भारत की झलकियाँ — A Baker from Goa, Coorg & Tea from Assam
This essay by Lucio Rodrigues provides a vivid and nostalgic account of the traditional bakers of Goa, known as paders. These bakers were an integral part of Goan life during and after the Portuguese colonial era. The author recalls his childhood memories of the baker's daily visits, the delicious bread he brought, and the important role bread played in Goan culture and celebrations.
The author begins by noting that Portuguese influence in Goa is still visible in many aspects of daily life, even though the Portuguese left long ago. Among the most enduring legacies is the tradition of bread-making. During the Portuguese era, bakers held an important position in the village community. They were known as paders, and their craft was passed down from generation to generation. Even today, mixers, moulders, and those who bake the bread are still present in Goan villages.
The pader would arrive every morning with a characteristic jingling sound of his bamboo staff, which he thumped on the ground to announce his arrival. This sound was enough to wake up the children from sleep. The baker would carry his bread in a huge bamboo basket balanced on his head. Children would rush out to greet him, not so much for the regular bread (pao) but for the special treats — the bread-bangles (kankonn), sweet buns, and other delicacies. The author remembers that children would peep into the baker's basket to check if he had their favourite items.
Bread was not just daily food in Goa — it was central to every celebration and ceremony. The bol (a special sweet bread) was essential for Christmas and other festivals. Bread was a must at weddings — no wedding was considered complete without the baker's special loaves. Even at funerals and other ceremonies, bolinhas (special cookies) were prepared. The pao (regular bread loaf) was eaten daily with curry or tea.
The baker had a monthly system of payment. He would come daily, deliver bread, and keep a record of what each household consumed. At the end of the month, he would collect payment. The baker's family was always prosperous and well-fed. The author notes that bakers were generally plump and healthy — having a "baker's physique" meant being well-nourished. Their ovens were their prized possessions, and the baking profession was a profitable one that sustained families comfortably.
Lokesh Abrol describes Coorg (Kodagu), a beautiful hill district in the southern part of Karnataka, India. Coorg is often called the "Scotland of India" because of its lush green landscapes, misty hills, and pleasant weather. The author paints a rich picture of the region's geography, people, culture, and natural wonders, making it an enticing destination for visitors.
Coorg lies midway between Mysore and Mangalore, nestled among the Western Ghats. The region is known for its rolling hills covered with coffee plantations, thick forests, spice gardens, and abundant rainfall. The air is filled with the fragrance of coffee and cardamom. The landscape is breathtakingly beautiful — with evergreen rainforests, gentle streams, and misty mountain peaks.
The people of Coorg, known as Kodavus, are a proud and distinctive community. They are known for their martial traditions and hospitality. According to one popular theory, the Kodavus are believed to be descended from Greeks or Arabs who came to India with Alexander the Great's army and settled in these hills. This theory is supported by their unique style of dress — the kuppia (a long coat) resembles the kuffia worn by Arabs and Greeks. Their marriage and religious customs are also distinct from mainstream Hindu traditions, suggesting possible foreign origins.
The Kodavus have a long history of valor and courage. They are the only people in India allowed to carry firearms without a license. The community has produced many distinguished soldiers and officers for the Indian Army. General Cariappa, the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army, was a Kodavu. The tradition of bravery runs deep in the community, and every Kodavu home takes great pride in its military heritage.
Coorg is a paradise for nature lovers and adventure enthusiasts. The region offers river rafting, canoeing, trekking, rock climbing, and mountain biking. The Kaveri (Cauvery) River, one of the most sacred rivers of South India, originates in Coorg at Talakaveri. The dense forests are home to elephants, langurs, macaques, and a rich variety of birds. The Brahmagiri hills and Nisargadhama island are popular tourist attractions. Coffee plantations with homestays offer visitors a unique experience of Coorg's culture and cuisine.
This excerpt by Arup Kumar Datta takes us on a train journey through Assam with two young characters — Rajvir and Pranjol. Pranjol belongs to Assam and is returning home, while Rajvir, who has never visited Assam before, is excited and fascinated by the vast tea gardens stretching endlessly on both sides of the railway track. The story provides an informative glimpse into the world of tea — its history, legends, and the process of tea cultivation in Assam.
As the train moves through the green landscape of Assam, Rajvir is mesmerized by the lush green tea bushes that cover the landscape as far as the eye can see. The tea plants are neatly pruned, and women tea pluckers with bamboo baskets on their backs are seen picking the tender tea leaves. Amidst the tea gardens stand tall shade trees and the occasional factory building with its tall chimney. Pranjol, being from Assam, is used to this sight and finds Rajvir's excitement amusing.
Rajvir shares two fascinating legends about the discovery of tea. The first is the Chinese legend: a Chinese emperor was boiling water under a tree when some leaves accidentally fell into it, creating a refreshing and aromatic drink — this was the first cup of tea, around 2700 BC. The second is the Indian legend about Bodhidharma, an ancient Buddhist monk. He cut off his eyelids in frustration because he was falling asleep during meditation. Where his eyelids fell, tea plants grew. The leaves of these plants, when brewed, helped monks stay awake during long hours of meditation.
Assam is the largest tea-producing region in the world. Tea was first discovered growing wild in Assam in 1823 by Robert Bruce. Today, Assam has over 800 tea estates and thousands of smaller gardens. The second flush (tea picked between May and June) is considered the finest and most sought-after Assam tea, prized globally for its strong, malty flavour. Tea cultivation provides employment to over a million workers in Assam.
Pranjol's father manages a tea estate in Upper Assam, and Rajvir is excited to visit it and learn more about the tea-making process. The chapter ends with their arrival at Mariani junction, where Pranjol's father is waiting to receive them. Rajvir is eager to explore the tea gardens firsthand and experience the beauty of Assam's tea country.
Poet: Carl Sandburg
The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbour and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
"The fog comes / on little cat feet." — The poet compares the arrival of fog to a cat. Just as a cat moves silently and softly on its small, padded feet, the fog arrives quietly, without any noise or warning. It creeps in gently and unobtrusively, covering everything in its path. The comparison to "little cat feet" is a beautiful metaphor that captures the silent, graceful, and almost stealthy way fog descends upon a place.
"It sits looking / over harbour and city / on silent haunches / and then moves on." — The fog is described as sitting on its "silent haunches" — just like a cat that sits quietly and observes its surroundings. The fog settles over the harbour and city, looking down at everything from its elevated position, much like a cat perched on a high spot surveying the area below. After observing for a while, the fog "moves on" — it departs as quietly and unexpectedly as it arrived. The cat-like quality of the fog is maintained throughout: it comes silently, stays briefly, watches quietly, and then leaves without a trace.
The poem captures the quiet, transient nature of fog — and by extension, nature's subtle movements. The fog, like many natural phenomena, arrives unannounced, stays for a brief period, and then disappears without leaving any mark. The poem reminds us of the gentle, fleeting beauty of nature that we often overlook. It also suggests that nature operates on its own schedule, independent of human activity — silently coming and going as it pleases.
Poet: Adrienne Rich
The trees inside are moving out into the forest,
the forest that was empty all these days
where no bird could sit
no insect hide
no sun bury its feet in shadow
no moon look down through the roof.
The roots are working all night
to disengage themselves from the cracks in the veranda floor.
The leaves are straining toward the glass
small twigs stiff with exertion
long-cramped boughs shuffling under the roof
like newly discharged patients
half-dazed, moving
to the clinic doors.
I sit inside, doors open to the veranda
writing long letters
in which I scarcely mention the departure
of the forest from the house.
The night is fresh, the whole moon shines
in a sky still open
the smell of leaves and lichen
still reaching like arms into the rooms.
Stanza 1: The poet says that the trees that have been kept indoors (perhaps as houseplants or in a greenhouse) are now moving out into the empty forest. The forest has been barren and lifeless for a long time — so empty that no bird could perch there, no insect could hide, no sunlight could create shadows on the ground, and no moonlight could filter through the canopy. The trees are returning to fill this emptiness.
Stanza 2: The trees are working hard through the night to free themselves. Their roots are pulling out of the cracks in the veranda floor. The leaves press against the glass windows, trying to break through. The twigs are stiff with the effort, and the long branches that have been cramped indoors are shuffling towards freedom — compared to newly discharged patients who are half-dazed and unsteady as they walk towards the hospital exit. This simile powerfully captures the trees' struggle and weakness after being confined indoors.
Stanza 3: The poet sits inside with the doors open, writing long letters but barely mentioning this extraordinary event — the departure of the forest from the house. The night air is fresh, and the full moon shines in an open sky. The fragrance of leaves and lichen reaches into the rooms like outstretched arms, as if the natural world is bidding farewell or beckoning the poet outside.
On a literal level, the poem describes trees moving from inside a house to the forest. On a deeper symbolic level, the poem is about freedom, nature's resilience, and the conflict between confinement and liberation. The trees represent nature (or even women/oppressed groups) breaking free from artificial confinement. The empty forest represents a world stripped of its natural elements. The poem suggests that nature cannot be contained forever — it will always reclaim its rightful place. Adrienne Rich, a feminist poet, may also be alluding to women's struggle for freedom from domestic confinement.
The elders in Goa are nostalgic about the good old Portuguese days and the traditional bakers known as paders. They fondly remember the time when the baker was an essential part of daily life — arriving every morning with his basket of freshly baked bread, his bamboo staff making a distinctive jingling sound. The elders miss the taste of the traditional bread, the festive baking, and the close-knit community life centred around the village bakery.
Yes, bread-making is still popular in Goa. The author mentions that mixers, moulders, and those who bake the bread are still there in Goan villages. The traditional bakers continue their profession, and bread remains an essential part of Goan diet and culture. During festivals, marriages, and other ceremonies, special breads like bol and bolinhas are still prepared, showing that the tradition has survived despite the end of Portuguese rule.
The baker in Goa is called a pader. He announces his arrival by making a jingling sound with his bamboo staff, which he thumps on the ground as he walks through the village lanes. This distinctive sound was familiar to every household and was enough to wake up the children from their sleep, who would then rush out to meet him and peer into his basket for their favourite bread and treats.
Coorg (Kodagu) is a beautiful hill district located midway between Mysore and Mangalore in the state of Karnataka, nestled in the Western Ghats. It is famous for its coffee plantations, lush evergreen forests, spice gardens (especially cardamom), and stunning natural beauty. It is also known for its brave and martial people — the Kodavus — their unique cultural traditions, the origin of the Kaveri River at Talakaveri, and adventure activities like river rafting and trekking.
According to a popular theory, the Kodavus are believed to be of Greek or Arab origin. It is said that part of Alexander the Great's army moved south and settled in Coorg when they were unable to return home. This theory is supported by the Kodavus' traditional dress — the kuppia, a long coat that closely resembles the kuffia worn by Arabs and Greeks. Their marriage and religious customs also differ from mainstream Hindu traditions, adding weight to the theory of foreign ancestry.
When the train passed through Assam, Rajvir saw a magnificent landscape of tea gardens stretching as far as the eye could see on both sides of the railway track. The tea bushes were neatly pruned and spread across the rolling hills like a green sea. He saw women tea pluckers with bamboo baskets on their backs, picking tea leaves. Among the tea gardens stood tall shade trees, and in the distance, he could see factory buildings with tall chimneys where tea was processed.
Rajvir mentions two legends about the discovery of tea:
1. The Chinese Legend: Around 2700 BC, a Chinese emperor was boiling water under a tree when some leaves accidentally fell into the pot. The resulting brew was delicious and refreshing — this was the first cup of tea ever made.
2. The Indian Legend: An ancient Buddhist monk named Bodhidharma was meditating but kept falling asleep. In frustration, he cut off his eyelids and threw them on the ground. From the spot where his eyelids fell, tea plants grew. The leaves of these plants, when brewed, helped monks stay awake during long meditation sessions.
Rajvir was excited because he was seeing Assam's tea gardens for the first time. Everything was new and fascinating for him — the vast stretches of green tea bushes, the women pluckers, the shade trees, the factory chimneys. He had read a lot about tea and was eager to experience it firsthand. Pranjol, on the other hand, was not excited because he was from Assam and had grown up surrounded by tea gardens. For him, the sight was ordinary and familiar. He had been seeing tea gardens all his life, so there was nothing new or surprising about it.
Carl Sandburg thinks the fog is like a cat. He compares the fog's arrival to a cat walking on "little cat feet" — silently, softly, and gracefully. The fog sits on its "silent haunches" looking over the harbour and city, just like a cat that sits quietly and observes its surroundings from a high perch. Finally, the fog "moves on" just as quietly as it came — exactly like a cat that departs without making any noise.
The poet observes three stages of the fog:
Arrival: The fog "comes on little cat feet" — it arrives silently and softly, without any warning, just like a cat padding quietly into a room.
Stay: The fog "sits looking over harbour and city on silent haunches" — it settles over the landscape, covering everything, and seems to observe the city below, just like a cat sitting still and watching.
Departure: "And then moves on" — the fog leaves as silently as it came. There is no dramatic exit — it simply drifts away, just like a cat that quietly gets up and walks off.
The baker's arrival was a moment of great excitement for the children. The jingling sound of his bamboo staff would wake them up from sleep. They would rush out of their homes to meet the baker, eager to peep into his basket. The children were not interested in the regular bread — they looked forward to the special treats like bread-bangles (kankonn) and sweet buns. The author fondly recalls how children would run to the baker even before brushing their teeth, such was their excitement.
Coorg is called the "Scotland of India" because of its striking resemblance to the Scottish Highlands. Like Scotland, Coorg has rolling green hills, misty landscapes, abundant rainfall, and cool, pleasant weather. The lush green coffee plantations, dense forests, and gentle streams of Coorg create a scenery that is reminiscent of Scotland's natural beauty. Additionally, the people of Coorg, like the Scots, have a proud martial tradition and a strong sense of cultural identity.
Bread is central to Goan festivals and ceremonies. The bol (sweet bread) is an essential part of Christmas celebrations. No Goan wedding is complete without the baker's special bread — the bride's mother traditionally orders large quantities for the feast. At funerals and other ceremonies, special cookies called bolinhas are prepared and served. Even for daily meals, the pao (bread loaf) accompanies curry and tea, making bread an indispensable part of Goan life across all occasions.
The main literary device in "Fog" is an extended metaphor comparing the fog to a cat. The entire poem is built on this single comparison. The fog "comes on little cat feet" (arrives silently), "sits looking over harbour and city on silent haunches" (settles and observes), and "then moves on" (departs quietly). The effect of this metaphor is to make the reader visualize the fog as a living, breathing creature — gentle, quiet, and graceful. It transforms an ordinary weather phenomenon into something charming and almost endearing, highlighting nature's beauty in the simplest of events.
The fact that the Kodavus are the only people in India permitted to carry firearms without a license reflects their deep-rooted martial traditions and warrior heritage. This special privilege recognises their long history of bravery and military service. The Kodavus have contributed many distinguished soldiers and officers to the Indian Army, including General Cariappa, the first Commander-in-Chief of independent India's army. The firearms privilege symbolises the trust and respect that the Indian government places in this community's responsible martial culture.
