UNIT 05

CULTURE AND TRADITION

Hamara Bharat — Incredible India!

Let us read the following passage.

Bharat has been known worldwide as a land of wise and heroic individuals. Its rich and diverse culture has attracted numerous travellers since ancient times. The people here live in unison, presenting to the world unity in diversity. Bharat is a land rich with rivers, lakes, and high mountains. Its green forests are home to many plants, insects, birds, and animals. All these elements ensure that Bharat prospers and is respected globally. As its inhabitants, we need to continue working hard and make sure that it prospers

Let us discuss

1. What has Bharat always been known for?

2. What is attractive about Bharat?

3. What is special about the fact that the people live here in unison

4. What geographical features does the passage mention?

5. What is the advice given to everyone ?

Kalakritiyon ka Bharat

Let us do these activities before we read

Our country is beautiful and every state has its own uniqueness. The words

given below are part of our identity. Complete these words with the correct

vowels (A, E, I, O, U).

(a) We like to decorate our homes with our f __ l k __ r t.

(b) Our c __ l t __ r e consists of our ideas, customs, traditions, values, arts,

and languages

(d) We tell stories to our children to teach them about our c __ l t __ r e,h __ s t __ r y, and l __ g __ n d s.

(e) We have our own l __ n g __ a g __ s to talk to each other.

Let us read

“So, are you ready to meet your friends from all over the country?”

the teacher asked the students sitting in the big hall.

“Yes!” was the loud answer from the class.

“Can someone tell me for which programme are we here?”

the teacher asked.

“Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat”, the students answered together again.

“Please raise your hand to tell me what it is all about,” the teacher said.

Many hands went up and some were jumping to answer. Theteacher asked Renu. With a smile on her face, she said, “It is to know that we all belong to one nation and that is the bond we share. And our unity in diversity makes us the most wonderfulcountry in the world.”

Let us discuss

1. What is the Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat programme all about?

2. Why is this programme being conducted?

II

The teacher smiled at her as everyone clapped. Just then, Bala pointed out, “Look! The video has started!” The big screen now had little windows each with a smiling child. Each child hadsomething to share.

Pranam! I am Aakansha from Uttarakhand. I am going to tell you about Aipan, our folk art, that we draw on family functions and festivals. It is done with white rice flour paste on brick-red walls coloured with geru. It is made on floors and walls of puja rooms, and outside the main door of the home. It is an art form made by the women in the family. The designs are very beautiful and mathematical, and are based on our cultural traditions, and observations of nature.

Suprabhat! I am Priyaranjan from Odisha. My tribe practises a 4000-year-old metal craft named Dhokra. To begin, we make a figure with clay, dry it, and cover it with a layer of wax. Then, we carve the fine details on the wax. After that, we cover the figure with clay, and put it in the fire. The wax melts and comes out of small openings. Next, brass scrap is melted and poured into the empty space. The liquid metal takes the same shape as the wax.

Finally, we remove the outer layer of clay and finish the metal figure as we want.

Suprabhaatam! I am Chitra from Kerala. I want to tell you about coconut shell craft. First, we clean the outside and inside of a brown coconut shell. After that, we make it smooth by using sandpaper or a machine. Then we give it the shape we want,and make it stable by fixing a base under it. At last, we polish it using wood polish to make it shine. We make household things like bowls and even jewellery from the coconut shells. It is a biodegradable craft.

Subhodayam! I am Balamurali from Andhra Pradesh. I want to tell you about the 400-year-old art of making toys in my village, Kondapalli. To make the toys, we take soft wood from the nearby hills. After that, we carve each part of the toy separately. Then, we use makku—a paste of tamarind seed powder and sawdust to join the pieces together. Next, we add details and finish the toys. Finally, we use oil and water-colours or vegetable dyes and enamel paints to colour them. These toys are based on folk stories, animals, birds, bullock carts, rural life, etc.

Let us discuss

On the basis of what the speakers said about the art forms, complete thetable given below

Name of the child	State	Art form	Things needed
Akanksha		Aipan
Priyaranjan			clay, brass scrap, wax, fir
Chitra
Balamurali	Andhra Pradesh	Kondapalli

Let us think and reflect

1. Fill in the blanks to complete the following sentences.

(a) The designs for Aipan are taken from ________________ and

________________.

(b) Dhokra metal craft is very old because it is ________________ old.

(d) Soft wood, ________________ and colours are used to make Kondapalli

toys.

2. Why does Akanksha’s family make Aipan?

3. In Dhokra, why does wax come out of the small openings?

4. What is common in the toys made in Balamurali’s village and coconut

shell craft in Kerala?

1. Fill in the blanks to complete the following sentences.

(a) The designs for Aipan are taken from ________________ and

________________.

(b) Dhokra metal craft is very old because it is ________________ old.

(d) Soft wood, ________________ and colours are used to make Kondapalli

toys.

2. Why does Akanksha’s family make Aipan?

3. In Dhokra, why does wax come out of the small openings?

4. What is common in the toys made in Balamurali’s village and coconut

shell craft in Kerala?

Let us learn

1. Priyaranjan, Chitra and Balamurali share how art works of their states

are made. They use some words to show the order of making it. Those

words are given in the box below

1. Priyaranjan, Chitra and Balamurali share how art works of their states

are made. They use some words to show the order of making it. Those

words are given in the box below

to begin

first

then after that

next finally at last

Now, use some of these words to complete the paragraph given below.

Use one word only once.

How I Get Ready for School

(i) ____________ I get up and go to take a shower. (ii) ____________, I wear

my school dress. (iii) ____________, I eat my food. (iv) ____________, I wear

my shoes. (v) ____________, I pick up my bag and go out of my home.

2. The children from different states each speak about one art form from

their state. When they speak, they use the first form of the verb. It shows

something that happens regularly. It is called the present tense. With

he, she and it, -s/-es is used with the verb to show the present tense.

Make five sentences with the help of the words given in the table below.

Use -s/-es wherever necessary. Two examples are given.

137

Pronouns Verbs Part of a sentence Complete Sentence

Pronouns	Verbs	Part of a sentence	Complete Sentence
I	ask	how to dance.	I know how to dance.
You	know	questions to understand.	We
He	tell	beautiful flowers	You
She	draw	a story every day.	He speaks very loudly.
It	make	very loudly.	She
We	practise	paintings in free periods.	They
They	speak	spellings on Friday. I	It

Let us listen

1. Listen to the description of gakkad bharta and complete the notes

given below. (refer to page 162 for transcript)

Gakkad Bharta

(a) Name of the speaker : __________________________

(b) The town of the speaker : __________________________

(d) The name of the food item : __________________________

(e) Vegetables roasted for bharta : __________________________

2. Now, listen to the description again and complete the flowchart on howto make gakkad bharta.

1	To make gakkad, make balls of ___________ dough and ___________ them on high heat.
2	To make bharta, ___________ brinjal and tomatoes and garnish with ___________ onions, coriander, green chillies and salt.
3	To serve, crumble the gakkad, put some ___________ on it and add one spoon of ghee.

Let us speak

1. Speak about a local art form of your region. It can be any one out of

painting, rangoli, metal craft, embroidery, music, dance or drama.

Remember to include:

• the name of the art form

• what things do they need for it

• how do they make/present it

2. You may use the words given below when you speak.

• I know about the art form called …

• They need ...

• To make it, first ... after that ... next ... then ... at last ..

Let us write

You heard children from different states speak about the art forms from their state. Discuss in pairs which art form you liked the most.

Now, write a paragraph with five sentences giving your reasons for liking it.

Let us explore

1. Madhubani painting is a traditional art form from Bihar. The artists use natural colours to make them on the walls of their houses. You can also make and use natural colours as given below.

• yellow from haldi

• green from leaves

• red from red flowers/geru/sindoor

• orange from flowers

• blue from neel/indigo powder

Given below is a Madhubani painting. Colour it with natural colours or any other colour.

2. Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat Programm

Bharat has diverse languages, cuisines, music, dance, theatre, movies and films, handicrafts, sports, literature, festivals, paintings, sculptures, etc. The Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat programme aims to enhance interaction and promote mutual understanding between people of different states/UTs through the concept of state/UT pairing. This is to celebrate the unity in diversity and strengthen the emotional bonds between its citizens. The vision is to enable people to develop a sense of common identity by sharing best practices and experiences. The programme aims to contribute to nation building by highlighting the

inter-connectedness between various cultures and traditions.

The Kites

Let us do these activities before we read

1. Answer the following questions and share them with your teacher and

classmates.

(a) Have you ever flown a kite or seen someone fly it? Where? When?

(b) Describe the kite—colour(s), shape, design of tail, any other detail.

2. Search the internet for videos on Kite Festivals and watch them with

your teacher and classmates.

(a) Share the things with your teacher that you saw and what the people

were doing.

(b) Would you like to participate in this kind of festival? Why?

3. Look at the picture and complete the sentences. Share your responses

with your teacher

windy kite

flying birds

sky looking

has ribbon

(a) I can see ___________, ___________ and

___________ in the picture.

(b) The weather in the picture is ___________.

(d) The child is ___________ from below.

(e) The tail of the kite ___________.

4. Now, think and answer.

(a) List two more things that you want to add to

the picture.

(b) If I were the child, I would ___________.

Let us read

Up in the air

See the kites fly,

Like coloured birds

In the wind-whipped sky.

I wish I were small

And light as air,

I would climb on a kite

And sail up there.

Then I would drift upon

The paper wings,

And hear the songs

That the wild wind sings.

What fun it would be

To look right down,

Over the park

And the rooftops of town.

The people below

Would stand and stare,

And wish they were me

High, high in the air.

Daphne Lister

Let us discuss

1. Read the poem silently. As you read, mark the given statements as Trueor False.

Statements	T/ F
(a) child is looking at the kites
(b) The kites look like birds of different colours.
(c) It was a rainy day
d) The child wants to be like a kite.
(e) The child wishes to climb on a kite. (h) The child knows they would have fun. (j) The child would like to look at people down below
(f) The kite is made of cloth and plastic.
(g) The child wants to ride the kite.
(h) The child knows they would have fun.
(i) The child wants to look at the kite from a rooftop.
(j) The child would like to look at people down below
(k) The child knows that the people would stare.

2. Complete the following sentences. (a) The poet says that the kites are like coloured birds – See the kites fly/Like coloured birds in the sky. The kites have been compared to b __ __ __ __ because they ______________. (b) The child wishes to be like air – I wish I were small / And as light as air. The child wishes to be as l __ __ __ t as __ __ __. The child wishes this to be able to c __ __ m __ on a kite and fly. 143

The poet uses simile in (a) and (b) to compare the kites with coloured birds and the quality of being light as air. The poet uses ‘like’ and ‘as’ to compare.

Do you think that the use of simile in this poem helps us imagine better when we read the poem? Share your thoughts with your teacher and classmates. 3. Find a set of words from the poem that begin with the same consonan sound.

Stanza 1

Which consonant sound do both words begin with ?

Stanza 2

Which consonant sound do both words begin with ?

This is called alliteration. For example, big bright blue bag, funny fan,

etc.

Create 4 other sets of words using alliteration.

4. In the last stanza, the two words that the poet repeats are __________,

__________ to tell us that the kite is flying __ __ __ y high.

5. Study each stanza and underline the rhyming words from the end of

each line. Also, circle the end words in the stanzas that do not rhyme

Let us think and reflect

1. Read the given lines from the poem and answer the following questions.

What fun it would be

To look right down,

Over the park

And the rooftops of tow

(a) Circle the word that does not share the same feeling as ‘fun’:joy, excitement, care, happiness.

(b) Which line tells us that the poet was somewhere above ?

(i)

2. Answer the following questions.

(a) How does the poet describe the kites in the first two lines?

(b) Why does the child say that they have to climb a tree first to get onto

the kite?

(d) Why did the people look up at the child and stare? If you looked up

and saw that, what feelings would you have?

(e) If you were the kite carrying the child high up in the air, what would you tell them?

Let us learn

1. Look at the picture of the kite and read what some of its parts are named.

Now, complete the given conversation by filling the blanks with some

‘parts of a kite’ words from above.

Bina : I love the long yellow t _ _ _ at the end of my kite. What colour is your kite?

Saroj : My kite’s c _ _ _ _ is pink. The s _ _ _ _ e is black.

Bina : Oh wonderful! My kite l _ _ _ is red. The r_ _ l that wraps it is green. I really like it.

Saroj : My kite line is red too. The tip of my kite has a blue

_ _ _ e.

Bina : Beautiful! Let’s go and fly our pretty kite.

2. Let us create a poem using words in a kite!

The first line is the subject. Keep this to one word. Use a noun.	kite
The second line is two describing words for the noun.	pretty, colourful
Line three includes three action words.	flying, floating, soaring
Line four uses two words that describe the action words.	quickly, happily
Line five is one word that has the same meaning as the subject/synonym.	paper-bird

This is called a cinquain poem. It is a five line poem that describes a person, a place or a thing. Now, create a cinquain poem yourself on anything you like.

3. The poet uses the word ‘fly’ and ‘drift’ to tell us about the kite’s movement.

(a) Circle the words that match with the ‘drift’ movement. You can

choose more than one word.

slow fast quick upward

downward round and round float

(b) Study some other words about the kite’s movement and share what type of movement they show. You can look at (a) for the type of movement.

Glide dive soar swoop circle

4. The poet has used expressions like—

up in the air; look right down; stay up there; stand and stare

(a) Read how these expressions are used in the poem.

(b) In pairs, make sentences using these expressions. Discuss with

your teacher and then write in your notebooks.

Let us listen

Listen about the Kite Festival in India. As you listen, circle the words that

are not correct. Then, listen again and write the correct words. (refer to

page 163 for transcript)

(a) Kite Festival is celebrated during the month of June.

(b) The International Kite Festival is named Uttarayan in Eastern India.

and Telangana.

(d) During the Kite Festival, we can see kites of different shapes, sizes

and colours.

(e)In Karnataka, the Tourism Department organises the kite festival

every year.

(f) The Punjab region celebrates Basant Panchami and Baisakhi by flying kites.

(g) People of India also enjoy flying kites on Earth Day. Let us speak Share a kite-flying experience with your classmates. If you have not flown a kite yet, share an experience of watching kites fly. Give details Where? When? Why? How? Speak in complete sentences.

Let us write

1. Imagine yourself as a kite. In pairs, first discuss all the following hints. • What shape of kite are you? What colours do you have? What other parts of yourself are you happy about? • Where are you? Who do you belong to? What activities do you do? Who are your friends? • Do you have any message for humans? 2. Now, write a paragraph of about 100 words, with the title—I am a Kite .

Let us explore

1. The mention of kites exists in ancient Indian texts. It can be found in the poetry of the thirteenth-century Marathi saint and poet, Namadeva. In his poems or gathas, he called a kite a gudi, and there is a mention that the kites were made from kaagad (paper).

2. Have a look at some of the different types of kites. Choose which one is commonly seen.

(a) Find out the steps to make a kite.

(b) Follow the steps and create your own kite. Get it to school to show your

teacher and classmates.

Ila Sachani:

Embroidering Dreams with her Feet

Let us do these activities before we read.

1. Look at the given picture and information. Discuss the questions with your teacher and classmates.

(a) Do you think Pranav’s task is simple? Why or why not?

(b) How does Pranav’s special ability make you feel?

successful?

(d) What message does Pranav’s story give us?

2. Look at the picture of Kathiawar embroidery. Discuss in pairs.

(a) List the steps you think are needed to

create this embroidery.

(b) Discuss if these steps can be done

with feet, instead of hands.

someone has to embroider with their

feet? Do you think it is possible?

Let us read

1. When you enter a tiny room in Moti Vavdi village, Bhavnagar, Gujarat, you will see lots of bright colours. There are many lovely things like cushions, bedcovers,

pillows, and more, with beautiful designs. Ila Sachani, a wonderful lady with a big smile, makes all these using a shiny needle to create these designs. She is very good at

Kathiawar embroidery—a style that needs a lot of skill.

2. Ila Sachani’s journey began in the quiet settings of Amreli, Gujarat, where she was born into a farmer’s family. From the beginning, life presented its challenges,

as Ila was born with her hands hanging loose by her sides. Unlike other children, she could not use her hands in the usual way. While other small hands drew figures

in the sand or plucked wild flowers, she wondered why she could not join them. She too wanted to hold a chalk in her hands and draw figures on a slate.

3. Ila’s mother and grandmother encouraged the little girl and were single-minded to help her overcome her challenge. They were skilled in the traditional art mm6

of Kathiawar embroidery and decided to share this art with Ila. They taught her to create many beautiful patterns using her feet! It was certainly not an easy task, but Ila accepted the challenge with determination. Her parents also helped her learn to do things with her legs, like eating and combing her hair.

4. Threading a needle was hard, but Ila did not give up and became an expert at a young age. Her younger brother and sister helped her too. She learned many styles, even ones from outside Gujarat—Kachhi, Kashmiri, Lucknawi and others.

5. For Ila, embroidery became a way to express herself. At first, she crafted fine designs only for her family and friends, who were awestruck by her talent. They talked about

those designs to others. Soon, the people in the village, too, discovered Ila’s special skill and the admiration for her work began to spread.

6. Word reached the government office, in Surat. They were moved by Ila’s story and impressed by her work. They decided to display some samples of her embroidery

at a state exhibition. This experience opened new doors for Ila. People observed the beauty woven by her feet and readily purchased the creations. Ila was no more ahidden talent, but famous!

7. Encouraged by this popularity, Ila participated in more exhibitions, not just within the state but at the national level. She received many awards and honours, not just for her art but also the willpower and creativity that her work showed. Ila Sachani, once a farmer’s daughter facing a tough challenge, worked hard and became a celebrated artist and receiver of the President’s Medal.

8. The most important change for Ila was the new independence. Through her skill, she not only earned a regular income but also found joy in doing what she loved. She proved, through her creations, that challenges can be turned into victories with focus, hard work, positivity and never giving up.

9. Her embroidery, created with her feet, reminds us that art has the power to rise above physical boundaries and touch the soul.

Let us discuss

Read the paragraphs and write the main idea for each. Then, match the main idea with two supporting details.

Paragraph	Main idea	supporting detailsTwo
1	Introduction to Ila Sachani’s colourful embroidery	(i) Examples of embroidered things (ii) Ila’s use of shiny needle.
2	Early challenges and family support	(i) (ii)
3		(i) (ii)
4		(i) (ii)
5		(i) (ii)
6	Recognition at a state exhibition	(i) (ii)
7		(i) (ii)
8-9		(i) Financial independence and joy (ii) Challenges can be turned into victories

Let us think and reflect

1. Read the following lines and answer the questions that follows.

Unlike other children, she could not use her hands in the usual way. While

other small hands drew figures in the sand or plucked wild flowers, she

wondered why she could not join them. She too wanted to hold a chalk in

her hands and draw figures on a slate.

(a) Choose the correct option to fill in the blank.

‘Unlike other children’ means that Ila was _____________. (unaware/different/simple)

(b) What could Ila have felt when she could not join others in things

they did?

Ila could not draw figures on the slate because ___________.

2. What creative ways did Ila and her family use to overcome the challenges

she faced?

3. How did ‘new independence’ help Ila?

4. Why was the first state exhibition an important event in Ila’s life?

5. What does the sentence, ‘art has the power to rise above physical

boundaries and touch the soul’, tell us about the power of art?

6. How can we be helpful and encouraging like Ila’s family and friends

when someone faces challenges?

7. How can Ila’s story help others to overcome challenges in their lives?

Let us learn

1. Read the words from the text given in Column A. Then, try to understand

what they mean by reading the sentences in Column B. Now, match the

word to its correct synonym in Column C. There are two extra synonyms

given. You may refer to the dictionary.

Column A	Column B	Column c
Word	Sentence	Synonym
tiny	The garden was tiny but the park was really big.	silent Work happy Small difficult fantastic dangerous
wonderful	The wonderful artwork made everyone clap.
quiet	The quiet library was a better place to study than the noisy classroom.
task	Completing the Science homework was a challenging task as it had many questions.
tough	We know that tough times can be overcome, if we try sincerely.

2. Unscramble the antonyms of the words in Column A. An example has

been given for you.

Example: display – E D I H (H I D E )

(a) tiny – E G H U (H __ __ __)

(b) wonderful – R E E B L I T R (T __ R __ __ B ___ E)

(d) task – S I A E M T P (P __ S T __ __ E)

(e) tough – SEYA (E __ __ __)

Use these antonyms in sentences of your own.

3. Read the sentences from the text and focus on the highlighted words.

• You will see lots of bright colours.

• There are many lovely things like cushions and bedcovers.

• They taught her to create many beautiful patterns using her feet!

She learned many styles.

• She received many awards.

(a) The highlighted words tell us about the quantity. Choose what the

words show.

(i) Unmentioned quantity

(ii) Large quantity

(b) Let us now understand what words of quantity tell us.

Fill in the blanks to complete an example for each word of quantity. Hints are given in the brackets.

We saw ______ buses on the road.	(countable noun)
How ______ milk do you want?	(uncountable noun
There is ______ milk needed.	(uncountable noun)
I need ______ examples	(countable noun)
I have ______ energy left. She picked ______ flowers	(uncountable noun and countable noun)
I ate ______ rice	(uncountable noun)

Now, create two sentences for each word of quantity (i-vi), and share them with your teacher and classmates.

Let us listen

You will listen to a talk about Kathiawar embroidery. As you listen, circle

the correct option. (refer to page 164 for transcript)

a. Form b. Colours

(i) old (i) soft

(ii) new (ii) bright

c. Stitches d. Seen on

(i) running stitch (i) children’s cap

(ii) chain stitch (ii) pants

e. Things used f. Designs

(i) small mirrors (i) elephants and horse

(ii) shapes of buttons (ii) squares and triangles

Let us speak

(a) Look at two examples.

Where were you born? Did you go to school?

The Yes/No questions use a rising tone at the end.

(b) Speak the example questions aloud as a peer activity at least five

times.

Speak clearly and with the correct rising tone as shown in (a).

Let us explore

1. Does anyone in your family or neighbourhood do embroidery? Find out

what type of embroidery they do and how they learnt it.

2. Try a simple stitch on cloth with the guidance of a family member.

3. Visit the given link to find out about embroidery types from different

parts of India. Share with your teacher and classmates which one you

liked the most and why

National War Memorial

National War Memorial, New Delhi was established in February 2019. It is a national monument built by the Government of India in honour of our brave soldiers.

Let us read

In Bharat’s heartland, a grand sight to behold, The National War Memorial, honours brave stories retold.

With respect and grace, it stands with pride, Each name etched, each stone, each story to confide.

From battle fields to skies, and to oceans wide, They stand for Bharat, side by side.

The eternal flame, in silence it glows, Paying homage to their courage that shows.

Their sacrifice, always in our mind, In blessed memory, forever remind.

With pride and respect, let’s always remember,At the National War Memorial, their sacrifice forever

Let us do these activities

1. Read the poem aloud.

2. Recite the poem with your classmates and teacher.

3. Remember the poem.

Let us explore

1. Visit the website of the National War Memorial and learn more about it.

https://nationalwarmemorial.gov.in/

2. Plan a visit to the National War Memorial with your teacher/parents