A Friend's Prayer - CBSE Class 6 English Notes

UNIT 5

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).

1. We like to decorate our homes with ourf _ Ik_rt.

2. Our c_lt_r e consists of our ideas, customs, traditions, values, arts, and languages.

3. All of us celebrate our f_s t_v_ls together.

4. We tel stories to our children to teach them about our c_1t_r e, h_st_ry, andl_g_ n ds.

5. We have our own l_ng _a g_s to talk to each other.

Let us read

I

"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. The teacher 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 wonderful country 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 had something 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-re(

Aipan—Folk art

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.

geru: red clay used as colour

Suprabhat! I am
Priyaranjan from Odisha.
My tribe practises a
4000-year-old metal craft
named Dhokra. To begin,
we make a figure with
i wid a it en coer
Then, we carve the fine

Dhokra

details on the wax. After that, we cover the figure with clay, and put it in the fi re. 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.

carve: to make design with sharp tool

scrap: small unwanted pieces

Finally, we remove the outer layer of clay and fi nish the metal fi gure 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.

Coconut shell craft

stable: not able to move

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 biodegradable: something that will not harm the environment

Kondapalli

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.

tamarind: an edible sour fruit sawdust: dust of wood dyes: colours enamel: paints that form a protective layer

Let us discuss

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

Let us think and reflect

I Fill in the blanks to complete the following sentences.

1. The designs for Aipan are taken from and

2. Dhokra metal craft is very old because it is old.

3. A base is needed for coconut shell craft to make it

4. Soft wood, and colours are used to make Kondapalli toys.

I Why does Akanksha's family make Aipan?

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

IV What is common in the toys made in Balamurali's village and coconut shell craft in Kerala?

Let us learn

I 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

1. I get up and go to take a shower. 2. , I wear my school dress. 3. , I eat my food. 4. , I wear my shoes. 5. , I pick up my bag and go out of my home.

I 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 $- \mathsf { s } / \mathsf { \Lambda }$ es wherever necessary. Two examples are given.

Let us listen

I Listen to the description of gakkad bharta and complete the notes given below. (refer to page 162 for transcript)

Gakkad Bharta

1. Name of the speaker
2. The town of the speaker
3. The state he belongs to
4. The name of the food item
5. Vegetables roasted for bharta :

I Now, listen to the description again and complete the flowchart on how to make gakkad bharta.

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

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.

I Answer the following questions and share them with your teacher and classmates.

1. Have you ever flown a kite or seen someone fly it? Where? When?

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

3. What did you think when you saw the kite up in the sky?

II Search the internet for videos on Kite Festivals and watch them with your teacher and classmates.

1. Share the things with your teacher that you saw and what the people were doing.

2. Would you like to participate in this kind of festival? Why?

3. What kind of kite would you like to fly?

II Look at the picture and complete the sentences. Share your responses with your teacher.

windy kite flying birds sky looking has ribons

1. I can see and in the picture.

2. The weather in the picture is

3. The kite is high in the sky.

4. The child is from below.

5. The tail of the kite

IV Now, think and answer.

2. If I were the child, I would

3. List two more things that you want to add to the picture.

4. If I were the kite, 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.

Let us discuss

I Read the poem silently. As you read, mark the given statements as True or False.

II Complete the following sentences.

1. 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

2. 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.

The poet uses simile in 1 and 2 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.

III Find a set of words from the poem that begin with the same consonant sound.

Stanza 1

Which consonant sound do both words begin with?

Stanza 3

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.

IV In the last stanza, the two words that the poet repeats are to tell us that the kite is fl ying ———y high.

V 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

I 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 town.

1. Circle the word that does not share the same feeling as 'fun': joy, excitement, care, happiness.

2. Which line tells us that the poet was somewhere above?

3. Choose the scene the child saw.

I Answer the following questions.

1. How does the poet describe the kites in the first two lines?

2. Why does the child say that they have to climb a tree first to get onto the kite?

3. What are the songs that the child hears when flying atop the kite?

4. Why did the people look up at the child and stare? If you looked up and saw that, what feelings would you have?

5. If you were the kite carrying the child high up in the air, what would you tell them?

Let us learn

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

Nose Spine Cover Reel

Now, complete the given conversation by filling the blanks with some 'parts of a kite' from above.

Bina : I like the long t _ - - at the end of my kite. What is your kite like?

Saroj : My kite's C_---is bright. The s--e is black.

Bina Oh wonderful! My kite's l _-is attached to the r _1 that wraps it. I really like it.

Saroj : Did you know that the tip of a kite is called a __s _?

Bina : Wonderful! Thanks for letting me know. Let's go and fly our pretty kites.

II Let us create a poem using words in a kite!

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.

III The poet uses the word fly' and 'drift'to tell us about the kite's movement.

1. 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

2. Study some other words about the kite's movement and share what type of movement they show. You can look at 1 for the type of movement.

glide dive soar swoop circle

IV The poet has used expressions like— up in the air; look right down; stay up there; stand and stare

1. Read how these expressions are used in the poem. 2. 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)

1. Kite Festival is celebrated during the month of June.

2. The International Kite Festival is named Uttarayan in Eastern India.

3. Uttarayan is mainly celebrated in Gujarat, but also in Maharashtra and Telangana.

4. During the Kite Festival, we can see kites of different shapes, sizes and colours.

5. In Karnataka, the Tourism Department organises the Kite Festival every year.

6. The Punjab region celebrates Basant Panchami and Baisakhi by flying kites.

7. 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

I 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).

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

1. Find out the steps to make a kite.

2. Follow the steps and create your own kite. Bring it to school to show your teacher and classmates.

3. Write a message on the kite. For example: Happy Independence Day!

ILA SACHANI: EMBROIDERING DREAMS WITH HER FEET

Let us do these activities before we read.

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

Pranav M. Balasubramaniam is from Palakkad in Kerala. Though he was born without both hands, he has excelled as an artist, a singer, and a para-sportsperson.

1. Do you think Pranav's task is simple? Why or why not?

2. How does Pranav's special ability make you feel?

3. What qualities do you think were important for Pranav to become successful? C

4. What message does Pranav's story give us?

[I Look at the picture of Kathiawar embroidery. Discuss in pairs.

1. List the steps you think are needed to create this embroidery.
2. Discuss if these steps can be done with feet, instead of hands.
3. What efforts would be needed if someone has to embroider with their feet? Do you think it is possible?

Kathiawar embroidery

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.

Ila Sachani

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.

challenges: diffi culties

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 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.

single-minded: focused

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 a hidden talent, but famous!

determination: will power

awestruck: amazed

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.

Kachhi embroidery

popularity: fame

Let us discuss

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

Let us think and reflect

I Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow.

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.

1. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank.

'Unlike other children' means that Ila was . (unaware/ different/simple)

2. What could Ila have felt when she could not join others in things they did? T

3. Complete the following with a suitable reason.

Ila could not draw figures on the slate because

I What creative ways did Ila and her family use to overcome the challenges she faced?

III How did 'new independence' help Ila?

IV Why was the first state exhibition an important event in Ila's life?

V What does the sentence, 'art has the power to rise above physical boundaries and touch the soul', tell us about the power of art?

VI How can we be helpful and encouraging like Ila's family and friends when someone faces challenges?

VII How can Ila's story help others to overcome challenges in their lives?

Let us learn

I 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.

II Unscramble the antonyms of the words in Column A. An example has been given for you.

Example: display – E D I H (H ID E ) 1. tiny -E G H U (H (T _ R__B E) 3. quiet-IYNSO (N−−−) 4. task-S I A E M T P (P _ S T−−E) 5. tough-SEYA (E_−−)

Use these antonyms in sentences of your own.

III 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.

1. The highlighted words tell us about the quantity. Choose what the words show.

(i) Unmentioned quantity (ii) Large quantity

2. Let us now understand what words of quantity tell us.

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

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)

1. Form 2. Colours(i) old (i) soft(i) new (ii) bright

2. Stitches

3. Seen on

(i) running stitch (i) children's caps (ii) chain stitch (ii) pants

5. Things used 6. Designs (i) small mirrors (i) elephants and horses (ii) shapes of buttons (ii) squares and triangles

Let us speak

In pairs, write down two questions you would like to ask Ila Sachani.

1. Look at two examples.
   1 Where were you born? Did you go to school? The Yes/No questions use a rising tone at the end. ed
2. Speak the example questions aloud as a peer activity at least five times.
3. Now, take turns to ask your questions to another classmate. Speak clearly and with the correct rising tone as shown in 1.

Let us write

• Collect four/fi ve items (such as flowers, leaves, pins, waste paper, old cards, cardboard boxes, straws, twigs, etc.).

• Use these items to create any kind of artwork.

Now, write a paragraph describing the artwork that you have created.
Give a suitable title to your paragraph.

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.

https://indianculture.gov.in/textiles-and-fabrics-of-india/type-oftextile/embroidery

NATIONAL WAR MEMORIAL

National War Memorial, New Delhi (रष्ट्ीय समर स्मारक, नई दिल्ली) 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 confi de.

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 sacrifi ce forever.

National War Memorial

Amar Jawan Jyoti

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://www.mygov.in

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

Transcript

Let us listen (refer to page 138)

KALAKRITIYON KA BHARAT

Namaste! You must be tired and hungry after listening to so many people. I am Sushil from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh. Let me tell you a unique dish of my district. It is called gakkad bharta. First, we make gakkad from wheat dough. Then, we make balls with that dough and roast them on high heat. To make bharta, we roast brinjals and tomatoes. Then we garnish the bharta with chopped onions, coriander, green chillis and salt. This food item is made without frying. To eat it, you simply crumble the gakkad and drizzle it with some bharta and a spoonful of ghee. Come to Jabalpur and try it!

You will listen to the audio or narration once again. As you listen, check your answers.

Transcript

Let us listen (refer to page 148)

ThE KItES

Hello everyone! I'm happy to share with you some details about the Kite Festival. It is a popular festival in India and it takes place during Makar Sankranti in the month of January. People can even be seen flying kites from their terraces and rooftops and taking part in kite flying competitions.

This festival is celebrated as Uttarayan in Western India. The festival gives everyone a chance to look at kites of different shapes, sizes and colours. Gujarat is the main centre of celebrations but Uttarayan is also celebrated in Rajasthan and Telangana. In Karnataka, the Tourism Department has also been organising the Kite Festival once each year. Punjab also celebrates this festival of kites during Baisakhi and Basant Panchami.

Kite flying is a tradition that is deep-rooted in Indian culture and the Kite Festival is one that is eagerly awaited. This is also a reason why people across India also fly kites to celebrate Independence Day. Happy kite-flying to all of you!

You will listen to the audio or narration once again. As you listen, check your answers.

Source: https://utsav.gov.in/view-event/kite-festival-2 (Ministry of Tourism))

Transcript

Let us listen (refer to page 158)

ILA SACHANI:

EMBROIDERING DREAMS WITH HER FEET

Hello everyone! I'm here today to share some simple information about Kathiawar embroidery. This is a very old form of embroidery. It uses many bright colours and also uses many types of stitches, like the chain stitch. The embroidery is commonly seen on clothes and home decoration items. On clothes, it is seen on children's caps, ghagra skirts and men's traditional shirts. In this embroidery, a lot of mirror work is done by fitting small mirrors along with the stitches. Most commonly, the designs used are geometric shapes like squares and triangles. The design of flowers is also used. There is much more to share but I'll do that some other time.

Thank you!

You will listen to the audio or narration once again. As you listen, check your answers.