Have a look at some of the different types of kites. Parafoil Delta Rokkaku Diamond-shaped kite Box kites The five kinds of kite pictured on page 150. Choose which one is commonly seen.

The diamond-shaped kite is the one commonly seen in India. It is the simple four-cornered kite of coloured paper stretched over two crossed sticks, with a paper tail. It is the cheapest and the lightest of the five, needs only a light breeze, and is the kite sold in every bazaar before Makar Sankranti and Independence Day. Type What it looks like How often you see it here Diamond-shaped Four corners, a spine and a cross stick, a paper tail Very common — the everyday Indian kite Delta A wide triangle like an aeroplane wing Seen mostly at kite festivals Rokkaku Six-sided, Japanese, often painted with a face Rare Parafoil No sticks at all; the wind fills it like a parachute Rare Box kites Two open boxes joined by a frame Rare; needs a strong wind

NCERT Solutions for Class 6th English Chapter 5 The Kites — Let us explore

Book page 149 & 150 Updated on2026-09-19

Q1.

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).

Answer

This note tells us that kite-flying in Bharat is at least seven hundred years old.

Fact	Detail
Who mentions kites	Namadeva, a Marathi saint-poet of the thirteenth century
Where	In his poems, which are called gathas
His word for a kite	gudi
What kites were made of	kaagad — paper

Why this is placed here: Daphne Lister's poem calls the kite's surface “the paper wings”. Namadeva, seven centuries earlier and in another language, recorded the same material — kaagad. The kite has changed very little; only the words for it have.

Something to find out: In Maharashtra a bamboo pole with a bright cloth and a pot on top is raised at every house on Gudi Padwa, the new year. Ask an elder whether the word gudi in that festival is connected with Namadeva's word for a kite.

Q2.

Have a look at some of the different types of kites.

The five kinds of kite pictured on page 150.

Choose which one is commonly seen.

Answer

The diamond-shaped kite is the one commonly seen in India.

It is the simple four-cornered kite of coloured paper stretched over two crossed sticks, with a paper tail. It is the cheapest and the lightest of the five, needs only a light breeze, and is the kite sold in every bazaar before Makar Sankranti and Independence Day.

Type	What it looks like	How often you see it here
Diamond-shaped	Four corners, a spine and a cross stick, a paper tail	Very common — the everyday Indian kite
Delta	A wide triangle like an aeroplane wing	Seen mostly at kite festivals
Rokkaku	Six-sided, Japanese, often painted with a face	Rare
Parafoil	No sticks at all; the wind fills it like a parachute	Rare
Box kites	Two open boxes joined by a frame	Rare; needs a strong wind

Q1.

Find out the steps to make a kite.

Answer

Here are the steps for the common diamond-shaped kite. Ask an elder or a shopkeeper as well, and write the steps in your notebook using the sequence words from page 137.

Step	What to do
You need	One sheet of thin coloured paper, two thin bamboo sticks (one long for the spine, one shorter for the cross), glue or maida paste, thread, a pair of scissors, a strip of paper for the tail, and a reel.
First	Cut the long stick for the spine and the shorter one for the bow. Tie them in a cross, a little above the middle of the spine.
After that	Run a thread around all four tips to make the diamond outline, and knot it tight.
Next	Lay the frame on the paper, cut the paper about two centimetres bigger all round, fold the edges over the thread and paste them down.
Then	Make two small holes near the nose and near the middle, and tie a short bridle thread through them. The kite line is knotted to this bridle.
At last	Paste a long paper tail at the bottom, wind the line on the reel, and let the paste dry completely before flying.

Safety note: use plain cotton thread, never glass-coated manjha. It injures birds, and it cuts the hands and necks of people below.

Q2.

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

Answer

Make the kite at home with an elder's help, and let the paste dry overnight before you carry it to school.

Check before you bring it	Why
Is the frame straight and the cross stick exactly in the middle?	A crooked kite spins instead of rising.
Are both halves of the paper the same size?	An uneven kite leans to one side.
Is the tail long enough?	The tail steadies the kite; too short and it dives.
Is the bridle knot tight?	The whole kite hangs from this one knot.

When you show it in class: hold it up and name its parts using the words from page 146 — nose, spine, cover, tail, kite line, reel. Then say in two sentences which step was the hardest and what you would do differently next time.

Q3.

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

Answer

Write the message in big, bold letters on the cover, because it has to be read from far below. Keep it to five or six words.

Occasion or idea	Message you can write
National days	Happy Independence Day! • Jai Hind • Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat
Festivals	Happy Makar Sankranti! • Happy Uttarayan!
Kindness to birds	No manjha — save our birds • Fly kites, not sharp threads
The earth	Plant a tree, clean the air • Save water, save life
School	Read a book, fly higher • Dreams have no ceiling

Why a kite makes a good poster: it is the only message in your town that hundreds of people will read at the same time, from their own roofs, without being asked to. Choose a message worth sending that far up.

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