EXPLANATION & SUMMARY

💠 Explanation

🌟 Introduction to the Lesson
Glimpses of India is a three-part prose lesson in Class 10 NCERT First Flight. It presents vivid portraits of Indian diversity through stories of bread-making in Goa, tea plantations in Assam, and the legend of Coorg. Each part blends history, culture, and natural beauty, offering students a window into India’s rich traditions.

📚 About the Authors
A Baker from Goa – Lucio Rodrigues, a Goan writer known for his essays about Goan life and traditions.
Coorg – Lokesh Abrol, a doctor and writer interested in culture and nature.
Tea from Assam – Arup Kumar Datta, a contemporary Indian writer famous for children’s and adventure stories.

💡 Setting / Context
The three parts are set in different regions of India: Goa with its Portuguese influence, Coorg in Karnataka with its coffee plantations and martial traditions, and Assam with its tea gardens. Together they highlight India’s regional diversity and common cultural pride.

🎭 Key Sections / Episodes
A Baker from Goa: Describes the traditional Portuguese-influenced bread-making culture. Bakers or padeiros were central to social life, and their bread was an important part of festivals, marriages, and daily meals.

Coorg: A travel sketch of Coorg, famous for its coffee plantations, natural beauty, and courageous people. The Kodavus are described as hospitable, brave, and possibly of Greek or Arab descent. The region’s flora, fauna, and river Kaveri add to its charm.

Tea from Assam: A travelogue where two friends, Rajvir and Pranjol, journey to Assam. Rajvir explains the history of tea—its discovery in China and spread to Europe and India. The lush tea plantations of Assam form the backdrop.

🖋️ Tone, Style, and Devices
The tone is descriptive, cultural, and informative. Devices include local colour (depicting each region vividly), anecdotes (tea legend, Coorg history), and imagery (lush plantations, forested hills). The language is simple yet evocative.

🕊️ Themes and Takeaways
Cultural Diversity: India’s regions have unique traditions, yet all contribute to its richness.
Heritage and Tradition: Goa’s bread, Coorg’s martial traditions, and Assam’s tea are cultural treasures.
Nature and Livelihood: Land and resources shape people’s lives and economies.
Hospitality and Pride: Each story highlights the warmth, courage, and pride of Indians.

💠 Summary
Glimpses of India is a three-part lesson celebrating India’s diversity. In “A Baker from Goa” by Lucio Rodrigues, the traditional role of bakers or padeiros is described, showing how bread is central to Goan culture and celebrations. In “Coorg” by Lokesh Abrol, the natural beauty, coffee plantations, and brave, hospitable people of Coorg are highlighted. In “Tea from Assam” by Arup Kumar Datta, the story follows Rajvir and Pranjol on a journey through Assam’s tea gardens, blending travel description with the history and legends of tea. Together, these pieces show India’s cultural richness and the importance of tradition, nature, and hospitality.

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PASSAGE

PASSAGE
“The baker or bread-seller of those days had a peculiar dress known as the kabai — a single-piece long frock reaching down to the knees. During our childhood, we often used to wake up early in the morning at the jingling thud of his bamboo. The baker’s bamboo always announced his arrival. The children would run to greet him, not for the loaves of bread, but for the bread-bangles he carried for them.”

💠 (Short Answer – 30 words)
What was the baker’s dress called and how did he announce his arrival?
Answer: The baker wore a long single-piece frock called a kabai. He announced his arrival by thudding and jingling his bamboo on the ground.

💠 (Multiple Choice)
Why did children run to greet the baker?
A. To buy loaves of bread
B. To buy cakes
C. To receive bread-bangles
D. To collect money
Answer: C. To receive bread-bangles

💠 (Fill in the blank)
The baker’s kabai was a long frock reaching down to the __.
Answer: knees

💠 (Fill in the blank)
The jingling sound of the baker’s __ announced his arrival.
Answer: bamboo

💠 (Assertion and Reason)
Assertion (A): Children ran to greet the baker for his loaves of bread.
Reason (R): They loved the sweet bread-bangles he carried for them.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
B. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
C. A is false, but R is true.
D. Both A and R are false.
Answer: C. A is false, but R is true.

💠 (Short Answer – 30 words)
What role did the baker play in Goan society, as shown in this passage?
Answer: The baker was central to daily life and celebrations, symbolising tradition and joy, especially for children who eagerly awaited his bread-bangles.

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OTHER QUESTIONS: –

🔴 Q1. Who wrote the part “A Baker from Goa” in Glimpses of India?
🔵 Answer: Lucio Rodrigues.

🔴 Q2. What is the traditional dress of a Goan baker called?
🔵 Answer: The kabai, a single-piece frock reaching down to the knees.

🔴 Q3. Who is the author of the part “Coorg”?
🔵 Answer: Lokesh Abrol.

🔴 Q4. Which river originates from Coorg?
🔵 Answer: The River Kaveri.

🔴 Q5. What is Coorg popularly called and why?
🔵 Answer: It is called “the land of coffee” because of its vast coffee plantations.

🔴 Q6. Who are the people of Coorg said to be descended from?
🔵 Answer: They are believed to be of Greek or Arab descent.

🔴 Q7. Who wrote the part “Tea from Assam”?
🔵 Answer: Arup Kumar Datta.

🔴 Q8. Who are the two friends travelling to Assam in the lesson?
🔵 Answer: Rajvir and Pranjol.

🔴 Q9. What did Rajvir tell Pranjol about the discovery of tea?
🔵 Answer: Rajvir narrated Chinese and Indian legends that described how tea was discovered by accident.

🔴 Q10. How was the baker regarded as important in Goan villages?
🔵 Answer: The baker was central to social life; bread was essential at weddings, festivals, and daily meals, symbolising Portuguese influence in Goan culture.

🔴 Q11. Describe the people of Coorg as highlighted in the lesson.
🔵 Answer: The Coorgi people are hospitable, courageous, and martial in tradition. They are known for their warm nature, love of independence, and bravery in the Indian armed forces.

🔴 Q12. How do the lush tea gardens of Assam appear in the lesson?
🔵 Answer: The tea plantations are described as sea-like, stretching endlessly, with orderly rows of tea bushes and workers plucking fresh leaves, symbolising Assam’s natural beauty and economy.

🔴 Q13. What is the central message of Glimpses of India?
🔵 Answer: The lesson highlights India’s cultural and natural diversity through Goa’s traditions, Coorg’s martial and hospitable culture, and Assam’s tea heritage, showing the richness and unity in India’s diversity.

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