Chapter 7 of Class 10 English textbook, First Flight, is a prose piece titled Glimpses of India. It contains three tales about various tourist destinations in India that draw people from all over the country for their original culture and specialised merchandise. Here is a synopsis of the text in the form of CBSE English Notes for Class 10. Students enrolled in CBSE Class 10 may get a prose summary of Glimpses of India here. Additionally, they may consult the CBSE Class 10 English Prose Notes – Glimpses of India while they prepare for their Board examinations.
CBSE Class 10 English notes will assist students in studying the topic thoroughly and clearly.
These CBSE Class 10 English notes were written by subject experts who made the study material very basic, both in terms of language and format.
A BAKER FROM GOA BY LUCIO RODRIGUES
This section is a pen-portrait of a traditional Goan village baker or pader, who continues to play an important role in the culture of Goa.
In Goa, there was a time when the Portuguese were in charge.
The Portuguese used to be known for their bread loaves back in the day. Although the Portuguese left Goa a long time ago, traditional bakers and their furnaces (a baking machine) remain.
Mixers, moulders, and bakers can still be found in Goa. In some places, the sound of the baker’s bamboo can still be heard. Bakers are known as pader, and they continue to practise traditional baking methods.
During the Narrator’s Childhood, the Narrator’s Grandfather was a traditional baker.
The narrator reflects on his upbringing in Goa. When the baker was their companion, friend, and guide. He paid them two visits per day. Once in the morning while selling his bread, and once in the evening when all of his bread had been sold. The baker would arrive with a jingling bamboo stick that would wake everyone up. When the children heard the sound, they dashed to meet the baker. They dashed to get the sweet bread bread-bangles that had been specially made for them.
Arrival of the Baker
On his head, the baker supported the bread basket. His one hand held the basket while his other banged the bamboo stick against the ground. When the baker arrived, he would greet the lady of the house with a ‘Good Morning.’ The loaves would be delivered to the maid servant while the children were pushed aside. The children refused to brush their teeth and instead ate bread bangles with tea.
Bread’s Importance in Traditional Ceremonies
The sweet bread known as bol was an essential part of any wedding or festival. The lady of the house made sandwiches for her daughter’s engagement party. Christmas and other festivals necessitated the consumption of cakes and bolinhas.
Monthly Accounts and Baker’s Clothes
In Goa, the baker wore a unique outfit known as Kabai. It was a long, single-piece gown that came down to his knees. Bakers wore shirts that were shorter than full-length and longer than half-pants when the narrator was a child. Even today, anyone who dares to walk down the street in half-pants is labelled a pader (baker). The baker’s bills were usually collected at the end of the month. The baker’s monthly accounts were once written in pencil on a wall.
Baking : A Profitable Profession
Baking used to be a lucrative profession. The family and servants of a baker were always content and prosperous. Their physical appearance demonstrated that a baker and his family were never hungry.
Overview of the Chapter
The narrator shows a pen-portrait of a traditional Goan village baker who still plays an important role in society in this section. The old Portuguese traditions are still alive and well in the state, as this chapter demonstrates. Baking is an important part of Goan culture, as evidenced by the traditional cakes and breads baked for important occasions and festivals.
II.COORG by Lokesh Abrol
This section is a pen-portrait of Coorg, a coffee-growing region. It’s also known for its spices and rain forests.
A Heaven called Coorg
Coorg, also known as Kodagu, is Karnataka’s smallest district. It is located halfway between Mysore and Mangalore on the coast. It’s like a little piece of heaven on Earth. It’s a land of rolling stones populated by warriors, beautiful women, and wild animals.
Coorg’s Climate and Environment
It is made up of evergreen forests, coffee plantations, and spice plantations. This small heaven receives a lot of rain during the monsoon season.
As a result, the best time to visit Coorg is from September to March. During these months, the weather is pleasant, and the aroma of coffee pervades the air. The forests are dotted with coffee estates and colonial bunglows.
The Coorg People’s Origins
Coorg’s people are thought to be descended from Greeks and Arabs. When Alexander’s army was unable to return to their homeland, it is thought that they moved south along the coast and settled there. These people married among the locals, and their martial traditions, marriages, and religious rites bear witness to their culture.
The Kuppia is a long black coat with an embroidered waist belt worn by the Kodavus (Coorg residents). It is similar to the Kuffia worn by Arabs and Kurds.
Tales of Kodavus’ Hospitality and Bravery
The Kodavus are known for their friendliness. The people of Coorg are the subject of many bravery stories. The Coorg Regiment is one of the Indian Army’s most decorated regiments.
General Cariappa, the first Chief of the Indian Army, was a coorgi. Only Kodavus are permitted to carry firearms without a licence in India.
Coorg’s River Kaveri and Wildlife
The river Kaveri originates in Coorg’s hills. Mahaseer, a large freshwater fish, can be found in abundance in the river’s waters. Kingfishers dive for fish in the river. Squirrels, langurs, and other animals can also be found here. Elephants enjoy having their mahouts bathe and scrub them in the river.
Coorg is a popular tourist destination.
River rafting, canoeing, rappelling, rock climbing, mountain biking, and trekking are just a few of the adventurous activities available in Coorg. Birds, bees, butterflies, Macaques, Malabar squirrels, and other wildlife pique our interest.
Climbing the Brahmagiri hills provides a panoramic view of the entire Coorg region. The Nisargadhame and Bylakuppe, the world’s largest Tibetan Buddhist monk settlement, are also worth visiting. Monks dressed in red, ochre, and yellow robes live in this settlement.
Getting to Coorg
Coorg is accessible by road and rail. If flying is favoured, the closest airports are Bangalore and Mangalore. Bangalore is about 250-260 kilometres away by road.
Overview of the Chapter
This section is about Coorg, which is located between Mysore and Mangalore on the coast. Evergreen forests, spices, and coffee plantations can all be found here. This land is home to a proud race of warriors, beautiful women, and wild animals.
lt is also known as the land of rolling hills.
TEA FROM ASSAM by Arup Kumar Datta
This section is about Assam’s tea plantations.
Summary of Pranjol and Rajvir Visit to Assam
Pranjol and Rajvir were classmates at the same Delhi high school. Pranjol was born in Assam, and his father worked as the manager of a tea plantation there. During the summer vacation, he had invited Rajvir to come to his house. As a result, they were both taking a train to Assam. They bought tea from a vendor and began sipping it when the train came to a stop at a station.
Tea and tea gardens are very popular.
Rajvir told Pranjol that over 80 crore cups of tea are consumed every day around the world while sipping tea. As a result, it is a very popular beverage.
Rajvir peered out the window as the train began to whine. Outside, he was astounded by the beautiful scenery of grenery. Tea bushes replaced the soft rice fields. Rajvir was enthralled by the vast expanse of tea bushes.
Pranjol, on the other hand, was engrossed in his detective novel. Pranjol was born and raised on a tea plantation, so he wasn’t as enthusiastic. He did tell Rajvir, however, that Assam has the world’s highest concentration of tea plantations.
Rajvir’s Tea Expertise
There are many legends or stories about the discovery of tea, Rajvir told Pranjol. According to legend, a Chinese emperor discovered tea while boiling water for drinking, when a few leaves from the twigs (stems) burning underneath the pot fell into the water. As a result, the boiled water acquired a delectable flavour. They were thought to be tea leaves.
Tea was first consumed in China in 2700 BC, according to Rajvir, and words like ‘tea,’ ‘chai,’ and ‘chini’ are also Chinese. He also mentioned that tea was first introduced to Europe in the sixteenth century as a medicine rather than a beverage.
Another Indian legend claims that the ancient Buddhist monk Bodhidharma cut off his eyelids because he felt sleepy during meditations. His eyelids sprouted ten tea plantations. When the leaves of these plants were steeped in hot water and drunk, it was thought that they would ward off sleep.
Dhekiabari Tea Plantation is a tea plantation in Dhekiabari, India.
Rajvir and Pranjol arrived at Mariani Junction, where they were met by Pranjol’s parents. They travelled by car to Dhekiabari, Pranjol’s father’s tea estate.
Tea bushes covered vast swaths of land on both sides of the road. Tea pluckers wore plastic aprons and carried bamboo baskets on their backs to pluck the newly sprouted leaves.
Rajvir informed Pranjol’s father that it was the second flush, or sprouting season, based on the tea-pluckers. He also informed him that the best tea is produced during this season, which runs from May to July.
Overview of the Chapter
This chapter discussed Assam, which has the world’s highest concentration of tea plantations. Through a dialogue between two school students, Rajveer and Pranjol, the narrator attempted to explain the importance of tea in the country.