Updated on 04/06/2026
*Ch.-5. Glimpses of India *
*I- A Baker From Goa (Lucio Rodrigues)*
1. Who is the writer of ‘A Baker From Goa’?*
Ans. Lucio Rodrigues
*2. What is the baker called in Goa?*
Ans. Pader
*3. Where were bakers specially found in India?*
Ans. In Goa
*4. Who ruled over Goa?*
Ans. The Portuguese rulers
*5. What did the children like to buy?*
Ans. Bread-bangles (Bangle-bread)
*6. Where were the monthly accounts of the baker recorded?
Ans. On a wall, written in pencil
*7. Which name is used for the sweet bread?*
Ans. Bol
*8. When did the baker collect the bills?*
Ans. At the end of the month
*9. What type of people are bakers?*
Ans. Prosperous
*10. What was the peculiar dress of the baker?*
Ans. Kabai
*11. What was the Kabai ?*
Ans. The peculiar dress worn by the baker
*12. What were the ‘bol’ or ‘bolinhas’?*
Ans. Traditional coconut cookies or sweet cakes
Textual Questions
*1. What are the elders in Goa nostalgic about?*
Ans. The elders of Goa were nostalgic about the good Old Portuguese days, the Portuguese, and their famous bread loaves. Bread-making is still very popular in Goa.
*2. Is bread-making still popular in Goa? How do you know?*
Ans. Yes, bread-making is still popular in Goa. The author says that the mixers, moulders, and those who bake the loaves are still present in Goa.
*3. When would the baker come every day? Why did the children run to meet him?*
Ans. The baker came twice every day, once in the morning when he delivered the loaves of bread to the houses. Then again, he returned after selling all his bread. The children ran to meet him because they were fond of the ‘bread bangles’ sold by him.
*4. How did the baker make his presence in the morning?*
Ans. In the morning the baker made his musical entry on the scene with the 'jhang, jhang' sound of his specially made staff. One hand supported the basket on his head and the other banged the bamboo on the ground.
*5. Who invites the comment – ‘he is dressed like a pader’? Why?*
Ans. Anyone who wears a half-pant which reaches just below the knees invites the comment that “he is dressed like a pader”. This was so because the bakers were known as pader and they wore such half pants.
*6. How can you say that bread-making is still popular in Goa?*
Ans. Yes, bread-making is still popular in Goa. The author can say so as one can still find mixers, the molders, the bakers and the old age furnaces. The main festivals and occasions are also still not celebrated without loaves, bol or bread-bangles.
*7. How is the baker very important for special occasions in the village?*
Ans. The village baker was especially important for festive occasions. The villagers were much fond of the sweet bread known as 'bol'. Marriage gifts were meaningless without these sweetbreads. Sandwiches, cakes, and Bolinhas are a must for Christmas as well as other festivals.
Q.8 Why did the baker and his family never starve? Or, Why was baking a profitable profession?
Ans: Baking was a highly prosperous and profitable profession in the old days because bread was an essential part of daily Goan life and festivals. The baker, his family, and his servants always looked happy and well-fed. Their plump physique (jackfruit-like appearance) was open testimony that they never starved.
*Long Answer*
*1. What was the importance of the baker in the village? What kind of dress did he wear?*
Ans. Yes, bread-making is still popular in Goa. The main festivals and occasions are also still not celebrated without loaves, bol or bread-bangles. The village baker was especially important for festival occasions. The villagers were much fond of the sweet bread known as 'bol'. Marriage gifts were meaningless without these sweetbreads. Sandwiches, cakes, and Bolin have been a must for Christmas as well as other festivals. The baker came twice every day, once in the morning when he delivered the loaves of bread to the houses. Then again, he returned after selling all his bread. The children ran to meet him because they were fond of the ‘bread bangles’ sold by him. Anyone who wears a half-pant which reaches just below the knees invites the comment that “he is dressed like a pader”. This was so because the bakers were known as pader and they wore such half pants.