Q1.
Talk to your elders and find out the rituals in connection to animals and plants which are celebrated in your locality. A few examples are given below.
Answer
Ask the elders which festivals in your place are tied to a plant or an animal. Then fill the two empty rows.
| Name of the festival | Plants/Animals associated | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Vat Purnima | Banyan tree | Worshipping |
| Hari Jiroti | Fruit-bearing trees | Plantation |
| Kaziranga Elephant Festival | Elephant | Awareness drive |
What to do
- Ask your grandparents which festivals in your locality are about a tree or an animal.
- Ask what people actually do on that day — worship, plant saplings, or feed animals.
- Write the festival, the plant or animal, and the activity.
Sample answer:
| Name of the festival | Plants/Animals associated | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Vat Purnima | Banyan tree | Worshipping |
| Hari Jiroti | Fruit-bearing trees | Plantation |
| Kaziranga Elephant Festival | Elephant | Awareness drive |
| Tulsi Vivah | Tulsi plant | Worshipping and decorating the plant |
| Mattu Pongal | Cows and bulls | Bathing, decorating and feeding the cattle |
Other examples you may hear about: Nag Panchami (snakes are worshipped), Van Mahotsav (saplings are planted), and Chhath (the Sun is thanked with fruit and sugarcane).
Why we do this: the chapter says it plainly. We worship many plants and animals in different parts of our country, and this shows our rich tradition of respecting and protecting nature.
Notes about the book: (1) The English book calls the banyan-tree festival Vat Purnima, while the Hindi book calls it Vat Savitri. Both names are used in India for a festival of the banyan tree. (2) On page 67 the book prints “Oraganise a clean-up drive”. The correct spelling is “Organise”.