4.Chapter 3.S.St.Celebrating Our Diversity

Chapter 3

Celebrating Our Diversity

SCHOO The entire DAV School was beautifully decorated with flags.  streamers, flowers and rangoli (floor art).  The Principal and the Head Girl were greeting the guests.  Some students were applying tilak and welcoming everyone respectfully.  The school band was playing a welcome tune.  The atmosphere was filled with fun and gaiety.  The School was organizing an Inter - House Celebration and the theme was - The Indian Culture.  The six houses of the school were ready with their presentations that highlighted the unique diversity of our country.  They had carefully selected some special occasions that are celebrated in different parts of our country.  The students had collected the information with the help of their parents, teachers, the library and the internet.  They had put in a lot of effort in preparing posters, stage properties, scripts and costumes for each presentation.  The program was inaugurated with the lighting of the lamp by the Chief Guest.  The Principal delivered the welcome speech.  18

Ganesh Chaturthi - Presented by Hansraj House The House Captain Narrated that Ganesh or Vinayak Chaturthi is dedicated to the birth of Lord Ganesh, the God of good beginning, knowledge, success, wisdom and remover of obstacles.  The festival is celebrated in the month of August or September, mainly in Maharashtra and South India.  The curtain rose to show people buying idols of Ganpati.  The images were then taken home, worshipped with kumkum, flowers, fruits and sweets.  Lord Ganesh After the celebration, the images were taken out in a procession for visarjan (immersion into a river or sea) after a few days.  The children chanted Ganpati bappa moraya, pudchya varshi laukaraya (Father Ganpati, come again soon next year).  Do you know?  The great freedom fighter, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak made Ganesh Utsav a public celebration by inculcating a pride for Indian culture, music, poetry and dance.  Navratri - Presented by Dayanand House The Navratri celebration of Gujarat was presented with Garbha and Dandiya Raas.  The girls were dressed in ghaghra - choli - odhini, and the boys wore dhoti - kurtas.  The narrator explained - Navratri is celebrated for nine nights and Goddess Durga is worshipped.  The period is considered an auspicious time to start new ventures.  It is celebrated twice a year.  In some places, people worship young girls as Dandiya Paas 19

Goddess Durga and offer them puri, halwa, channe and other gifts on the eighth day - ashtami do you know?  In West Bengal, Durga Puja is celebrated in Puja Pandals.  After South Indian states of Tamil Nadu, the celebration, the beautifully Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh decorated idols are taken in a celebrate Navratri as Bommai Kolu procession and immersed in a when they decorate their homes pond or a river.  with dolls.  The spectators, who were watching the presentation, clapped when they saw the pond that the children had created with light blue sarees!  Navratri and Durga Puja are celebrated as Dusshera in Northern India.  The celebrations continue for ten days.  The festival ends when the effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarana and Meghnada are set afire to celebrate the victory of good over evil.  Dusshera Durga Puja Id - ul - Fitr Presented by Vivekanand House The House Captain Narrated - Id - ul - Fitr is celebrated by Muslims at the end of Ramadan, the ninth lunar month.  Ramadan is a month long fasting when Muslims offer Salat (prayers), recite Quran, follow good behavior and donate for the needy.  Id - ul Fitr is a day of joy and thanksgiving.  It is also a day of forgiving and forgetting ill people offering prayers on the eve of Id - ul - Fitr 20

feelings towards others.  The family Do You Know?  elders give 'ldi' - presents or money The lunar calendar depends on to the youngsters as blessings.  The movement of moon around A student dressed in sharara the earth and the solar calendar kameej and dupatta told everyone depends on the motion of earth that the holy book of Muslims, the around the sun.  Quran, came into existence during this month.  Prophet Mohammad was chosen by God to be his messenger.  Onam: The Carnival of Kerala - Gandhi House A girl dressed in white cotton saree with a golden border narrated Onam is the harvest festival of Kerala.  It marks the homecoming of the legendary King Mahabali.  It is celebrated in the beginning of the month of Chingam, the first month of Malayalam calendar.  The Legend of King Mahabali King Mahabali was a demon king of Kerala.  His rule was a period of golden age.  People were very happy, prosperous and lived in harmony.  His rule came to an end when Lord Vishnu took the avatar of a Vamana and pushed King Mahabali deep into the earth to destroy his ego.  Because of his love of people, the Lord granted King Mahabali a wish that he could visit his kingdom once a year.  The highlights of Onam are Pookalam (floral rangoli), new clothes for the family, and the grand feast called Onasadya.  It consists of various types of curries (parippu, sambhar, rasam), kootu, pappadam, pradhaman, paisam, rice, mango pickle and coconut chutney.  The Snake - boat races and the famous Kathakali dance attract thousands of tourists to Kerala.  Do you know?  Pulikkali Tiger Dance is a popular feature of Onam celebration where hundreds of men, dressed as tigers, dance to the beat of drums.  It takes four hours to paint and decorate each person to look like a lion!  The best dancer and decorated lion man are awarded prizes!  21

Navroz - Presented by Sarojini House The House Captain Narrated - Jamshed - e - Navroz is a Parsi New Year.  It is celebrated on the first day of the first month of Shehenshahi calendar which is followed by followers of Zoroastrian faith.  The festival celebrates rejuvenation and rebirth.  Parsis clean and decorate their homes with rangolis made up of jasmine and rose flowers.  Do you know?  Parsis are a small religious community of India.  They arrived in Gujarat region from Iran.  A major part of Parsi population lives in Mumbai.  They are the followers of the Iranian prophet Zoroaster.  The holy book of Parsis is Zend Avesta.  On Navroz, the Parsis offer their prayers in a Synagogue, the fire temple.  They wish Sal - Mubarak to each other and exchange gifts.  The special feast on Navroz includes faluda, saffron pulao and ravo (made of semolina and dates).  Fresh fruits, dried fruits and a variety of seeds are also served.  Do you know?  Parsis go to the synagogue thrice on Navroz to worship Khorshed and Meher, the two divine beings, who preside over the sun and the moon respectively.  Marriage Celebrations - Presented by Nehru House The House Captain Narrated - India is a land of diverse cultures and religions.  Each region / community has its own unique way of celebrating weddings.  Different wedding rituals are followed in different parts of our country.  Many traditions are common among different communities.  A PowerPoint Presentation displayed wedding celebration in various cultures on a big screen.  A fun - filled presentation showcased various rituals of a Hindu Wedding like mehndi, sangeet, baraat, kanyadaan, sindoor, seven pheras and vidai.  The audience loved the folk dances and songs that were sung at different occasions.  The second presentation showed a Sikh Wedding, Anand Karaj, at a Gurudwara.  The ceremony was presided over by Bhaiji - a priest.  The hymns 22

were recited from the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhs.  The bride and groom went around the Guru Granth Sahib four times.  The ceremony was very beautiful.  Christian Wedding was conducted by a priest in a church.  The bride was wearing a beautiful white dress and a white veil.  The groom was dressed in a suit.  The couple exchanged rings and accepted each other as husband and wife in the presence of family members and friends.  The wedding ceremony was followed by reception where the wedding cake was cut by the couple.  Hindu wedding Sikh wedding Christian wedding The marriage rituals may differ but the essence of all weddings is the union of a couple and bonding of the two families.  The Inter - House Celebration came to an end with a lot of appreciation for the students and teachers who had presented the best features of Indian culture in a wonderful way.  23

Chapter 1 

Family Relationships

I am Angad.  I live with the members of my family.  They give me love and affection.  I share my thoughts and feelings with them.  Whenever I am in doubt, I ask my parents, grandparents, uncles or aunts for advice.  Sometimes, my siblings or cousins ​​come up with the best advice to make a decision.  Do you know?  Foster children are not adopted but live with the family for a fixed period.  A family 'consists of a married couple and their children, both natural (born to that couple) and adopted.  Family members share a common residence and surname.  Some members of a family may live away from their family home for education, jobs, etc.  The needs of the members are fulfilled by a family.  It looks after the children as well as the sick and the old members.  All family members love and respect one another.  Do you know?  Family is the first school where the child learns the Do's and the Don'ts of the society.

The family members share the Do You Know?  household chores The sharing 'Singh' is the surname of reduces the burden on any one family Angad's family.  Member and encourages responsibility Angad's father, Sunny Singh and mother, Nidhi Singh look after the family business.  His brother, Aadit Singh takes him to the park in the evening.  His grandmother, Dr.  Promila Singh, helps him with his homework and looks after the health of all family members.  She also narrates wonderful stories about great people, places and events.  Angad's grandfather, Mr.  Kawaljeet Singh, buys vegetables and fruits for the family.  He takes the children to school and for nature walks.  The children learn good imen behavior, moral values ​​and skills by watching the members of the family.  The older family members automatically pass on values ​​and family traditions to the younger generation.  The children learn to talk politely, greet guests and respect Do You Know?  Many children inherit talents from their family members.  A child may sing melodiously like a parent, an uncle or a grandparent.  2

their elders.  They learn how to arrange their books and toys, sew buttons, fold their clothes, polish their shoes and lay the table for family meals.  They also learn family crafts like weaving, painting, jewelery making, pottery, etc.  Joint Family A joint family has parents and their married children living together.  It consists of a number of nuclear families living under the same roof.  Mostly, they share a common kitchen and hold a common property.  Sharing space teaches the children cooperation, living in harmony and caring for the members of the family.  Indu's father died in a road accident in Dibrugarh (Assam).  Indu and her mother shifted to Meerut to live with her father's parents.  Indu's mother was not trained for any job.  She learnt computers and office management.  Now she works in an office.  Indu's grandfather, who was a National Level Swimmer, teaches her swimming.  During the summer vacation, he takes all his grandchildren to the swimming pool and coaches them.  Indu enjoys her cousins ​​company!

Nuclear Family A nuclear family consists of a married couple and their unmarried children.  In a nuclear family, the parents and siblings provide all the support, companionship and advice to the children, as their cousins, uncles, aunts or grandparents do not live with them.  There is greater interaction nong the parents and the children in a nuclear family.  Angad's uncle works in a bank.  He has been transferred to Ladakh.  His wife and two children are also going with him.  The whole family is feeling very sad.  Angad's uncle, Sandeep and his wife, Priya rent a house in Ladakh.  His children Riya and Vikas miss their grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins.  Their parents are helping them to adjust to a nuclear family.  BANK MANAGER Angad's friend - Parth Angad went to Parth's house to see his baby sister - Shweta.  Parth told him that she grew up in his mother's body.  She was delivered in a hospital and brought home.  Angad wondering where she would sleep and what she would eat!  4

Changing Family System in India Do You Know?  The family system is changing very All the family members get fast.  Joint family system, which was together for celebrations like very strong in India, is changing as weddings, festivals and the people are moving to different parts of birth of a child.  the country and the world.  They migrate to other places in search of better jobs and educational opportunities or suitable climate.  In earlier times, most people were engaged in agriculture.  It required many hands that were available in a joint family.  But the income from land was not sufficient for increase in the size of families.  Hence, some members moved to cities for employment in various fields.  Nuclear families became common in rural areas.  Even in urban areas the number of nuclear families increased as many members moved to other cities or countries for education, employment, climate, etc.  Whatever the type of family may be, each member of the family is important.  A family provides an environment of care, protection, love and belongingness.  Do you know?  Family unity can be encouraged in the following ways: (a) Treat all the members with respect.  (b) Forgive and forget.  (c) Spend quality time together.  nel PUSHunt 5