Chapter Overview

Tea from Assam is the third part of the chapter Glimpses of India. It is a travel-based prose piece about two boys, Rajvir and Pranjol, who are travelling by train to Assam during the summer vacation.

Through their journey, the chapter introduces students to Assam’s tea plantations, the beauty of tea gardens, the popularity of tea, legends about the discovery of tea, and the process of tea-plucking during the second-flush season.

Summary in English

Tea from Assam begins with two school friends, Pranjol and Rajvir, travelling by train from Delhi to Assam. Pranjol is from Assam, and his father manages a tea garden in Upper Assam. He has invited Rajvir to visit his home during the summer vacation.

During the journey, a tea vendor calls out for hot tea. Pranjol orders two cups. Rajvir observes that almost everyone in the compartment is drinking tea. He tells Pranjol that more than eighty crore cups of tea are drunk every day throughout the world. This shows how popular tea is.

As the train moves forward, Pranjol goes back to reading his detective book. Rajvir, though also fond of detective stories, is more interested in the beautiful scenery outside. He sees greenery everywhere. The paddy fields soon give way to tea bushes.

Rajvir is amazed by the magnificent view. He sees tea bushes stretching as far as the eye can see. Tall shade trees stand above the small tea plants, and tea-pluckers look like doll-like figures moving among the orderly rows of bushes.

Rajvir excitedly notices a tea garden. Pranjol, who has grown up on a tea plantation, is not equally excited. He tells Rajvir that they have entered tea country and that Assam has the largest concentration of tea plantations in the world.

Rajvir then tells Pranjol that he has read many things about tea. He says that no one knows exactly who discovered tea, but there are many legends. One Chinese legend says that a few tea leaves accidentally fell into the boiling water of a Chinese emperor, giving it a delicious flavour.

Rajvir also tells an Indian legend about Bodhidharma, a Buddhist monk. According to the legend, he cut off his eyelids because he felt sleepy during meditation. Ten tea plants grew from the eyelids, and tea made from their leaves could banish sleep.

Rajvir further explains that tea was first drunk in China as far back as 2700 B.C. Words like “tea”, “chai” and “chini” are of Chinese origin. Tea reached Europe only in the sixteenth century, where it was first used more as medicine than as a beverage.

The boys reach Mariani junction, where Pranjol’s parents receive them. They drive towards Dhekiabari Tea Estate, managed by Pranjol’s father. On both sides of the road, they see tea bushes neatly pruned to the same height. Groups of tea-pluckers are plucking newly sprouted leaves.

Rajvir tells Mr Barua that this is the second-flush or sprouting period, which lasts from May to July and gives the best tea. Mr Barua is surprised by Rajvir’s knowledge. Rajvir admits that he has done some reading but hopes to learn much more during his stay.

सारांश हिंदी में

Tea from Assam में दो मित्रों प्रांजोल और राजवीर की यात्रा का वर्णन है। प्रांजोल असम का रहने वाला है और उसके पिता ऊपरी असम में एक चाय बागान के मैनेजर हैं। प्रांजोल ने राजवीर को गर्मियों की छुट्टियों में अपने घर आने के लिए बुलाया है।

ट्रेन में एक चाय बेचने वाला “चाय गरम” कहकर आवाज लगाता है। प्रांजोल दो कप चाय मंगवाता है। राजवीर देखता है कि डिब्बे में लगभग सभी लोग चाय पी रहे हैं। वह बताता है कि पूरी दुनिया में रोज अस्सी करोड़ से अधिक कप चाय पी जाती है।

ट्रेन आगे बढ़ती है। प्रांजोल अपनी जासूसी किताब पढ़ने लगता है, लेकिन राजवीर बाहर के सुंदर दृश्य देखने में अधिक रुचि लेता है। उसे चारों ओर हरियाली दिखाई देती है। धीरे-धीरे धान के खेतों की जगह चाय के पौधे दिखाई देने लगते हैं।

राजवीर चाय बागानों का सुंदर दृश्य देखकर बहुत उत्साहित हो जाता है। उसे चाय के पौधे दूर-दूर तक फैले दिखाई देते हैं। छोटे चाय के पौधों के ऊपर ऊंचे छायादार पेड़ खड़े हैं और चाय तोड़ने वाले मजदूर गुड़िया जैसे दिखाई देते हैं।

प्रांजोल बताता है कि अब वे चाय के देश में पहुंच चुके हैं। असम में दुनिया में चाय बागानों की सबसे बड़ी सघनता है। राजवीर चाय के बारे में पढ़ी हुई बातें प्रांजोल को बताता है।

राजवीर एक चीनी कथा सुनाता है। एक चीनी सम्राट हमेशा पानी उबालकर पीता था। एक दिन जलती हुई टहनियों से कुछ पत्तियां पानी में गिर गईं और पानी में स्वाद आ गया। कहा जाता है कि वे चाय की पत्तियां थीं।

वह एक भारतीय कथा भी सुनाता है। Bodhidharma नामक बौद्ध साधु ध्यान करते समय नींद आने से परेशान था, इसलिए उसने अपनी पलकें काट दीं। उन पलकों से दस चाय के पौधे उग आए। उन पत्तियों से बनी चाय पीने से नींद दूर हो जाती थी।

राजवीर बताता है कि चाय सबसे पहले चीन में 2700 ईसा पूर्व पी गई थी। “Tea”, “chai” और “chini” जैसे शब्द चीनी भाषा से आए हैं। यूरोप में चाय सोलहवीं शताब्दी में पहुंची और पहले इसे पेय पदार्थ से अधिक औषधि की तरह पिया जाता था।

मरियानी जंक्शन पर पहुंचकर दोनों लड़के प्रांजोल के माता-पिता से मिलते हैं। वे Dhekiabari Tea Estate जाते हैं। रास्ते में उन्हें चाय के पौधे, चाय-पत्तियां तोड़ती महिलाएं और चाय के पत्तों से भरी ट्रॉली दिखाई देती है। राजवीर बताता है कि मई से जुलाई तक का दूसरा फ्लश सबसे अच्छी चाय देता है।

Part-wise Summary

Fact File – Tea from Assam

Important Points to Form Answers

• Tea from Assam is written by Arup Kumar Datta.
• It is the third part of Glimpses of India.
• Pranjol is from Assam and studies with Rajvir in Delhi.
• Pranjol’s father is the manager of a tea garden in Upper Assam.
• Pranjol invites Rajvir to visit Assam during the summer vacation.
• The chapter begins with a tea vendor calling out for hot tea.
• Almost everyone in the train compartment is drinking tea.
• Rajvir says that over eighty crore cups of tea are drunk every day worldwide.
• Rajvir is more interested in the scenery than in reading his detective book.
• He sees greenery everywhere as the train enters Assam.
• The paddy fields give way to tea bushes.
• The tea bushes stretch as far as the eye can see.
• Tall shade trees stand above the small tea plants.
• Assam has the largest concentration of tea plantations in the world.
• Rajvir has read a lot about tea before visiting Assam.
• One legend says tea was discovered accidentally by a Chinese emperor.
• Another legend connects tea with Bodhidharma, a Buddhist ascetic.
• Tea was first drunk in China as far back as 2700 B.C.
• Tea reached Europe only in the sixteenth century.
• The second-flush season lasts from May to July and yields the best tea.

Difficult Words with Meanings and Synonyms

Literary Devices and Writing Techniques

Important Question and Answers

HOTS Questions and Answers

Extract-Based Questions

Quick Revision Box

Final Conclusion

Tea from Assam is an informative and descriptive prose piece that introduces students to Assam’s tea gardens and tea culture. Through Rajvir and Pranjol’s journey, Arup Kumar Datta beautifully combines travel, scenery, legends and factual knowledge about tea.