Tea from Assam- Overview
The story (Tea from Assam) revolves around the infamous beverage ‘tea’ telling us more about its history and discovery. It begins from the scene where two friends, Pranjol and Rajvir are set to go to Assam, Pranjol’s hometown when a tea vendor asks them if they would like to have some freshly made tea. They buy two cups joining almost every other person in their compartment. From there, the journey begins and Pranjol starts reading his detective book while Rajvir decides to enjoy the scenic beauty. There were soft green paddy fields followed by tea bushes. Rajvir is very excited on seeing such large plantations of tea but Pranjol is unable to match the same level because he was born and brought up in Assam, famously known as the ‘Tea country’.
Visiting there for the first time, Rajvir did a
lot of study about how tea was discovered and that it dates back to 2700 B.C.
According to what he read, it was first consumed in China and reached Europe in
the 16th century, where it was mostly popular for it’s medicinal properties.
There are numerous stories as to how it was discovered, one about a Chinese
Emperor and the other about a Buddhist monk. The former liked the taste of it
while the latter, used it to get rid of sleep. As they were having this
discussion, they reached their destination where Pranjol’s parents had come to
receive them and take them to their tea garden. On their way, they passed a
cattle bridge and gave way to a truck filled with tea leaves which drew their
attention to the fact that it was the second sprouting season. Rajvir, indeed
did a lot of study before coming which impressed Pranjol’s father and he
intended to learn a lot more.
Difficult Word Meanings of the Poem Tea from Assam
Chai– Tea
Garam– hot
Sa’ab- Sahab or Sir
Steaming- extremely hot
Exclaimed- cry out suddenly in surprise
Paddy fields- a field where rice is grown
Backdrop- lie behind or beyond; serve as a
background to
As far as eye could see- for a long distance until
something is so far away and small it cannot be seen anymore
Dwarfing- cause to seem small or insignificant in
comparison
Sturdy- strong
Amidst- in the middle of
Billowing- moving or flowing outwards
Concentration- cluster
Ascetic- characterized by
severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence, typically
for religious reasons.
Banished-
get rid of
Clattered- (loud noise made by the train brakes)
Veered- change direction
Gravel- small, rounded stones often mixed with
sand
Pruned- cut away from a tree
Sprouting period- when a plant sends out new growth
Tea from Assam Top-10 Questions with Answers
Q1. Who are Prajol and Rajvir?
Ans:- Pranjol
was a young boy from Assam studying in Delhi.
Rajvir was
Prajol’s classmate/friend.
Q2. What does Pranjol’s father
do?
Ans:-
Pranjol’s father is the manager of a tea garden in upper Assam.
Q3. Who was invited to
Pranjol’s house during the summer vacation?
Ans:- Rajvir,
Pranjol’s friend/classmate was invited to his house during the summer vacation.
Q4. What had never seen by
Rajvir before?
Ans:- Rajvir
had never seen so much greenery as he had seen in the soft green fields while
travelling by the train in Assam.
Q5. Why did Pranjol did not share the excitement of seeing a tea-garden with Rajvir?
Ans:- Rajvir had never seen tea-garden before. But Pranjol had been born and brought up on a planatation. So he did not share the excitement of seeing a tea-garden.
Q6. What did the group of tea-pluckers do?
Ans:- The
group of tea-pluckers carried bamboo baskets on their backs. They wore plastic
aprons and plucked the newly sprouted leaves.
Q7. “It was a magnificent view”
– Give a description of the magnificent view see by Rajvir.
Ans:- rajvir
experienced a very beautiful view during his journey. Against the backdrops of
densely wooded hills a sea of tea bushes stretched as far as the eye could see.
Dwarfing the tiny tea plants were tall sturdy shade trees and amidst the
orderly rows of bushes busily moved doll-like figures. In the distance was an
ugly building with smoke billowing out of tall chimneys.
Q8. What did Pranjol and Rajvir
see after entering the Dhekiabari Tea Estate?
Ans:-
Entering the Dhekiabari Tea Estate, Pranjol and Rajvir saw that on both sides
of the gravel-road were acre upon acre of tea bushes, all neatly pruned to the
same height. Groups of tea-pluckers, with bamboo baskets on their backs,
wearing plastic aprons, were plucking the newly sprouted leaves.
Q9. Where was tea first drunk?
Ans:- Tea was
first drunk in China.
Q10. “Chai garam… garam chai” –
where are these words heard usually?
Ans:-
These words usually can be heard in the railway stations.
Tea from Assam- Questions from Test Papers
Q11. What are the tea related words that come from China?
Ans:-
‘Chai’ and ‘Chini’ are the words come from China.
Q12. When was the sprouting period of tea plants?
Ans:-
From May to July is the sprouting period of tea plants.
Q13. “You seem to have done your homework before coming” – who
said this to whom?
Ans:-
The above statement was told by Pranjol;s father to Rajvir.
Q14. Why did Bodhidharma cut off his eyelids?
Ans:-
Bodhidharma cut off his eyelids because he felt sleepy during his meditations.
Q15. Describe the Indian legend about the discovery of tea.
Ans:-
The Indian legend of tea is about an ancient Buddhist ascetic named
Bodhidharma. He was so dedicated in his meditations that he even did not
hesitate to cut off his eyelids as he felt sleepy during that time. Ten tea
plants grew out leaves are used to banish sleep when boiled in water.
Q16. Describe the Chinese legend about the discovery of tea.
Ans:- The Chinese legend is about an emperor who used to boil water before drinking it. He used the twigs to make fire and one day, a few leaves of a twig burning under the pot fell into the water. It gave a delicious flavor to the water and thus the tea was discovered.
Q17. Describe the legends associated with tea.
Ans:- We know that two legends were associated with tea. One of which is Chinese whike the other is Indian.
The Chinese legend is about an emperor who used to boil water before drinking it. He used the twigs to make fire and one day, a few leaves of a twig burning under the pot fell into the water. It gave a delicious flavor to the water and thus the tea was discovered.
The
Indian legend of tea is about an ancient Buddhist ascetic named Bodhidharma. He
was so dedicated in his meditations that he even did not hesitate to cut off
his eyelids as he felt sleepy during that time. Ten tea plants grew out leaves
are used to banish sleep when boiled in water.
