Hinglish

Read: Coconut Shell Craft and Kondapalli Toys

Class 6 English · Chapter 13: Hamara Bharat—Incredible India! · NCERT Poorvi section pp. 134–136

Learn

Coconut shell craft (Kerala): Chitra shows how shells that would be thrown away become art. The shell is cleaned, sanded smooth, shaped, given a base so that it stands steady, and finally polished. It becomes bowls, cups, lamps and jewellery. Because shells are biodegradable, this craft is kind to nature.

Kondapalli toys (Andhra Pradesh): Balamurali presents these toys, made for about 400 years. Craftspeople use soft wood from the nearby hills, carve each part separately, and join the parts with makku, a paste of tamarind seed powder and sawdust. The toys are then painted with vegetable dyes and enamel colours: village scenes, animals, gods and goddesses.

Let us discuss: for each speaker, note the state, the art form, the materials and one special feature. Notice how each craft uses what is found locally: rice and red earth, scrap brass, coconut shells, soft hill wood. Which craft would you most like to learn, and why?

Explore: match each art to its state.

  1. Match each art form.

Remember

  • Coconut shell craft (Kerala): clean, sand, shape, add a base, polish; biodegradable.
  • Kondapalli toys (Andhra Pradesh): soft wood, parts joined with makku, vegetable dyes.

Quick check

What joins the parts of a Kondapalli toy?

  1. Makku: tamarind seed powder and sawdust
  2. Molten brass
  3. Rice-flour paste
  4. Wax
Answer

Makku: tamarind seed powder and sawdust. Makku is a natural glue.

Think about it

Why is it important to keep crafts like these alive?

One answer

They carry our history and local skills, give craftspeople a living, and often use natural, local materials that are kind to the environment.

Practice

Practise with fresh questions at three levels (easy, medium, hard), some answered hands-on, with hints and worked answers. Get 4 of your last 5 right to finish the topic.