macqus, Malabar squirrels, langurs and slender loris are there to company us. The birds sit on the trees and keep a watchful eyes on the visitors.
The ride on the elephants is very joyous. One can enjoy a climb on the Brahmagiri hills. It provides a clear worth seeing view of Coorg. There one can see the rope bridge which leads to the sixty-four-acre island of Nisargadhama. Walking over this rope-bridge creates trembling sensations in, the body.
There one can come across India’s largest Tibetan colony. It is run by the Buddhist monks. It is near Bylakuppe. It is inhabited robes by monks who wear red, ochre and yellow robes. A number of visitors visit to discover the heart and soul of India in Coorg. One can reach there by reaching Madikeri.
It is the district headquarter. The misty hills, lush forests and coffee plantation will cast a spell on us. From Bangalore (now Bengaluru), Mysore and Mangalore one can reach Coorg by air and rail.
the rainy season. There is the smell of coffee in the air. The people of Coorg are martial men. These people are of Greek or Arabic descent. According to a legend, a part of Alexander’s army stopped and settled here. They married amongst the locals.
Their culture is seen in the martial traditions, marriage and religious rites, they are different from the Hindu mainstream.
These people wear a long black coat with an embroidered waist-belt. This is known as Kuppia and it resembles Kuffia that is worn by the Arabs and the Kurds.
They love traditions of hospitality and this quality makes them unique.
Tea from Assam Summary of the Lesson
Pranjol and Rajvir are class-fellows in Delhi. The parents of Pranjol are living in Assam. Pranjol’s father is a manager of a tea-garden in upper Assam. So Pranjol has invited Rajvir to visit Assam during the summer vacation. Both are in a train journey.
When the train stopped, the vendor called out ‘Chai garam… garam… chai”. Pranjol ordered for two cups of tea. Other passengers were also sipping tea in the compartment. Rajvir told that over eighty crore cups of tea are drunk daily in the world. The train proceeded onwards.
When they were traveling, they came to view a magnificent sight of tea bushes. There were tea plants like the stretch of the sea. They saw the tea plants in orderly rows and a smoke was coming out from a tall chimney of an ugly building. Rajvir was excited to see the tea-garden. Pranjol told that it is a tea country. Rajvir told some legends about tea.
There is a story of the Chinese emperor. He always boiled water before drinking. One day while boiling the water, a few leaves of the twigs fell into the water. It gave a delicious flavour. It is said that they were the tea-leaves.
According to one legend there was an ancient Bodhidharma, an Buddhist ascetic. He felt asleep while meditating. He did not like it and cut off his eyelids and threw them on the ground. Ten tea plants grew out of the eye-lids. When their leaves were put in hot water, the drink removed sleep.
Rajvir told that tea was first drunk in China. ‘Chai’ and ‘chini’ are from China. It was in the sixteenth century that tea came to Europe. That time it was used as medicine. Then the train reached into Mariani junction. The boys collected their luggage.
Pranjol’s parents took them in a car towards Dhekiabari. It was Pranjol’s fathers tea-garden. There were tea bushes on both sides of the road. Women were plucking the tea leaves in bamboo baskets. May to July are the best months of tea yielding.