Circle of Learning • New NCERT textbook "Kaveri" (2026-27) • Reflect and Respond, Check Your Understanding, Critical Reflection, Vocabulary and Structures, Listening, Speaking, Writing, Learning Beyond the Text, and the poem "Canvas of Soil" – complete answers
Reflect and Respond
Does anyone in your family use a hand fan? What do you call it in your language? What is it made of?
Answer
Sample answer: Yes, my grandmother uses a hand fan during power cuts in summer. In Hindi we call it a "pankha" (a small one is a "pankhi"). Hers is made of woven palm leaf with a cloth border and a bamboo handle.
Study the pictures and complete the information about the fans from Assam, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh.
Answer
The State it is from | Assam | Kerala | Uttar Pradesh |
Shape | Round (circular) | Round / semi-circular, like an open fan of pleats | Square (flag-shaped, fixed to the handle on one side) |
Made of | Bamboo (split bamboo strips) | Palm leaf | Moonj grass |
Match the underlined words in Column 1 with their meanings in Column 2.
Answer
Column 1 | Column 2 |
1. indigenous | (iv) local – from where it originated |
2. innovative | (v) new and original in approach |
3. industrious | (i) hardworking |
4. intricate | (vi) elaborate/detailed |
5. invoked | (iii) brought out |
6. initiatives | (ii) actions to improve a situation |
Check Your Understanding
Complete the table on pankha.
Answer
State | Type of Fan | Material Used |
Rajasthan | appliqué hand fan | pieces of fabric in different shapes sewn onto another cloth with ornamental needlework |
zardozi hand fan | gold thread | |
temple hand fans | engraved brass (with a long handle) | |
Gujarat | mirror work hand fans | pure cotton embellished with mirror work |
beads hand fan | beads | |
Kutch hand-stitched leather hand fans | leather, decorated with thread and wool | |
West Bengal | sola hand fans | milky-white spongy centre of sola (a type of water grass) |
Uttar Pradesh | Phadh hand fans | pure gold, silver zari, silk and satin frills |
Bihar | colourful, sturdy bamboo hand fans | bamboo |
Critical Reflection
Extract 1: "Over time, pankhas became significant cultural goods distributed through trade routes ... that set them apart from one another."
Answer
(i) True or false: Pankhas were one of the most popular items of commerce.
True. Pankhas became "significant cultural goods distributed through trade routes" and were considered exotic and stylish, so they were much in demand in trade.
(ii) Why has the word 'traditional' been used to describe pankhas?
Answer
Because pankhas have been made and used in India for centuries, and the methods, materials and designs have been handed down from generation to generation in each village and town, reflecting local customs and rituals.
(iii) The sentence 'They were considered exotic and stylish' is an opinion and not a fact because ______.
it expresses what people thought or felt about pankhas; words like "exotic" and "stylish" are personal judgements that cannot be proved or measured.
(iv) Infer one reason for commonality in the use of pankhas across India.
India has a hot climate in most regions, so people everywhere needed hand fans to keep cool (they were also used everywhere in temples to fan deities and in royal courts).
(v) Select the correct assertion for the reason: Pankhas were made of indigenous materials, unique to the region, with elaborate designs.
A. Each kind of pankha could be distinguished from the other.
Extract 2: "With time and the advent of technology and innovative creations ... the different versions of the pankha being crafted."
(i) Infer one negative impact of technological advancement on pankha.
With electric fans and coolers available, people no longer need hand fans, so the culture of pankhas is slowly losing its presence and artisans lose work.
(ii) The writer refers to 'pankhas' not just as an object but as a 'culture' because ______.
pankhas carry the history, traditions, rituals, stories and artistry of the regions that make them; they reflect "the cultural core of the region".
(iii) Select a line from the extract which depicts how the role of the pankha has changed over the years.
"Once made for personal use, over time this handicraft has transformed into a commercial business and now provides some form of livelihood to India's artisans."
(iv) List one way in which the increase in demand of pankhas might benefit artisans.
It gives artisans more orders and a better income, helping them earn a sustainable livelihood from their craft.
(v) Select the factor that has contributed to the commercialisation of pankhas.
B. economic demand
Answer the following questions.
Answer
How does the title 'Winds of Change' capture the essence of the chapter?
Answer
The title is a play on words: pankhas create wind, and the chapter describes the changes in their role over time. Pankhas moved from fanning deities and kings to being trade goods, then decorative craft items and now a commercial livelihood. The "winds" of technology have also threatened the craft, while new designs and workshops bring fresh change to revive it.
Support the statement 'The structure and design of pankhas are testimony to the cultural identity of the region' with any two relevant examples.
Answer
(i) Gujarat, the centre of bead craft and mirror work, makes cotton fans embellished with mirror work and bead fans with silver handles, while Kutch makes hand-stitched leather fans – all reflecting its embroidery traditions.
(ii) Rajasthan's zardozi fans with glittering gold threadwork and engraved brass temple fans reflect its royal heritage and temple traditions. (Also: Bengal's sola and Tal Patar palm-leaf fans, found in every Bengali household.)
Evaluate how the balance between preserving traditional craftsmanship and incorporating innovative designs in the creation of pankhas will help them from losing their presence.
Answer
Keeping traditional craftsmanship – local materials like palm leaf, bamboo and sola, and techniques like mirror work, zardozi and appliqué – preserves the identity and authenticity of each region's pankha. At the same time, innovative designs, such as decorative wall pieces, lighter and more colourful versions and new uses, make pankhas attractive to modern buyers. The chapter notes that the slight increase in demand is due to "the different versions of the pankha being crafted". So a balance of the old and the new keeps the craft alive, meaningful and saleable, giving artisans a steady livelihood.
How might initiatives such as pankha-making workshops contribute to the preservation of this traditional craft?
Answer
Workshops teach the craft to new learners, spread awareness about its beauty and importance, let artisans demonstrate their skills, and connect them with buyers at exhibitions. This keeps the skill alive and gives artisans a commercial platform.
The writer mentions celebrating pankhas in the concluding part of the chapter. Assess how this could be beneficial to artisans and the craft.
Answer
Celebrating pankhas and appreciating their culture, stories and artistry makes people value the craft again. It allows contemporary pankha makers to showcase their work, regain popularity and find a commercial platform for a sustainable livelihood. For the craft, it means renewed interest and a better chance of survival.
How does the restriction of the use of pankha for decorative purposes reflect the changing cultural role of these traditional fans in modern India?
Answer
Earlier, pankhas were everyday necessities and were used in temples and royal courts. Now, with electric fans, they are no longer needed for cooling and are used mainly as decorations and craft items. This shows that their role has shifted from a useful object to a symbol of heritage and art.
Vocabulary and Structures in Context
Classify the pairs (exotic and stylish, villages and towns, thread and wool, silk and brass, ornate and encrusted, within and outside) into Appearance, Place and Material. Find more such word pairs from the text.
Answer
Appearance | Place | Material |
exotic and stylish; ornate and encrusted | within and outside; villages and towns | thread and wool; silk and brass |
More word pairs from the text: shapes and sizes; grass and metal; cane and palm leaves; silk and satin; popularity and demand; mirror work and cross-stitch embroidery; white ink and red background.
Find the word pairs for the fixed expressions and write their meanings.
Answer
Word 1 | Fixed expression | Meaning |
1. high | high and dry | (i) in a difficult situation, without help or money |
2. cut | cut and run | (vii) to make a quick or sudden escape |
3. fact | facts and figures | (iii) accurate and detailed information |
4. all | all and sundry | (v) everyone, not just a few special people |
5. wear | wear and tear | (ii) the damage to an object due to normal use |
6. time | time and again | (vi) often; on many or all occasions |
7. thick | through thick and thin | (iv) even when there are problems or difficulties |
8. hard | hard and fast | (not among the given meanings) fixed and definite, that cannot be changed, e.g. "hard and fast rules" |
Choose the appropriate word collocations.
(i) The students have to take the English exam tomorrow.
(ii) The interviewer asked the candidate to take a seat.
(iii) My scooter ran into a car.
(iv) I must take responsibility for my success.
(v) I would like to improve my grammar.
Answer
Underline the verbs in the sentences, then fill in the blanks with the present perfect form of verbs.
Answer
Verbs: 1. have become 2. have worked 3. have adopted 4. has transformed
Puppets have long fascinated audiences worldwide. Puppeteers (i) have created intricate characters and captivating stories with their skilful artistry. They (ii) have mastered the delicate movements that bring these lifeless figures to life, entertaining both children and adults. Over the years, puppetry (iii) has evolved, using modern technology while preserving traditional techniques. Many puppeteers (iv) have passed down their craft through generations, ensuring its continuity. They (v) have performed in theatres, on television, and at festivals, conveying important cultural narratives.
Listen and Respond
Listen to a dialogue between a boy and a girl (Rohan and Priya) discussing which pankha to choose as a gift. Choose four statements out of seven that are true.
Answer
Statement | True/False |
1. Rohan thinks Grandma prefers heavier items because they feel more substantial. | True – Rohan recalls that Grandma "likes things with a bit of weight". |
2. Priya suggests getting a pankha that can be easily moved around. | True – Priya agrees a heavy one would be hard to move and suggests "something in between". |
3. Rohan believes Grandma enjoys sitting in the verandah during the evenings. | True |
4. Priya knows Grandma likes to keep special items close to her. | False – it is Rohan who says this. |
5. Rohan thinks a pankha with intricate designs would be too delicate for Grandma's liking. | False – he calls the appliqué ones beautiful. |
6. Priya suggests choosing between a bamboo pankha with beadwork or an embroidered pankha with mirror work. | True |
7. Rohan decides they should buy the pankha without consulting their mom. | False – he wants to ask Mom for her opinion. |
True statements: 1, 2, 3 and 6.
Speaking Activity
Pick one kind of fan (hand fan, ceiling fan, table fan, handheld fan), imagine yourself to be that fan, and speak: introduce yourself, describe yourself, what you like about yourself, your weakness, and what makes you unique.
Answer
Sample speech (hand fan): Hello! I am a hand fan, or pankha, woven from palm leaves by skilled hands in a village of Bengal. I am round, light and have a bamboo handle and a colourful cloth border. What I like most about myself is that I need no electricity – just a gentle wave of your hand, and I give you a cool breeze. I am eco-friendly and easy to carry anywhere. My weakness is that I tire your arm, and I cannot cool a big room like my cousin, the ceiling fan. What makes me unique is my history: I fanned deities in temples and kings in royal courts, and every region of India has made me in its own special style. I am not just a fan; I am a piece of India's culture.
Writing Task
Describe an artefact you have made in your craft class or learnt from someone. Give only facts, not opinions.
Answer
Model answer:
A Paper Hand Fan
In our craft class, I made a paper hand fan. The materials used were one sheet of A4 chart paper, two ice-cream sticks, glue, a pair of scissors, sketch pens and a piece of ribbon. First, I decorated one side of the chart paper with a pattern of flowers and lines using sketch pens. Next, I folded the paper back and forth into narrow pleats about two centimetres wide, like an accordion. I pressed the folds firmly and pinched the pleats together at the bottom. Then I tied the bottom tightly with the ribbon and glued an ice-cream stick on each outer side to form the handle. When the glue dried, I opened the pleats into a half-circle and glued the two sticks together. The finished fan is about twenty centimetres wide when open and can be folded flat when not in use. It took about forty minutes to make.
Learning Beyond the Text
Identify any art or craft item from your region and make a presentation describing its features, materials, process, usage, origin and how it can be used today.
Answer
Sample presentation – Madhubani painting (Bihar):
(i) Name and features: Madhubani or Mithila painting – colourful paintings with bold outlines, geometric patterns, and figures of gods, fish, birds and trees; no empty space is left.
(ii) Materials: handmade paper, cloth or walls; natural colours from turmeric, flowers, indigo, soot and rice paste; twigs, matchsticks and nib pens.
(iii) Region and traditional use: Mithila region of Bihar; traditionally painted by women on the walls and floors of homes during weddings and festivals.
(iv) Origin and evolution: believed to have begun when King Janaka had his city painted for Sita's wedding; it moved from walls to paper and cloth in the 1960s and is now sold worldwide.
(v) Use today: on sarees, bags, greeting cards and home decor; buying from artisans directly supports them.
Make your own hand fan in groups of four, display it and describe the process.
Answer
Sample process: We made a round fan from a paper plate. We painted the plate with a Warli design, stuck coloured paper strips around the edge as a frill and fixed a strong bamboo skewer (wrapped in coloured tape) to the back as a handle using glue and cello tape. After drying it for an hour, we displayed it on the class craft table.
Read and enjoy the story 'The Last Leaf' by O. Henry.
Answer
This story is for reading and enjoyment. It shows how art can save a life: the old painter Behrman paints a leaf on the wall on a stormy night so that the sick Johnsy does not lose hope. Johnsy recovers, but Behrman dies of pneumonia – the painted leaf becomes his true masterpiece.
Canvas of Soil (Poem) – Reflect and Respond
Discuss what all you see in a garden. Think of the colours you see and where you see them.
Answer
Sample answer: In a garden we see green grass and leaves of many shades, flower beds with red roses, yellow marigolds, white jasmine and purple petunias, brown soil and tree trunks, a blue sky above, butterflies and birds, a fountain or a small pond, and benches and pathways.
Look at the picture of a garden and a painting. Speak about any similarities between the garden and the painting.
Answer
Sample answer:
• Just as a garden is filled with flowers of many colours, similarly, a painting is filled with many colours and shades.
• A garden and a painting, both are created with care, patience and skill.
• Beauty is common to both a garden and a painting.
• Like a garden, a painting too gives joy and peace to those who look at it.
Look at the painting and identify palette, canvas, and select a hue.
Answer
Palette: the box of colours on the left of the picture, in which the paints (pink, red, blue, purple, yellow, green, black) are kept and mixed.
Canvas: the painting of the tree, hills, rainbow and water placed next to the palette.
A hue: for example, the bright green of the grass, or the pink of the sky.
Canvas of Soil – Check Your Understanding
Complete the summary of each stanza by filling in the blanks.
Answer
1. The earth is portrayed as a rich palette where gardeners' dreams flourish in the form of seeds, awaiting spring.
2. The garden flowers bloom into a beautiful display of different blossoms, resembling a painting (artwork) by Mother Nature, in the light of morning.
3. Each garden is likened to a wide canvas, integrating art and life. Through the efforts of gardeners, gardens transform into still-life paintings.
Select the appropriate title for each stanza. There are two extra titles.
Answer
Stanza 1: 4. Earth and Possibilities
Stanza 2: 1. Nature's Work of Art
Stanza 3: 3. Gardens as Living Canvases
Extra titles: 2. Sweet-smelling Blossoms and 5. The Painter's Canvas
Match the poetic devices in Column 1 to the examples in Column 2.
Answer
Column 1 | Column 2 |
1. Imagery | (iv) colours, brushstrokes, blossoms, shades of green |
2. Metaphor | (vi) garden as a painting, plot as canvas, seeds as brushstrokes |
3. Rhyme Scheme | (ii) AABB |
4. Tone | (i) appreciative |
5. Mood | (vii) joyful |
6. Speaker | (v) a gardener |
7. Alliteration | (iii) 'Blossoms bloom' |
Canvas of Soil – Critical Reflection
Extract 1: "Brushstrokes of seeds, planted true, / Awaiting spring's vibrant hue."
Answer
(i) Which option uses a metaphor?
Answer
B. She has a heart of gold.
(ii) The phrase 'planted true' is significant because it implies ______.
that the seeds have been sown carefully, correctly and with sincerity, just as a painter makes careful, accurate brushstrokes, so they will grow well.
(iii) Why has the poet used the word 'hue' instead of 'colours' in the extract?
Answer
'Hue' is a painter's word for a shade of colour, so it continues the comparison of the garden with a painting. It also suggests the delicate, varied shades of spring, and it rhymes with "true".
(iv) Summer : hot :: Spring : ______
vibrant
(v) (A): Gardeners wait for Spring. (R): Gardens are worth painting in Spring.
B. Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A). (Gardeners wait for spring because that is when their seeds bloom into colour, not because gardens are worth painting.)
Extract 2: "Each plot, a canvas wide, / Where art and life coincide."
(i) What does 'Each plot' refer to in this extract?
Answer
Each piece of land or bed in a garden where a gardener plants and grows things.
(ii) Select which option imitates the rhyme scheme of the extract.
A. beautiful and clear / laughter and cheer
(iii) Select the line that conveys that gardening blends aesthetic beauty with natural growth.
"Where art and life coincide."
(iv) The plot is likened to a canvas suggesting that ______.
the gardener, like an artist, creates a beautiful picture on the land with plants and flowers instead of paints.
(v) Why has the poet most likely used the word 'wide' instead of 'long' in 'canvas wide'?
Answer
'Wide' suggests a broad, open space full of possibilities for creating beauty, and it rhymes with "coincide"; 'long' would only describe length and break the rhyme.
Give reasons for the comparisons made by the poet in the poem.
Answer
1. A painter is compared to a gardener because both create beauty with patience and skill – one with paints on canvas, the other with seeds and plants on the soil.
2. A palette is like earth as the earth holds the rich "colours" (seeds, nutrients, plants) from which the gardener creates, just as a palette holds the paints a painter uses.
3. The brushstrokes are like seeds because each seed, planted carefully, adds a touch of colour to the garden, just as each brushstroke adds to a painting.
4. A canvas is similar to a garden plot as both are spaces on which a beautiful picture is created.
Answer the following questions.
Answer
How does the metaphor 'Brushstrokes of seeds' enhance the understanding of gardening as an art form?
Answer
By calling seeds "brushstrokes", the poet shows that planting is a creative act. Each seed is placed with care like a stroke of paint, and together they create a colourful picture when they bloom. This helps us see the gardener as an artist.
What can you infer about the poet's perspective on the relationship between nature and creativity from 'Each plot, a canvas wide, / Where art and life coincide'?
Answer
The poet believes that nature and creativity are closely linked. A garden is both alive and a work of art; the growth of living plants and the gardener's creative design come together, so nature itself becomes art.
Do you think the imagery in the poem successfully paints a vivid picture in the reader's mind? If yes, why? If no, why not?
Answer
Yes. Images like "Palette of earth, rich and deep", "Blossoms bloom, a painted sight, / Dancing in the morning light" and "Shades of green, red, and blue" help us picture a bright, colourful garden glowing in the morning sun, almost like a real painting.
Support the view that the poet's mention of the colour yellow, besides red, blue and green, would have lent effectively to the imagery.
Answer
Yellow is the colour of sunlight, marigolds, sunflowers and mustard fields. Adding it would have made the picture of the garden even brighter and warmer, matching the "morning light" and "spring's vibrant hue". Yellow is also a primary colour on a painter's palette, so it would have strengthened the painting imagery and made the garden's colours complete.
Considering the line 'Gardens become paintings still', what can you interpret about the poet's view on the timelessness of nature's beauty?
Answer
"Still" suggests both "even now" and a still-life painting. The poet feels that the beauty created by gardeners is lasting; like a painting that captures a moment for ever, a garden's beauty stays with us and renews itself every season ("ever new").
Justify the title of the poem, 'Canvas of Soil'.
Answer
The poem compares a garden to a painting: earth is the palette, seeds are brushstrokes, blossoms are a painted sight and each plot is "a canvas wide". The soil is the surface on which gardeners create their art, so "Canvas of Soil" sums up this central metaphor perfectly.
Canvas of Soil – Vocabulary in Context
Discuss in pairs any two things that you can associate with these shades of red, green and blue.
Answer
Shade | Things associated |
Rusty red | old iron gates, autumn leaves |
Salmon | salmon fish, some rose petals |
Scarlet | ladybirds, red chillies |
Crimson | beetroot, roses |
Blood red | blood, pomegranate seeds |
Vermilion | sindoor, a bride's bindi |
Pine green | pine trees, forests in the hills |
India green | the green band of the national flag, cricket jerseys |
Apple green | raw apples, new leaves |
Jade | jade stone jewellery, parrot feathers |
Olive | olives, army uniforms |
Pistachio | pistachio nuts, pista ice cream |
Navy blue | school uniforms, naval officers' uniforms |
Indigo | indigo dye, the night sky |
Cobalt blue | Jaipur blue pottery, deep sea water |
Denim | jeans, denim jackets |
Sky blue | a clear sky, forget-me-not flowers |
Ice blue | glaciers, ice cubes |
Discuss what the underlined painting-related words in the paragraph might mean.
Answer
• I think easels means wooden stands that hold a canvas while painting because the passage talks about painters approaching them and framing a canvas.
• I think canvas means the cloth surface on which a picture is painted because the passage talks about the painters framing it to work on.
• I think tonal range means the range from light to dark shades in a painting because the passage talks about playing with shades and hues.
• I think shades means darker or lighter versions of a colour because the passage talks about experimenting with tones to bring paintings to life.
• I think hues means colours or shades of colour because the passage talks about bringing the paintings to life with them.
• I think portrait means a picture of someone's face because the passage talks about capturing a friend's features.
• I think underpainting means the first, basic layer of paint on which the final colours are added because the passage talks about filling the final colours after it.
• I think mural means a large painting made directly on a wall because the passage talks about depicting a spring day on the classroom wall.
Canvas of Soil – Listen and Respond
Listen to a young girl describe her school garden. Identify which of the pictures 1–3 she does not talk about.
Answer
Picture 2 – the water tap with a garden hose pipe. She mentions the painted garden bench (picture 1) and the butterflies fluttering around the flowers (picture 3), but not the hose pipe.
Listen again and circle the correct answers.
Answer
Statement | Answer |
1. The colour of flowers in the first row | pink |
2. The type of flowers in the second row | rose |
3. Position of the type of the useful plants | left corners |
4. The number of potted evergreen plants | 20 |
5. The paint colour on the bricks bordering the garden | white and red |
6. Type of tree in the centre of the garden | banyan |
7. Things created with waste material | dustbins |
Canvas of Soil – Speaking Activity
Think and note some advantages of a flower garden and a vegetable garden at home.
Answer
Flower garden | Vegetable garden |
Makes the home look beautiful and colourful | Provides fresh, chemical-free vegetables |
Attracts butterflies, bees and birds | Saves money on groceries |
Fragrance and colour reduce stress | Teaches children where food comes from |
Flowers can be used for festivals and decoration | Kitchen waste can be used as compost |
Would you like to have a flower garden or a vegetable garden at home? Why? Speak using the sentence prompts.
Answer
Sample answer: I prefer a vegetable garden to a flower garden because it gives us fresh, healthy food every day. For me, it is a vegetable garden instead of a flower garden due to the rising prices of vegetables. If I had a choice, I'd rather have a vegetable garden than a flower garden as I enjoy watching tomatoes and beans grow from tiny seeds. I would prefer growing spinach and chillies rather than roses since we can use kitchen waste as compost and waste nothing.
Canvas of Soil – Writing Task
Write a descriptive piece of two to three paragraphs describing the details and colours in a garden you have visited.
Answer
Model answer:
Morning at the Lodhi Garden
Last winter, I visited Lodhi Garden in Delhi early one morning. As I entered, a soft golden light was spreading over wide lawns of emerald green, still wet with dew. Tall, dark pine-green trees stood in rows, and between them the ancient brown-and-grey tombs looked calm and grand. Above everything stretched a clear sky-blue canvas with a few white clouds.
The flower beds were the brightest part of the garden. Crimson and scarlet roses stood beside deep-blue petunias, and the contrast made both colours look even richer. The velvety rose petals glowed where the sunlight touched them, while the leaves around them ranged from pale apple green to deep olive. Near the pond, purple and blue morning glories climbed a fence, and red-orange marigolds lined the path like a painted border.
As the sun rose higher, the shadows shortened and the greens turned brighter and fresher. Butterflies with yellow and black wings moved from flower to flower, and the whole garden seemed alive, like a painting that changed with every passing minute.
Canvas of Soil – Learning Beyond the Text
Mini-Project: Select any two assignments – one from (1) famous gardens of India / (2) art inspired by gardens, and one from (3) design your own garden / (4) interview a gardener.
Answer
Sample (assignments 1 and 4):
(1) Five famous gardens of India: (i) Amrit Udyan, Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi – Mughal-style terraced garden with fountains and roses, opened to the public every year. (ii) Brindavan Gardens, Mysuru – laid below the Krishnaraja Sagar dam, famous for its musical fountain. (iii) Shalimar Bagh, Srinagar – Mughal garden built by Jahangir with terraces and water channels. (iv) Lalbagh Botanical Garden, Bengaluru – started by Hyder Ali, known for its glasshouse and flower shows. (v) Nek Chand's Rock Garden, Chandigarh – sculptures made from industrial and household waste.
(4) Interview summary: I interviewed Mr Suresh, the gardener of our colony park. He told me that he waters plants early in the morning or in the evening to reduce evaporation, makes compost from dry leaves, and prunes bushes in spring. His biggest challenge is people plucking flowers. I learnt that gardening needs patience, regular care and a love for nature.
Read and enjoy the poem 'A Sea of Foliage Girds Our Garden Round' by Toru Dutt.
Answer
This poem is for reading and enjoyment. Toru Dutt describes her garden surrounded by foliage of many colours – light-green tamarinds, deep-green mango trees, grey palms, red seemul flowers – and the beauty of bamboos and white lotuses under the moon, which make the garden feel like Eden.
Extra Important Questions
Short Answer Questions
From which word does 'pankha' originate, and what is a 'pankhi'?
Answer
'Pankha' comes from 'pankh', meaning the feather of a bird. A 'pankhi' is a small plumed fan used in ancient India.
What evidence shows that pankhas were used in ancient India?
Answer
Buddhist wall paintings at Ajanta, dating back to the 2nd century CE, show the use of pankhis. Pankhas also appear in embroidery, sculptures and carvings.
What is special about the hand fans of Kutch?
Answer
Kutch is known for hand-stitched leather hand fans decorated with thread and wool at their seams.
What is the Tal Patar Pankha?
Answer
It is the palm-leaf hand fan of Bengal. It is easy to carry and is always kept in Bengali households.
What is the central metaphor of the poem "Canvas of Soil"?
Answer
The garden is compared to a painting: the earth is a palette, seeds are brushstrokes, each plot is a canvas, and the gardener is the artist.
Long Answer Questions
"Each region of India has given the pankha its own identity." Explain with examples from the chapter.
Answer
Although pankhas were used all over India, every region made them with its own materials and designs. Rajasthan made appliqué fans, zardozi fans with gold threadwork and engraved brass temple fans. Gujarat made cotton fans with mirror work and bead fans with silver handles, and Kutch made hand-stitched leather fans. Bengal used the milky-white sola and palm leaves, Uttar Pradesh made Phadh fans with gold, silver zari, silk and satin frills, Odisha made large palm-leaf fans and Bihar made colourful bamboo fans. Tribes used geometrical patterns in white on red. Thus each pankha reflects "the cultural core of the region that crafts it".
What steps can be taken to save traditional crafts like pankha-making from disappearing?
Answer
First, people must value and celebrate such crafts by learning about their history, culture and artistry. Workshops and handicraft exhibitions can teach the skill to young people and spread awareness. Artisans should get a commercial platform, such as fairs, government emporiums and online markets, so they can earn a sustainable livelihood. Innovative designs, like decorative pieces and gift items, can attract modern buyers while preserving traditional techniques. Schools can include crafts in their activities, and buyers can choose handmade goods over factory products.
How does the poet of "Canvas of Soil" present the gardener as an artist?
Answer
The poet compares every part of gardening to painting. The earth is a "palette ... rich and deep", the seeds, "planted true", are brushstrokes, and the blossoms are "a painted sight" dancing in the morning light. The "shades of green, red, and blue" are nature's colours, and each plot is "a canvas wide, where art and life coincide". Finally, "in the hands of those who till, gardens become paintings still". In this way the gardener is shown as a patient, creative artist whose living painting renews itself every season.