People and Places
(Project work)
My granddaughter who is in First Standard was
asked to prepare a project work on People and Places and also on a certain
celebration (of course by guardian) and to talk about the same! I was wondering about this task for such small children. But, I realized, this should
form part of their experience in gaining knowledge – whatever they can. I prepared and the same was as under:-
India is our country and we are in the State of
Maharashtra. India has twenty- eight states and
seven union territories. There are 22
official languages and
398 living languages. India is a
unique country in the world with people of many religions – Hindus, Christians,
Muslims, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs, Parsis etc. speaking different languages and
having different culture. Still, India
has unity in diversity. And, with this
India has got independence in 1947 from British.
There
are about 200 countries in the world.
The people speak different languages.
The currency varies from country to country. Each and every country and their people are
important for their own specialties. According
to the region, colour of their skin, habits, culture etc. will be different. However, our country is popular among the
world countries for many languages, religions and different culture. Still, we have unity in diversity and we
should be proud of the same.
Festivals
Different Religious symbols
Unity
in Diversity
As mentioned, we are
proud of ourselves and our places - the people and places in India – and
following are just a very few examples of the same. It requires more and more pages to mention
and show in full !
Ganeshothsav, Mumbai
Baisakhi, Punjab
Kashmiri women
At a paddy field, Kerala.
As per Hindu Mythology, Saraswati Devi is the Goddess for
education. Vidya means knowledge and arambham
means beginning. Viyarambham is observed
on Vijayadashami day for children of 3 – 4 years old to learn ‘’hari shree’’
(first lesson of education). Ganpati is
God for removing obstacles and Om, Hari Shree Ganapataye Nama: is written on
sand or tray of rice. Then, on the child’s tongue with golden ring!
OM,
HARI
SHREE
GANPATAYE NAMA:
(Hari is the Lord and
Shree is prosperity.)
The child sits on the lap of Guru or an
elder person to perform this beginning of education. After writing on the tongue, the child writes
(makes him/her write) on the rice kept on a plantain leaf by ring finger or
index finger all the letters – alphabets and vowels. This is considered as the best beginning of
education of the child to become a master in reading and writing later.
The Kollur Mookambika
Temple is famous and auspicious for this ceremony as Kullur is the abode of
Goddess Saraswati. Vidyarambham pooja is
performed there from 6.45AM till 1.00PM.
