Culture and Tradition Class 6 English Chapter 5 CBSE Notes 2025-26

India, also referred to as “Bharat”, is admired globally for its wisdom, bravery, and vibrant culture. The diverse traditions, landscapes, and art forms attract people from around the world. Its natural beauty includes rivers, lakes, lush forests, high mountains, and a wide variety of plants, insects, birds, and animals. Unity in diversity is a hallmark, as people from many communities come together as one nation. Hard work by its citizens ensures India remains respected and prospers at a global level.

Culture and Traditions of India The people of India cherish their traditions, language, festivals, and arts. Cultural identity is highlighted through customs, ideas, values, and languages. Children learn about history and legends through stories passed down by elders. Everyone celebrates festivals together, emphasizing the importance of unity.

Celebrating Unity: Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat The Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat programme helps students across India connect with friends from different regions. It encourages participants to appreciate how diverse languages, foods, music, art, and festivals can strengthen the bond of unity. The main aim is to help students see themselves as part of one nation and learn about the rich variety in state and cultural traditions.

Unique Folk Arts and Craftwork There are many famous traditional arts in India, each with its own beauty and importance. Aipan from Uttarakhand is a folk art drawn with white rice flour on brick-red walls or floors, especially in puja rooms or at entrances during festivals. Dhokra metal craft, practiced by tribes in Odisha for over 4000 years, involves making figures out of clay, covering with wax, adding details, layering with clay, and filling with molten brass. Coconut shell craft from Kerala is the art of shaping, sanding, and polishing coconut shells to create bowls, jewelry, and other useful items. Kondapalli toys from Andhra Pradesh are made from light wood, shaped, assembled with natural adhesive called makku, and painted with natural and enamel colours. These crafts are usually inspired by nature, culture, animals, and folk tales.

Comparison Table of Art Forms

• Aipan designs are inspired by traditions and nature.
• Dhokra craft is one of the oldest metal crafts in India.
• Coconut shell crafts are eco-friendly and can be used for making everyday items.
• Kondapalli toys highlight rural life and stories from folk culture.

Ordering Steps and Everyday Sentences Learning sequence words such as "first", "then", "next", "after that", and "finally" helps describe any process. For example, getting ready for school involves: First getting up, then showering, next eating, after that wearing shoes, and finally going out. Grammar is taught through simple sentence-making, like “We ask questions to understand,” “He tells a story every day,” and “They make paintings in free periods.”

Traditional Food and Recipes Gakkad Bharta, a popular dish from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, is explained in this chapter. The method involves making dough balls (gakkad), roasting them, and preparing a bharta (using roasted brinjal and tomatoes, garnished with onions and coriander). The gakkad is crumbled, mixed with bharta, and served with ghee. Such simple recipes teach about regional variety and sequence.

Exploring Indian Art The chapter encourages students to talk about their local art, whether it is painting, rangoli, music, embroidery, or dance. An example is Madhubani painting from Bihar, which uses natural colours—yellow from turmeric, green from leaves, and red from flowers or sindoor.

The Kites: Poem and Festival A poem describes the joy of flying kites in the sky, comparing kites to “coloured birds” and capturing the excitement and dreams of children. Kite festivals like Uttarayan in Gujarat or Basant Panchami in Punjab bring people together to watch and fly kites of many shapes and colours. The poem uses literary devices like alliteration ("wild wind") and repetition ("high, high") to create rhythm.

• Kites are flown during special festivals as a sign of celebration and togetherness.
• Different words describe kite movements: drift, glide, soar, swoop, and circle.
• Making kites is an activity that combines art and science.

Inspiring Story: Ila Sachani The story of Ila Sachani, who embroiders with her feet in Gujarat, teaches resilience, creativity, and the importance of support from family and friends. Although born differently-abled, with limited use of her hands, Ila mastered embroidery and became financially independent, participating in state exhibitions, and inspiring others to overcome challenges. Her journey shows that art has the power to rise above physical barriers.

Vocabulary and Grammar Skills Students learn the meanings and uses of words such as “tiny” (small), “wonderful” (fantastic), “quiet” (silent), along with their opposites like "huge", "terrible", and "noisy". Quantity words like "many", "much", "some", "several", "a few", and "a lot of" show the difference between countable and uncountable nouns.

National War Memorial The lesson introduces the National War Memorial in New Delhi, built to honour the sacrifices of India's brave soldiers. A poem included here celebrates their courage and encourages students to reflect upon their duty to remember these heroes.

Hands-on Activities and Reflection Throughout the chapter, students are challenged to think, reflect, discuss, and create. Tasks include completing tables, writing about a favourite art form, constructing poems, and visiting websites like the National War Memorial. These exercises foster critical thinking, creativity, and national pride.

Summary Table: Indian Art Forms Highlighted

This chapter encourages students to understand and appreciate the rich traditions, crafts, values, and unity that make India unique. It develops language, art appreciation, and social harmony through practical exercises and inspiring stories.

Class 6 English Chapter 5 Notes – Culture and Tradition: Hamara Bharat — Incredible India

These Class 6 English Chapter 5 notes capture all the essential points about “Culture and Tradition: Hamara Bharat — Incredible India.” Each key theme and concept is covered using easy language, so you can revise quickly before exams or tests.

With these notes, students will gain a clear understanding of Indian art, unity in diversity, vocabulary, and inspirational stories. Use them to recall facts, compare folk arts, and prepare for writing or discussion questions from the lesson.