Chapter 8: Unity in Diversity, or 'Many in the One'
Travel across India and you'll hear new languages, taste new foods and see new clothes and festivals. In this chapter we explore India's rich diversity and discover the deep unity that runs beneath it.
In this chapter you will
- describe India's diversity in languages, food, clothing and festivals
- recognise the shared ideas beneath the differences
- explain the meaning of 'unity in diversity'
Topics
- A Rich Diversity NCERT 8.1
India is very diverse in landscapes, languages, scripts, dress, food and customs.
- Food for All NCERT 8.2
Main grains vary: rice where rain is plentiful, wheat in the north-west, millets in dry areas.
- Textiles and Clothing NCERT 8.3
Each region has its own famous weave, like Banarasi, Kanchipuram, Patola, Muga and Pashmina.
- Festivals Galore NCERT 8.4
The mid-January harvest festival has many names: Pongal, Lohri, Uttarayan, Magh Bihu, Makar Sankranti.
- An Epic Spread NCERT 8.5
The Ramayana and the Mahabharata are told in many languages and art forms across India and beyond.
Key words
- Diversity
- being varied; many different kinds
- Unity
- being joined together as one
- Epic
- a long poem about heroes and great events
- Eighth Schedule
- the list of languages in India's Constitution
- Textile
- woven cloth
- Handloom
- cloth woven by hand on a loom
Summary
- India has great diversity in languages, food, clothes and festivals.
- Many customs are shared under different names, like khichdi and the mid-January harvest festival.
- The epics are told in many versions, yet their story and values are shared.
- Unity in diversity: many ways, held together as one.