Glimpses of India

"Glimpses of India" is a collection of three short travel-style prose pieces in the NCERT Class 10 First Flight textbook. The three parts are: A Baker from Goa by Lucio Rodrigues, Coorg by Lokesh Abrol, and Tea from Assam by Arup Kumar Datta. Together, they celebrate the rich regional cultures, traditions, and landscapes of India through vivid personal narratives.

This piece is a nostalgic account of the traditional Goan bread-maker, known as the pader. The narrator recalls the rhythmic sound of the baker's bamboo staff that would wake up the village every morning. Bakers were an essential part of Goan culture, introduced by the Portuguese colonisers.

• Key vocabulary: pader (baker), bread-bangles (special ring-shaped breads), kabai (a shirt-like garment worn by bakers)
• Bakers held a respected and prosperous position in Goan society.
• Even after the Portuguese left, the tradition of bread-making continued.
• The bread was essential at marriages, feasts, and festivals.

Coorg (Kodagu) is described as a small district nestled in the Western Ghats of Karnataka. It is known for its coffee plantations, forests, rivers, and brave people. The narrator calls it the land of rolling hills and mist.

• The Kodava people are known for their martial traditions and hospitality.
• The River Kaveri originates here.
• Coorg is a hub for wildlife including elephants and kingfishers.
• The Brahmagiri hills offer excellent trekking.
• Coorg people claim descent from Alexander the Great's army.

Two friends, Pranjol and Rajvir, travel by train through Assam's tea gardens. Rajvir shares facts about the history of tea drinking.

• Tea was first drunk in China around 2700 BC.
• The legend says the Chinese Emperor Shen Nungn discovered tea accidentally.
• An Indian legend links tea to a Buddhist monk who used tea leaves to stay awake during meditation.
• Assam produces the largest quantity of tea in India.
• A tea estate has a plucking shed and processing factory.

Example 1: Why were bakers important in Goa?
Bakers were essential to Goan culture because bread was required at every celebration — weddings, feasts, and festivals. The narrator says the baker and his family were always prosperous, as indicated by their plump physique.

Example 2: What sounds marked the baker's arrival?
The baker announced his arrival with the jingling of his specially shaped bamboo staff on the ground. Children would run to buy bread, and the baker would leave a basket of bread at each house.

Example 3: Why is Coorg called a 'piece of heaven'?
Coorg is surrounded by forested hills, coffee and spice plantations, and is the source of the River Kaveri. The region's natural beauty, cool weather, and lush greenery give it an almost paradisiacal character.

Example 4: What martial tradition do the Kodavas follow?
The Kodava people are the only ethnic group in India allowed to carry firearms without a licence. They have a long tradition of military service and value bravery.

Example 5: What are the two legends about the origin of tea?
The first legend is Chinese: Emperor Shen Nungn was boiling water when leaves from a nearby tree fell in. The second is Indian: a Buddhist monk named Bodhidharma cut off his eyelids to stay awake; tea plants grew from where the eyelids fell.

Example 6: What is the difference between 'first flush' and 'second flush' tea?
First flush refers to the first plucking of tea leaves in spring, which produces a delicate flavour. Second flush, plucked in May-June, produces a more mature, amber-coloured tea.

Example 7: How does the narrator feel about Goa's baking tradition?
The narrator feels deep nostalgia. He recalls fondly how the baker's visit was a daily ritual that shaped his childhood. Despite Portuguese rule ending, this tradition survived, symbolising cultural continuity.