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CBSE Revision Notes for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 7 Glimpses of India

CBSE Revision Notes for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 7 Glimpses of India

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 the 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.
Pranjoi
He is a friend and classmate of Rajvir. He belongs to Assam.

PART I A BAKER FROM GOA

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 a 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 writer 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 recalls the aroma of loaves that filled the air. The children would not even brush their teeth and ate 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 prepared sandwiches on the occasion of her daughter’s engagement and bolinhas would be prepared for Christmas and other festivals.

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 (means baker).

Bread Making – A Profitable Profession
The baker usually collected his bills at the end of the month. All the accounts were written on some 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.

Chapter Highlights

  1. The Portuguese in Goa were lovers of bread.
  2. Those eaters of bread have now gone but its makers still exist.
  3. During the childhood days of the narrator, a baker used to be their friend, companion and guide.
  4. The baker came twice a day- once in the morning and again while returning home after finishing his selling.
  5. The jingling thud of the baker’s bamboo woke up the sleeping children.
  6. The loaves were delivered to the servants of the house.
  7. The children would peep into the baker’s basket for the bread bangles.
  8. The children would eat bread with hot tea.
  9. The marriages were incomplete without the popular bol bread.
  10. Bolinhas was a must during Christmas and all other festivals.
  11. The bakers wore a particular knee length frock known as kabai.
  12. Baking was a profitable profession. Bakers had a plump physique testifying to this.
  13. The bakers collected their bills at the end of the month.

PART II COORG

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 bring 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.

Chapter Highlights

  1. Coorg or Kodagu, the smallest district of Karnataka, is a heavenly place.
  2. The best season to visit it is from September to March.
  3. The people living there are probably the descendants of Arabs or Greeks.
  4. Their culture is apparent in their martial traditions, marriages and religious rites.
  5. The Kodavus wear a long, black, embroidered coat called Kuppia.
  6. The Coorg Regiment is one of the most decorated regiments in the Indian Army.
  7. Kodavus are the only people in India permitted to carry firearms without a license.
  8. The river Kaveri begins from the hills and forests of Coorg.
  9. A variety of plants, birds and animals can be seen there.
  10. The place offers a number of adventure sports for the tourists.
  11. The Tibetan monks are amongst many surprises that can be seen there.

PART III TEA FROM ASSAM

Rajvir’s Visit to Assam
Rajvir and Pranjol are travelling to Assam by train as Pranjol has invited Rajvir to visit his home during the summer vacation. Rajvir is very excited to see the beautiful scenery of greenery and tea plantations outside. Rajvir tells Pranjol that over eighty crore cups of tea are drunk everyday throughout the world.

The Beautiful Tea Gardens
Rajvir looks at the scenery outside and is mesmerised by its beauty. The view from the train was also panoramic. There was greenery outside. The soft green paddy fields gave way to tea bushes. Tea bushes spread as far 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 leases accidentally fell into boiling water which the emperor tasted and liked, 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 ‘chai’ and ‘chini 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.

Chapter Highlights

  1. Pranjol and Rajvir were visiting Assam by train.
  2. Rajvir was busy looking at the beautiful scenery outside the train.
  3. It was green everywhere as far as the eye could see.
  4. The soft green paddy bushes gave way to tea bushes.
  5. Assam has the largest concentration of tea plantation in the world.
  6. The Chinese are said to have discovered tea.
  7. There is also an Indian legend saying that Bodhidharma discovered tea.
  8. From China, tea came to the European countries and then to Asian countries.
  9. Pranjol’s father managed Dhekiabari, a tea garden.
  10. There were many tea pluckers around the tea bushes.
  11. The best tea is obtained between May to July.

WORD MEANINGS
The given page nos. correspond to the pages in the prescribed textbook.
PART I

Word Meaning
PAGE 85

Reminiscing nostalgically

 Thinking fondly of the past
Loaves A quantity of bread that is shaped and baked in one piece and usually sliced
Vanished (here) Died
Mixers Persons kneading the flour
Moulders Persons giving bread a particular shape
Time tested Used for a long time
Furnace Hearth .
Extinguished Put out
Thud A dull and heavy sound
Jingle A light ringing sound
PAGE 86
Heralding Announcing
Staff Stick
Rebuke Disapproval or scolding
Fragrance Scent
PAGE 87
Feast Party
Prosperous Marked success or economic well-being
Plump physique Pleasantly fat body
open testimony Public statement about a character or quality

PART II

Word Meaning
PAGE 90

Drifted from

 Been carried along gently by air
Martial Having to do with war
Plantations An area planted with trees
Pours Rains heavily
Canopies The highest layer of branches in a forest
Prime (here) The best
Mainstream A tradition which most people follow
PAGE 91

Tales of valour

 Stories of courage and bravery usually in war
Hospitality Generous and friendly Ireatment of visitors and guests
Most decorated Having received maximum number of awards for bravery in war
Laidback Relaxed
Mahouts The keepers of elephants
Rafting Travelling in a river in a raft
Canoeing Travelling in a river in a canoe
Rappelling Going down a cliff by sliding down a rope
PAGE 92

Trails

 Paths created by walking
Panoramic view A view of a wide area of land
Misty Filled with fog
Landscape An area of land that has a particular guality or appearance
Ochre A moderate yellow-orange to orange colour

PART III

Word

Meaning
PAGE 94

Steaming

 Very hot
Buried his nose in Started reading
Ardent Keen
Backdrop Scenery at the back
Dwarfing Making something appear small
PAGE 95

Billowing

 A moving cloud or mass of smoke
Tea country Area where tea is grown
Legends A story from the past that is believed by many people but cannot be proved to be true.

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