Glimpses of India - Tea From Assam

1.0About the Author

Arup Kumar Dutta is an Indian writer and journalist from Guwahati, Assam.

He has written 16 books for adults and 17 adventure novels for young people. His books have been widely reviewed in India and abroad.

Central Idea

'Tea from Assam’, written by Arup Kumar Dutta is an informative story. The story revolves around the tea garden of Assam. Pranjol and Rajvir are classmates who study in a school in Delhi. Pranjol's father is the manager of a tea garden in Upper Assam. Pranjol has invited Rajvir to spend his summer vacation with him in his hometown in Assam. Assam is known as the 'tea country'. It has the largest concentration of plantations in the world. During their journey, the two friends discuss about the various 'legends' about the origin of tea. The story talks about the popularity of tea as a beverage.

2.0Tea Gardens

Rajvir's Visit to Assam

Rajvir and Pranjol are class-fellows in Delhi. They were travelling to Assam by train as Pranjol had invited Rajvir to visit his home during the summer vacation. Rajvir was very excited to see the beautiful scenery of greenery and tea plantations outside. Rajvir told Pranjol that over eighty crore cups of tea are drunk everyday throughout the world. Pranjol starts reading his detective story book while Rajvir decides to enjoy the scenic beauty.

The Beautiful Tea Gardens

Rajvir looked at the scenery outside and was mesmerised by its beauty. The view from the train was also panoramic. There was greenery everywhere. There were tea plants like the stretch of the sea. The soft green paddy fields gave way to tea bushes. Tea bushes were spread as far as the eye could see.

Rajvir is very excited on seeing such large plantations of tea but Pranjol is unable to match the level because he was brought up on a popularly known tea plantation in Assam and was used to seeing such a view.

3.0The Legends of Tea

Legends About Discovery of Tea There were numerous stories about the origin of tea, the Chinese and the Indian being the most popular ones. The Chinese legend says that a few tea leaves accidentally fell into boiling water which the emperor tasted and liked. It gave a delicious flavour. Indian legend tells that a Buddhist monk cut off his eyelids because he felt sleepy while meditating.

4.0Chinese - The Tea Lovers

Rajvir told Pranjol that tea was first drunk in China, words like 'chai' and 'chini' are of Chinese origin. It was in the sixteenth century that tea came to Europe and then to Asia. Earlier tea was drunk more as a medicine than as a beverage.

5.0Dhekiabari

The boys alighted at Mariani junction. The boys collected their luggage. They passed a cattle bridge and entered the tea estate. Soon, they were driving towards Dhekiabari, the tea garden managed by Pranjol's father. Groups of tea pluckers, with bamboo baskets on their backs and wearing plastic aprons, plucking the newly sprouted leaves, could be seen everywhere. Pranjol's father told them that the best tea is obtained during the period of May to July.

6.0Let's Recall

• Tea is really a very popular beverage in India.
• You can hear the vendor shouting 'chai-garam-garam chai' at every railway station.
• More than eighty crores cups of tea are drunk every day throughout the world.
• It was green, green everywhere and Rajvir had never seen so much greenery before.
• The landscape changed and tea bushes took the place of green paddy fields.
• A sea of tea-bushes stretched as far as the eyes could see.
• Assam has the largest concentration of plantations in the world.
• No one really knows who discovered tea. One Chinese legend says that a few leaves of the twigs burning under the pot fell into the boiling water. The leaves gave it a delicious flavour. They were tea leaves.
• Words like chai and chini are from the Chinese language.
• According to an Indian legend, an ancient Buddhist ascetic cut off his eyelids because he felt sleepy during meditation. Ten tea plants grew out of his eyelids.
• Rajvir saw acre upon acre of tea bushes and nearly all of them were neatly pruned to the same height. Groups of tea-pluckers with bamboo baskets on their backs were plucking newly sprouted leaves. A tractor was pulling a trailer-load of leaves.
• Rajvir asked Pranjol's father if it was the second-flush or sprouting period.
• The sprouting period lasts from May to July and this period yields the best tea.
• Rajvir hopes to learn a lot during his stay.