Kalakritiyon ka Bharat – Class 6 English Poorvi Question Answer (NCERT 2026–27)

Complete NCERT Solutions for Class 6 English Poorvi Unit 5 (Culture and Tradition) – “Kalakritiyon ka Bharat”: summary, overview, word meanings and every textbook exercise (Let us do these activities before we read, Let us discuss, Let us think and reflect, Let us learn, Let us listen, Let us speak, Let us write, Let us explore) answered in full. The questions are reproduced exactly as in the NCERT book, and every table, fill-in and matching task is written out as readable text.

Class: 6 Subject: English Book: Poorvi Unit: 5 – Culture and Tradition Type: Prose (informational) Session: 2026–27
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About the chapter

“Kalakritiyon ka Bharat” (‘A Bharat of Art Works’) is an informational piece from Unit 5, ‘Culture and Tradition’. It is set during an Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat programme, where students watch a video of children from different states sharing the folk art and craft of their region. Through four young speakers – Aakansha from Uttarakhand (Aipan), Priyaranjan from Odisha (Dhokra metal craft), Chitra from Kerala (coconut shell craft) and Balamurali from Andhra Pradesh (Kondapalli toys) – the chapter celebrates India’s rich diversity of art forms and its underlying spirit of unity in diversity.

About the piece

This piece does not carry a single named author; it is an original informational text prepared for the NCERT Poorvi (Grade 6) textbook as part of the Culture and Tradition unit. It is built around the Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat initiative of the Government of India, which pairs different states and Union Territories to promote mutual understanding. The text uses simple first-person introductions by children to explain four traditional Indian crafts – Aipan, Dhokra, coconut shell craft and Kondapalli toys – in clear, step-by-step language so that young readers can understand how each art form is made and why it matters to our shared cultural identity.

Summary

A teacher gathers students in a big hall for the Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat programme. When she asks what it is about, a student named Renu explains that it reminds everyone that all Indians belong to one nation, and that our unity in diversity makes us a wonderful country. A video then begins, showing little windows, each with a smiling child ready to share something special from their state.

Aakansha from Uttarakhand describes Aipan, a folk art drawn with white rice-flour paste on brick-red walls coloured with geru. It is made by the women of the family on the floors and walls of puja rooms and outside the main door, with beautiful, mathematical designs based on tradition and nature. Priyaranjan from Odisha explains Dhokra, a 4000-year-old metal craft: a clay figure is covered with wax, fine details are carved, the figure is coated with clay and fired so the wax melts out, and molten brass is poured into the empty space to take the same shape.

Chitra from Kerala talks about coconut shell craft, in which a brown shell is cleaned, smoothed, shaped, fixed on a base and polished to make biodegradable bowls and jewellery. Balamurali from Andhra Pradesh shares the 400-year-old art of making Kondapalli toys from soft wood, joined with makku (a tamarind-seed and sawdust paste) and coloured with natural dyes and enamel paints. Through these four crafts, the chapter shows how India’s many traditions together form one rich, shared culture.

Word meanings

WordEnglish meaningHindi meaning
unisontogether, in agreement as oneएकसाथ / एकस्वर में
diversityvariety; being made of many kindsविविधता / अनेकता
folk arttraditional art made by common peopleलोक कला
gerured clay used as a colourगेरू (लाल मिट्टी)
craftskilled work made by handदस्तकारी / शिल्प
carveto make a design with a sharp toolनक्काशी / तराशना
scrapsmall unwanted piecesटुकड़े-टुकड़े / कचरा
biodegradablethat will not harm the environmentप्राकृतिक रूप से नष्ट होने योग्य
stablenot able to move; steadyस्थिर / मजबूत
sandpaperrough paper used to smooth surfacesरेगमार / सैंडपेपर
tamarindan edible sour fruitइमली
sawdustfine dust of woodलकड़ी का बुरादा
dyescolours used to colour thingsरंग / रंजक
enamelpaint that forms a protective layerएनामेल / चमकीला रंग
admirationrespect and warm approvalप्रशंसा / सराहना
tribea group of people with shared customsजनजाति / कबीला
unity in diversitybeing one nation despite many differencesअनेकता में एकता

Let us do these activities before we read

Complete these words with the correct vowels (A, E, I, O, U).

ANSWER 1. We like to decorate our homes with our folk art (folk art). 2. Our culture (culture) consists of our ideas, customs, traditions, values, arts, and languages. 3. All of us celebrate our festivals (festivals) together. 4. We tell stories to our children to teach them about our culture (culture), history (history), and legends (legends). 5. We have our own languages (languages) to talk to each other.

Let us discuss

I. After Renu’s answer

1. What is the Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat programme all about?

ANSWERThe Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat programme is about reminding everyone that all of us belong to one nation, which is the bond we share. It celebrates our unity in diversity and helps people from different states understand and appreciate one another’s culture and traditions.

2. Why is this programme being conducted?

ANSWERThe programme is conducted so that students and people from different states can meet, share and learn about each other’s art forms, customs and traditions. It strengthens the emotional bonds between citizens and builds a sense of common identity as one nation.

II. Complete the table (about the four art forms)

On the basis of what the speakers said about the art forms, complete the table given below.

Name of the childStateArt formThings needed
AakanshaUttarakhandAipanwhite rice flour paste, geru (red clay)
PriyaranjanOdishaDhokraclay, brass scrap, wax, fire
ChitraKeralaCoconut shell craftcoconut shell, sandpaper/machine, a base, wood polish
BalamuraliAndhra PradeshKondapalli toyssoft wood, makku (tamarind-seed powder & sawdust paste), oil, water-colours/vegetable dyes, enamel paints

Let us think and reflect

I. Fill in the blanks to complete the following sentences.

ANSWER 1. The designs for Aipan are taken from cultural traditions and observations of nature. 2. Dhokra metal craft is very old because it is 4000 years old. 3. A base is needed for coconut shell craft to make it stable. 4. Soft wood, makku (tamarind-seed powder and sawdust paste) and colours are used to make Kondapalli toys.

II. Why does Akanksha’s family make Aipan?

ANSWERAakansha’s family makes Aipan to decorate their home during family functions and festivals. It is a folk art drawn by the women of the family on the floors and walls of puja rooms and outside the main door, following their cultural traditions.

III. In Dhokra, why does wax come out of the small openings?

ANSWERIn Dhokra, the wax-covered clay figure is put into the fire. The heat of the fire melts the wax, and the melted wax flows out through small openings left in the clay covering, leaving an empty space inside in the exact shape of the design.

IV. What is common in the toys made in Balamurali’s village and coconut shell craft in Kerala?

ANSWERBoth crafts use natural materials from nature – Kondapalli toys are made from soft wood and the Kerala craft is made from coconut shells. Both are eco-friendly, made by hand in several careful steps, and finished by smoothing and colouring/polishing to make them attractive.

Let us learn

I. Sequencing words (order of doing things)

Use some of these words (to begin, next, first, finally, then, at last, after that) to complete the paragraph ‘How I Get Ready for School’. Use one word only once.

ANSWER (sample) 1. First, I get up and go to take a shower. 2. After that, I wear my school dress. 3. Then, I eat my food. 4. Next, I wear my shoes. 5. Finally, I pick up my bag and go out of my home.

II. Present tense (use -s/-es with he, she, it)

Make five sentences with the help of the words given in the table. Use -s/-es wherever necessary. (Examples given: “I know how to dance.” / “He speaks very loudly.”)

ANSWER (sample) 1. You ask questions to understand. 2. He tells a story every day. 3. She draws beautiful flowers. 4. It makes very loudly. (or) We practise paintings in free periods. 5. They speak spellings on Friday. Note: with he, she, it we add -s/-es (he tells, she draws, it makes); with I, you, we, they the verb stays in its first form (you ask, we practise, they speak).

Let us listen, speak, write & explore

Let us listen – Gakkad Bharta

I. Listen to the description of gakkad bharta and complete the notes.

ANSWER (from the textbook transcript) 1. Name of the speaker: Sushil 2. The town of the speaker: Jabalpur 3. The state he belongs to: Madhya Pradesh 4. The name of the food item: Gakkad Bharta 5. Vegetables roasted for bharta: brinjals and tomatoes

II. Complete the flowchart on how to make gakkad bharta.

ANSWER 1. To make gakkad, make balls of wheat dough and roast them on high heat. 2. To make bharta, roast brinjal and tomatoes and garnish with chopped onions, coriander, green chillies and salt. 3. To serve, crumble the gakkad, put some bharta on it and add one spoon of ghee.

Let us speak

Speak about a local art form of your region (painting, rangoli, metal craft, embroidery, music, dance or drama). Include its name, what things are needed, and how it is made/presented.

SAMPLE“I know about the art form called rangoli. They need coloured powders, flower petals, rice flour and chalk. To make it, first we clean a flat space on the floor. After that, we draw an outline with chalk. Next, we fill the design with bright coloured powders. Then, we add petals and diyas around it. At last, we decorate the borders. Rangoli is made on festivals like Diwali to welcome guests and bring good luck.”

Let us write

Write a paragraph with five sentences giving your reasons for liking your favourite art form (from the ones in the lesson).

SAMPLEThe art form I liked the most is Aipan from Uttarakhand. I like it because its designs are very beautiful and mathematical. It is special because it uses simple things like white rice-flour paste and geru. I admire that it is made by the women of the family with great care. Most of all, I like that its patterns come from nature and our cultural traditions.

Let us explore

1. Madhubani painting is a traditional art form from Bihar. Artists use natural colours (yellow from haldi, green from leaves, red from red flowers/geru/sindoor, orange from flowers, blue from neel/indigo powder). Colour the given Madhubani painting with natural or other colours.

ACTIVITYThis is a hands-on colouring activity. Try the natural colours suggested – for example, use haldi (turmeric) for yellow, crushed green leaves for green, geru or red flowers for red, marigold-type flowers for orange, and neel/indigo powder for blue – to fill the Madhubani outline in your book.

2. Read about the Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat Programme (it aims to enhance interaction and mutual understanding between people of different states/UTs through state/UT pairing, celebrating unity in diversity).

ANSWERThe Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat programme pairs different states and Union Territories so their people can share languages, food, music, dance, handicrafts, sports, festivals and more. Its aim is to strengthen the emotional bonds between citizens, build a sense of common identity and contribute to nation-building by showing how our many cultures and traditions are inter-connected.

Note: The Let us speak, Let us write and the colouring part of Let us explore are speaking and activity tasks meant to be done in class or in your notebook; the answers above are guided samples, not fixed answers. Use your own region’s art form and your own ideas where asked.

Extra questions

Short answer (30–40 words)

1. On which paste and surface is Aipan drawn, and who makes it?

ANSWERAipan is drawn with white rice-flour paste on brick-red walls coloured with geru. It is made by the women of the family on the floors and walls of puja rooms and outside the main door of the home.

2. How old is the Dhokra metal craft, and where is it practised?

ANSWERDhokra is a very old metal craft that is about 4000 years old. It is practised by Priyaranjan’s tribe in Odisha, who shape figures using clay, wax and molten brass scrap.

3. Why is coconut shell craft called a biodegradable craft?

ANSWERCoconut shell craft is biodegradable because it is made from natural coconut shells. When thrown away, the shells break down naturally and do not harm the environment, unlike plastic items.

4. What is ‘makku’ and how is it used in Kondapalli toys?

ANSWERMakku is a paste made of tamarind-seed powder and sawdust. In Kondapalli toy-making, it is used to join the separately carved wooden parts of the toy together before they are finished and coloured.

5. According to Renu, what makes India the most wonderful country in the world?

ANSWERAccording to Renu, the feeling that all Indians belong to one nation is the bond we share. Our unity in diversity – being one despite many differences – makes India the most wonderful country in the world.

Long answer (100–120 words)

6. Describe the steps involved in making a Dhokra metal figure.

ANSWERDhokra is a 4000-year-old metal craft from Odisha. To begin, the craftspeople make a figure with clay and dry it. Then they cover it with a layer of wax and carve all the fine details on the wax. After that, they cover the wax figure with another layer of clay and put it into the fire. The heat melts the wax, which flows out through small openings, leaving an empty space in the shape of the design. Next, brass scrap is melted and the liquid metal is poured into this empty space, so it takes the same shape as the wax. Finally, the outer clay layer is removed and the metal figure is finished as wanted.

7. How does ‘Kalakritiyon ka Bharat’ show India’s unity in diversity?

ANSWERThe chapter shows children from four different states – Uttarakhand, Odisha, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh – each proudly sharing a unique art form of their region: Aipan, Dhokra, coconut shell craft and Kondapalli toys. Though the states, materials and methods are all different, the children come together happily in one programme, Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat, to learn about each other. This shows that India has great variety in its languages, crafts and customs, yet all its people feel they belong to one nation. The different art forms are like many beautiful threads woven into one cloth – this is the meaning of unity in diversity, which makes India special and strong.

MCQs & Assertion–Reason

1. The programme in which the children share their art forms is called…

(a) Make in India   (b) Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat   (c) Swachh Bharat   (d) Digital India

ANSWER(b) Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat.

2. Aakansha’s folk art, Aipan, belongs to which state?

(a) Odisha   (b) Kerala   (c) Uttarakhand   (d) Andhra Pradesh

ANSWER(c) Uttarakhand.

3. Aipan is drawn with a paste made of…

(a) white rice flour   (b) sawdust   (c) tamarind seeds   (d) brass scrap

ANSWER(a) white rice flour.

4. How old is the Dhokra metal craft?

(a) 400 years   (b) 1000 years   (c) 4000 years   (d) 100 years

ANSWER(c) 4000 years.

5. In Dhokra, what is poured into the empty space left by the melted wax?

(a) clay   (b) molten brass   (c) wax   (d) rice paste

ANSWER(b) molten brass.

6. Chitra from Kerala talks about a craft made from…

(a) clay   (b) wood   (c) coconut shells   (d) metal

ANSWER(c) coconut shells.

7. The Kondapalli toys are made in which state?

(a) Andhra Pradesh   (b) Odisha   (c) Kerala   (d) Uttarakhand

ANSWER(a) Andhra Pradesh.

8. ‘Makku’, used to join parts of Kondapalli toys, is a paste of…

(a) rice flour and water   (b) tamarind-seed powder and sawdust   (c) clay and wax   (d) geru and oil

ANSWER(b) tamarind-seed powder and sawdust.

9. Which craft in the lesson is described as biodegradable?

(a) Aipan   (b) Dhokra   (c) coconut shell craft   (d) Kondapalli toys

ANSWER(c) coconut shell craft.

10. According to Renu, what makes India the most wonderful country?

(a) its size   (b) its unity in diversity   (c) its rivers   (d) its festivals only

ANSWER(b) its unity in diversity.
MCQ Answer Key: 1-(b), 2-(c), 3-(a), 4-(c), 5-(b), 6-(c), 7-(a), 8-(b), 9-(c), 10-(b)

Assertion–Reason – choose: (a) A and R true, R explains A; (b) A and R true, R does not explain A; (c) A true, R false; (d) A false, R true.

1. Assertion (A): Aipan is made by the women of the family.

Reason (R): Aipan is a folk art drawn on family functions and festivals with white rice-flour paste.

ANSWER(b) Both A and R are true, but R does not directly explain who makes it; the text simply states it is made by the women of the family.

2. Assertion (A): In Dhokra, the wax melts and flows out of the clay-covered figure.

Reason (R): The clay-covered figure is put into the fire.

ANSWER(a) Both true and R correctly explains A – the fire’s heat melts the wax so it flows out.

3. Assertion (A): A base is fixed under a coconut shell article.

Reason (R): The base makes the article stable so it does not move.

ANSWER(a) Both true and R correctly explains A.

4. Assertion (A): Kondapalli toys are coloured using natural dyes and enamel paints.

Reason (R): The toys are based on folk stories, animals, birds and rural life.

ANSWER(b) Both A and R are true, but R describes the themes of the toys, not the reason for the colours used.

5. Assertion (A): The Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat programme celebrates unity in diversity.

Reason (R): The programme pairs different states/UTs to promote mutual understanding among their people.

ANSWER(a) Both true and R correctly explains A.

Exam tips & common mistakes

Exam tips

• Learn the four child–state–art pairs by heart: Aakansha – Uttarakhand – Aipan; Priyaranjan – Odisha – Dhokra; Chitra – Kerala – coconut shell craft; Balamurali – Andhra Pradesh – Kondapalli toys.
• For ‘steps’ questions, use sequencing words like first, then, after that, next, finally.
• Remember the two key ages: Dhokra is 4000 years old; Kondapalli toy-making is 400 years old.
• In value-based answers, mention unity in diversity and the Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat programme.

Common mistakes

• Do not mix up the ages – Dhokra = 4000 years, Kondapalli toys = 400 years.
• Aipan uses white rice-flour paste on geru (red clay) walls – do not write it is painted with brass or wax.
• The biodegradable craft is coconut shell craft, not Kondapalli toys.
• ‘Makku’ is made of tamarind-seed powder and sawdust, used only to join the toy parts, not to colour them.

FAQs

What is ‘Kalakritiyon ka Bharat’ about?

It is an informational piece from Class 6 Poorvi Unit 5 in which children from four states – Uttarakhand, Odisha, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh – share their folk art and crafts (Aipan, Dhokra, coconut shell craft and Kondapalli toys) during the Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat programme.

What are the four art forms described in the lesson?

They are Aipan (Uttarakhand), Dhokra metal craft (Odisha), coconut shell craft (Kerala) and Kondapalli toys (Andhra Pradesh).

What is the Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat programme?

It is a Government of India programme that pairs different states and Union Territories to promote mutual understanding and celebrate India’s unity in diversity, helping people feel they belong to one nation.

Questions are taken verbatim from the NCERT Poorvi textbook (Unit 5); the summary, overview and all answers are written originally by ClearStudy.

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