Hamara Bharat - Incredible India!

Class 06 English

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.

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.”

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-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.