People and Places

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.