Chapter 3: Celebrating Festivals

Chapter at a Glance

Rishi from Jammu travels by bus with his parents to visit his Mama, Mami and his cousins Chiya and Nonikaa, who live in a small village near the Himalayas. The bus goes along roads with hairpin turns, past hills covered with colourful flowers and tall trees. From the bus stop they walk along a broad concrete road and then a narrow mud road to the house. In the garden, Rishi recognises roses, marigolds and hibiscus, and Nonikaa shows him a beautiful new flower, the tulip. For lunch they eat haakh, a Kashmiri leafy vegetable, with hot rice.

Over lunch the children talk about spring festivals. Nonikaa tells Rishi about the tulip festival in Kashmir. Rishi describes his own spring festival, where people place mustard and red buransh (rhododendron) flowers at every doorstep and elders give children sweets. Chiya talks about Vishu in Kerala, where yellow amaltas flowers, fruits and vegetables are arranged as Vishu Kani. Mami explains that spring is a celebration of nature after the cold winter.

The chapter also teaches road safety signs, special festival foods from across India, and the Sarhul festival of Jharkhand, where people honour the Earth and the Sun under the sakhua tree. The Himalayas, meaning ‘home of snow’, are the highest mountains in the world, and Mount Everest is about 8,848 metres high.

Word Meanings

Important Topics

1. Rishi’s Journey

• Travelled by bus from Jammu towards the Himalayas.
• Saw hairpin turns, flower-covered hills and tall trees.
• Walked on a concrete road and then a narrow mud road.

2. Spring Festivals of India

3. Road Safety Signs

• No Parking, No Horn, Speed Breaker, No U-Turn, Men at Work, School Ahead.
• Signboards tell us what to do and keep us safe on the road.

4. Festival Foods

5. The Himalayas

• The highest and grandest mountains in the world, in northern India.
• Mount Everest, the highest peak (about 8,848 metres), is in Nepal.

Question-Answers

Very Short Answer Questions

1. Where is Rishi from? Jammu.
2. Whom did Rishi visit? His Mama, Mami and cousins Chiya and Nonikaa.
3. How did Rishi travel? By bus.
4. Which new flower did Rishi see? Tulip.
5. What did they eat for lunch? Haakh with hot rice.
6. What are buransh flowers? Red rhododendron flowers that bloom in spring.
7. Which festival is celebrated in Kerala in spring? Vishu.
8. Which yellow flowers are used in Vishu Kani? Amaltas.
9. In which state is Sarhul celebrated? Jharkhand.
10. What does ‘Himalaya’ mean? Home of snow.
11. Which sweet is made during Holi? Gujiya.

Short Answer Questions

Q1. What did Rishi see on his bus journey?

He saw roads with hairpin turns, hills covered with colourful flowers and tall trees far away.

Q2. How is the spring festival celebrated at Rishi’s place?

People place mustard and buransh flowers at the doorstep of every home. The elders bless the children and give them toffees and sweets.

Q3. What is Vishu Kani?

It is an arrangement of yellow amaltas flowers, fruits and vegetables. People look at it first on the morning of Vishu, the Malayali New Year, hoping for a good year ahead.

Q4. Why is spring called a celebration of nature?

After the cold winter, the sun shines brightly, flowers bloom, grass grows and trees get new leaves. Everything looks fresh and happy.

Q5. How is Sarhul celebrated?

People wear traditional clothes and walk in a procession to the sakhua tree with new grains and sakhua flowers. They thank the Earth and the Sun, and sing and dance to drums.

Long Answer Questions

Q1. Describe Rishi’s visit to his Mama’s house.

Rishi travelled by bus from Jammu with his parents. The bus went along mountain roads with hairpin turns. At the village bus stop, his Mama met them, and they walked on a concrete road and then a mud road to the house. In the garden Rishi saw roses, marigolds, hibiscus and tulips. They ate haakh with rice and talked about spring festivals like the tulip festival, Vishu and Rishi’s own flower festival. After a few days they went home happy.

Q2. How do festivals bring people together?

During festivals, families, relatives and neighbours meet and celebrate together. They prepare special food, wear new clothes, decorate homes, sing and dance. Elders bless children, and people share sweets with each other. Festivals also help us thank nature for flowers, crops and seasons.

Textbook Exercise Answers

A1. What are the different modes of transport used during travel?

Bus, car, train, autorickshaw, bicycle, scooter, aeroplane and boat.

A2. How can one be safe during travels?

Follow road signs, stay seated, wear a seat belt or helmet, do not lean out of windows and stay with elders.

A3. What special foods are prepared during festivals?

Thekua, pitha, plum cake, gujiya, sadya, holige, seviyan, laddoos and kheer.

A4. How do festivals and celebrations bring us together?

We meet family and friends, share food, sing, dance and help each other prepare.

A5. Do you feel happy spending time in nature?

Yes. Fresh air, flowers, birds and trees make me feel calm and happy.

Fill in the blanks

1. Chiya and Nonikaa live in a small village near the mountains.
2. The bus went along the hairpin (mountain) roads where the hills were covered with colourful flowers.
3. Rishi and his family walked to his Mama’s house through a narrow mud road.
4. The red flowers that bloom in spring are called buransh (rhododendron).
5. Haakh is a kind of leafy vegetable eaten with hot rice.

Match the food with the festival: Thekua – Chhath Puja; Pitha – Bihu; Plum cake – Christmas; Gujiya – Holi; Sadya – Onam; Holige – Ugadi; Seviyan – Eid-ul-Fitr.

C. Draw signboards for the school library, toilet, assembly, drinking water point, playground, classroom and stairs, using simple pictures like a book, a tap or a ball.

Festivals of each season (sample)