Chapter 5 — Glimpses of India

It is a pen-portrait of a traditional Goan village baker (pader) and his role in Goan society. The piece describes how the baker, using age-old furnaces and a distinctive bamboo staff that made 'jhang, jhang' sounds, delivered loaves and bread-bangles. Children eagerly awaited his arrival twice daily. The baker was essential for Goan life—marriage gifts included sweet bread (bol), Christmas required cakes and bolinhas, and engagement celebrations needed sandwiches. The profession was profitable; bakers and their families looked happy and prosperous.

Paders are traditional Goan bakers who carry forward Portuguese-influenced bread-making traditions. In Goa, they are simply called 'pader'. They still exist today, with some fathers passing the profession to sons. Historically, they wore a single-piece long frock called the kabai reaching to the knees; later versions were shorter pants (between half pants and full-length). Even today, anyone wearing knee-length half pants is humorously compared to a pader.

The baker sold two main products: loaves of bread bought by servants for the household (such as Paskine or Bastine, the maid-servant), and bread-bangles, which were specially made bread items that children chose carefully. The children particularly loved bread-bangles, sometimes sweet bread of special make. Additionally, the baker was crucial for sandwiches (daughter's engagement), sweet bread called bol (marriage gifts), cakes and bolinhas (Christmas and festivals).

The baker announced his arrival with a distinctive musical sound: the 'jhang, jhang' sound of his specially made bamboo staff. He used one hand to support a large basket on his head and the other to bang the bamboo on the ground. This jingling thud could be heard in the morning and afternoon, alerting the household to his arrival. The sound was so recognizable that children would run to greet him.

Coorg (also called Kodagu) is the smallest district of Karnataka, located midway between Mysore and the coastal town of Mangalore. It is a land of rolling hills, evergreen rainforests, spices, and coffee plantations. Evergreen rainforests cover 30% of the district. The best tourist season is September to March, when weather is pleasant with occasional showers. The air breathes of invigorating coffee, with estates and colonial bungalows nestled under tree canopies.

The Kodavus (or Coorgi people) are the fiercely independent inhabitants of Coorg, possibly of Greek or Arabic descent. One legend states that a part of Alexander the Great's army moved south along the coast and settled in Coorg when return became impractical. These soldiers married among locals, and their distinct culture appears in martial traditions, marriage rites, and religious practices, which differ from Hindu mainstream. The theory of Arab origin is supported by the kuppia, a long black coat with an embroidered waist-belt worn by Kodavus, resembling the Arab and Kurdish kuffia.

The Coorg Regiment is one of the most decorated in the Indian Army. General Cariappa, the first Chief of the Indian Army, was a Coorgi. Coorgi homes have a strong tradition of hospitality and eagerness to recount tales of valour related to their sons and fathers. Uniquely, Kodavus are the only people in India permitted to carry firearms without a licence, reflecting their martial heritage.

Coorg offers high-energy adventure sports that attract even the most laidback individuals. These include river rafting, canoeing, rappelling (sliding down a rope from cliffs), rock climbing, and mountain biking. Numerous walking trails are favoured by trekkers. The region also offers natural attractions like the climb to Brahmagiri hills with panoramic views, a rope bridge leading to the 64-acre island of Nisargadhama, and visits to Buddhist monks from India's largest Tibetan settlement at nearby Bylakuppe.

Coorg's wildlife includes macaques, Malabar squirrels, langurs, and slender loris, which keep watchful eyes from the tree canopy. The region is also home to wild elephants that the author prefers to step aside for. The river Kaveri hosts Mahaseer (large freshwater fish), with kingfishers diving for their catch. Squirrels and langurs drop partially eaten fruit for mischief, causing splash and ripple effects in the clear water. Elephants are bathed and scrubbed in the river by their mahouts.

The three pieces are: (1) 'A Baker from Goa'—showcasing Portuguese cultural influence and the importance of the traditional pader in Goan village life; (2) 'Coorg'—presenting the martial, independent culture of Kodavus, the lush coffee-growing landscape, and adventure tourism in Karnataka; (3) 'Tea from Assam'—exploring India's massive tea plantations, ancient legends of tea's discovery, and tea's journey from China to the world. Together, they highlight India's regional diversity in culture, geography, occupation, and tradition.

Two legends are mentioned: (1) Chinese emperor legend—A Chinese emperor always boiled water before drinking. One day, leaves from burning twigs under his pot fell into the water, giving it a delicious flavour; these were tea leaves. (2) Buddhist legend—Bodhidharma, an ancient Buddhist ascetic, felt sleepy during meditations and cut off his eyelids. Ten tea plants grew from the eyelids, and when their leaves were put in hot water and drunk, they banished sleep. Tea was first drunk in China as far back as 2700 B.C.

Assam has the largest concentration of tea plantations in the world. The narrator Rajvir learns that Assam is 'tea country', with gardens stretching everywhere. Tea bushes are neatly pruned to the same height, with groups of tea-pluckers wearing plastic aprons and carrying bamboo baskets, plucking newly sprouted leaves. The second-flush (sprouting period) lasts from May to July and yields the best quality tea. During this time, tractors pull trailer-loads of tea leaves through the estate.

Tea came to Europe only in the sixteenth century. When it first arrived, it was drunk more as medicine than as a beverage. The words 'tea', 'chai', and 'chini' all derive from Chinese. Over time, tea became popular in Europe, particularly in Britain where it became a part of social customs and led to the establishment of numerous tea houses. Ironically, Indians initially shunned tea, thinking it was poison, but later it became integral to Indian life.

According to Rajvir in the chapter, over eighty crore (800 million) cups of tea are drunk every day throughout the world, highlighting tea's immense global popularity.

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