NCERT Solutions Poorvi Chapter 3 North, South, East, West — Let us explore

Book page 134 & 135 Updated on2026-09-05

Q1.

I Solve the crossword puzzle by identifying the States and Union Territories of India using the clues given. Across: 2. Pangong Lake 7. Thar Desert 9. Serenity Beach 11. Hampi 12. Nagarjuna Sagar Dam 14. Thangka Paintings 15. Rann of Kutch 16. Nalanda University. Down: 1. Dampa Tiger Reserve 3. Cellular Jail 4. Double Decker Living Root Bridge 5. Dudhsagar Falls 6. Gangotri Glacier 8. Chilika Lake 10. Chota Nagpur Plateau 13. Kurukshetra.

Answer

Each clue names a landmark; the answer is the State or Union Territory it stands in. The letter-count of each slot in the grid is given so you can check your fit.

No.	Clue	Answer (letters)	Where it is
2 Across	Pangong Lake	LADAKH (6)	A long high-altitude lake at about 4,350 m, shared with China
7 Across	Thar Desert	RAJASTHAN (9)	The Great Indian Desert, in the west of the State
9 Across	Serenity Beach	PUDUCHERRY (10)	A surfing beach a few kilometres north of the town
11 Across	Hampi	KARNATAKA (9)	The ruins of Vijayanagara on the Tungabhadra; a UNESCO site
12 Across	Nagarjuna Sagar Dam	TELANGANA (9)	A masonry dam on the Krishna, on the Telangana–Andhra Pradesh border
14 Across	Thangka Paintings	SIKKIM (6)	Buddhist scroll paintings on cotton or silk, made in the monasteries
15 Across	Rann of Kutch	GUJARAT (7)	The white salt marsh of the Great Rann
16 Across	Nalanda University	BIHAR (5)	The ancient seat of learning near Rajgir
1 Down	Dampa Tiger Reserve	MIZORAM (7)	The State's largest wildlife sanctuary, on the Bangladesh border
3 Down	Cellular Jail	ANDAMAN (7)	The 'Kala Pani' prison at Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands
4 Down	Double Decker Living Root Bridge	MEGHALAYA (9)	Grown from rubber-fig roots at Nongriat, near Cherrapunji
5 Down	Dudhsagar Falls	GOA (3)	A four-tiered waterfall on the Mandovi, in the Western Ghats
6 Down	Gangotri Glacier	UTTARAKHAND (11)	The source of the Bhagirathi, at Gaumukh
8 Down	Chilika Lake	ODISHA (6)	Asia's largest brackish-water lagoon; famous for migratory birds
10 Down	Chota Nagpur Plateau	JHARKHAND (9)	The mineral-rich plateau of eastern India
13 Down	Kurukshetra	HARYANA (7)	The battlefield of the Mahabharata; Jyotisar

Check it yourself: The crossings prove the fit. 3 Down (ANDAMAN) shares its first A with the second letter of LADAKH and its sixth A with the eighth letter of RAJASTHAN; 6 Down (UTTARAKHAND) crosses RAJASTHAN at T, PUDUCHERRY at R, KARNATAKA at K and TELANGANA at A. If even one of those letters clashes, you have the wrong State.

Q2.

II There are many ancient places to visit in India. For example, Kailasa, the majestic cave temples of Ellora. They are officially listed on the World Heritage list by UNESCO. These caves were carved out of the vertical basalt cliffs of the Sahyadri hills. 1. Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen's Stepwell) is located at Patan, Gujarat and is also on the World Heritage list by UNESCO. Stepwells are a distinctive form of water resource and storage systems on the Indian subcontinent, and were constructed during ancient times. They evolved over time from what was basically a pit in sandy soil towards elaborate multi-storey works of art and architecture. Now, find out about the unique places in your village, region or state and share the details with your classmates and the teacher.

Answer

Method. Choose one place within reach of your home. Collect five things about it: what it is, how old it is, who built or made it, why it matters to the people around it, and what condition it is in today. The best sources are not books — talk to the oldest person in your neighbourhood, the temple or mosque committee, the village panchayat office or the local museum. Take one photograph or make one sketch, and end your report with one sentence on what would help to protect the place.

The two examples in your book, briefly:

Kailasa temple, Ellora (Maharashtra) — Cave 16, cut downward out of a single basalt cliff in the eighth century under the Rashtrakuta king Krishna I. It was not built up from the ground but carved out from the top; about 200,000 tonnes of rock were removed. Part of the Ellora UNESCO World Heritage site.
Rani-ki-Vav, Patan (Gujarat) — an eleven-century stepwell built by Queen Udayamati, seven storeys deep, with more than five hundred principal sculptures. Silted over by the Saraswati river for centuries, which is why the carvings survived so well; a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2014, and pictured on the ₹100 note.

Sample answer — a report on a local place

The Sun temple tank at Modhera, Gujarat. Fifteen kilometres from my town stands the Surya Mandir of Modhera, built in 1026–27 CE in the reign of Bhima I of the Chaulukya dynasty. What I found most interesting is not the temple but the kunda in front of it — a rectangular stepped tank with 108 small shrines set into the steps. My grandmother says people still come here for the dance festival in January. The stone is worn at the edges and some carvings have been broken, though the Archaeological Survey now protects the site. What would help most, I think, is that visitors stop climbing on the carved panels for photographs.

Try This: If there is no monument near you, write about a living tradition instead — a stepwell still in use, a village pond, a weekly market, a weaving or pottery cluster, a sacred grove. 'Unique' does not have to mean 'ancient'.

Q3.

III The Hornbill festival is a unique festival that is held annually in the Kisama village near Kohima, the capital of Nagaland. In groups of four, find out about this festival—when it is held, who participates in it, what its purpose is, what events are held, etc. Share your findings with your classmates and the teacher.

Answer

Method. Split the four questions among the four members — when, who, why, what happens — let each person gather notes separately, then put them together into a single one-page report or a chart with photographs. Nagaland Tourism's own website and the newspapers of the first week of December are the most reliable sources.

Sample answer — findings on the Hornbill Festival

Question	Findings
When is it held?	Every year from 1 to 10 December, the first day being Nagaland's Statehood Day (Nagaland became a State on 1 December 1963). It has been held since the year 2000.
Where?	At the Naga Heritage Village, Kisama, about 12 km from Kohima. 'Kisama' comes from the names of the two nearby villages, Kigwema and Phesama.
Who participates?	All the major Naga tribes — Angami, Ao, Chakhesang, Chang, Konyak, Lotha, Sema, Zeliang and others — each with its own morung (traditional hut) in the village. Craftspeople, musicians and cooks take part, and visitors come from all over India and abroad.
What is its purpose?	To revive, protect and display Naga heritage in one place; to encourage the different tribes to meet and understand one another; and to promote tourism and the sale of local crafts and produce.
What events are held?	Traditional dances, war cries and folk songs; indigenous games, Naga wrestling and archery; the log-drum pulling; craft and food stalls in every morung; the Hornbill National Rock Contest; a night bazaar in Kohima; flower shows, a chilli-eating contest and a motor rally.
Why 'Hornbill'?	It is named after the great Indian hornbill, a large forest bird admired in Naga folklore for its courage and grandeur, and whose feathers once decorated ceremonial headgear.

Because so many tribal festivals come together in it, the Hornbill Festival is often called the 'Festival of Festivals'.

Try This: Compare it with a festival of your own region — Bihu, Pongal, Onam, Hornbill, Losar, Hemis, Wangala. Note what all of them have in common: harvest, community meals, dance, and thanks to the land.

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