What it is - The museum is a place where many kinds of rare things are preserved.
Some important museums - There is a big and important museum in West Bengal. It is in Kolkata. There are important museums in other parts of India. The Corporation of Kolkata has a Commercial Museum. The University of Kolkata has a museum. It is called the Ashutosh Museum.
What we find there and its usefulness - In a museum we can see many rare things. Various kinds of stone images are preserved there. These images had been found mostly underground. Many places had been dug out for archaeological purposes. The images had been found there. They speak about the gods and goddesses worshipped by the ancient people. They speak about the development of sculpture in ancient times. Historians gain much knowledge from these relics. Various kinds of minerals are preserved there. The geologists derive much benefit from them. Remains of dead bodies of ancient times are also kept there. From these remains, people can learn much about the men and animals that lived in ancient times. Specimens of ancient art and literature are also preserved there. From these we can learn much about the progress of civilization in ancient times. There are statues of men of different parts of the world. We can see and compare them.
A store-house of knowledge - Thus the museum is a store-house of knowledge. If we visit it, we get pleasure and our knowledge about various things is increased. For example, we can know how coal has been formed. We can learn how coal is dug out from the mines. We can also know that long, long ago there were very big animals, but they are now extinct. We can know how far the people of the past had developed their art,
literature, industry, architecture, sculpture, etc. We can also - learn much about agriculture, industry and various other things of ancient times.
Conclusion - People should visit museums in large numbers. Every big town should have a museum. It helps to spread education among the common people.
- A good exercise - Swimming is a good exercise. All should know how to swim. It is a healthy exercise. It is also very delightful.
- Villagers know swimming
- Many boys living in towns do not know how to swim. They use tap water
from their childhood. They are afraid of taking a bath in a pond or in a
river. But in the villages almost everyone knows how to swim. In
villages, there are ponds, rivers and canals. Everyone has to take his
or her bath in them. In some districts, during the rainy season people
have to go from one place to another by boat. Here it is necessary for
them to know how to swim. Every little child in a village can swim in
ponds and rivers.
- Swimming in a big town-
In a big town like Kolkata, there are big ponds for swimming. There are
many swimming clubs in Kolkata. These clubs teach boys and girls how to
swim. Grown-up men also practise swimming in the ponds. Many people
swim in rivers. But it is not always safe. There are crocodiles and
sharks in some rivers. Sometimes they kill and eat up men. Swimming
competitions— Swimming competitions are now-a-days held in many places.
Boys and girls are thus encouraged to learn how to swim. The name of
Bula Chowdhury, a Bengalee lady, may be mentioned in this connection.
She has earned fame as an expert swimmer. Some Bengalees have earned
great fame as able swimmers. The names of Prafulla Ghosh, Jnan
Chatterjee and Robin Chatterjee may be mentioned in this connection.
Some of them swam continuously for sixty hours or more. Several
Bengalees have won international fame as swimmers by successfully
crossing the English Channel. One of them is a lady named Arati Saha
(Gupta). The other three are Sri Mihir Sen, Dr. Bimal Chandra and Sri
Brojen Das. Sri Mihir Sen, swam across the Palk Strait between India and
Sri Lanka and then the Straits of Gibraltar connecting the
Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean. Then he crossed the Panama
Canal from one end to the other. No body else has been able to do this.
He had added glory to India. We have now the names of other Indians who
have won the glory of crossing the English Channel. They are Avinas
Sarang, Bijoy Jain, Taranath Shenoy, Sailesh Khilji, Arati Pradhan,
Anita Sood and Rajiv Gadgil, Shenoy of Bombay is deaf and dumb. He is
first handicapped person to have the honour of crossing the English
Channel. Arati Pradhan, a fourteen-year old girl of Thane in Maharastra,
has got this honour. Anita Sood of Maharastra' swam across the English
Channel in record time of 8 hours and 15 minutes. Prior to this she was
successful in Marathon swimming between Capon and Naples in Italy. She
shattered the 13 year old world record. Bula Chowdhury whose name has
been mentioned in the last paragraph and Abhijit Rao, a student of class
IX have also crossed the English Channel, Abhijit is the youngest of
them all. He has also successfully completed swimming the 81 kilometre
race on the Bhagirathi arranged by Murshidabad Swimming Association of
West Bengal. Sanjiban Mandal, father of four children, has stood first
successively for three years in this long distance swimming competition.
Bula Chowdhury has recently added more feathers to her cap by crossing
five other channels in Europe; special mention must be made of the name
of Motiyar Rahaman, the handicapped young swimmer of Bengal, who in
spite of having lost both his legs in boyhood, has recently crossed the
English Chanel by dint of his grit and determination. We are all proud
of these swimmers, specially of the three girls. The 44th National
Aquatic Championship was held in October, 1988 at Subhas Sarobor in
Kolkata. Swimmers, men and women, who did well were Bula Chowdhury
(formerly of Bengal and now of Bihar, as she is now an employee of TISCO
at Jamshedpur in Bihar, Lorraine Verghees of Karnataka, Sonali Rege and
Pallavi Shetty of Maharastra, Urmilla Chettry and Mun Mun Dey Chowdhury
of West Bengal. Mani Kankana of Haryana, Olympian Khanjan Singh of the
Police, Milind Soman of the Railways, Gaurav Kapoor and P. Sanal Kumar
of Maharastra.
- A unique Marathon Swim-
Eight brave young members of the Tata Steel Company under the
leadership of Nirmal Pandey, did an outstanding job in completing a
marathon swim along the Ganga from Haridwar to Kolkata. It took them 70
days to swim 2300 kilometres starting on September 1,1990 and finishing
at 11.45 a.m. pn Saturday, November 10, 1990, near the Man of War Jetty
in Kolkata. This expedition was the first of its kind in India. The
swimmers had undergone training under Miss Bachendri Pal, who shot into
publicity lime-light by climbing to the summit of Mount Everest.
- Usefulness
- Swimming is a good exercise. Swimming in the morning or in the
evening or on a hot day is very pleasant. It improves our health,
because the arms and legs are well exercised. Bathing in the sea is very
good for health. Many people go to Puri, Waltair, Digha and other
places on the seashore to take a bath in the seawater. They swim in the
sea. It is a great tonic. In England, there are many famous places for
sea bathing. Hundreds of men and women flock there during holidays. If
we can swim well, we can travel in a boat or on a steamer without fear.
If the boat sinks, we can save our lives by swimming. Many people cannot
swim. Hence some of them are drowned. We can also save the lives of
others if we can swim well. Everyone ought to learn swimming. It may
help us in many ways.
- What it is - In the rainy season rivers and canals are full to the brim. Sometimes water rises so high that it overflows the banks. Fields, and sometimes houses, lie under water. This great rise of water is called a flood.
- Causes of the flood - The flood is caused in many ways. Sometimes rain falls heavily for days together. The rain water of mountains flows down the river. Sometimes the river cannot hold so much water. Then the water flows down the river and floods the adjacent lands. Sometimes snow melts in the mountains. The water flows down the river and floods the country. A flood is also caused by the breaking of the embankment of a river. The water of the river rushes through the breach and floods a vast tract of land. Recently our Government has made many dams to store the surplus water of some rivers. This will help in preventing floods. But these dams sometimes become full to the brim. It is then necessary to allow the stored-up water to flow out. As a result, a sudden rush of water overflows the banks of rivers and canals and causes a flood.
- The scene of a flooded area and its effects - During a flood the water of the river rises very high. It sweeps away everything that comes in its way. Crops are destroyed. Many houses are ruined. Many people are rendered homeless. Their belongings are washed away. Many people and cattle are drowned. The sufferings of the people know no bounds. Railway lines remain under water for days together, and sometimes, these are also washed away. The whole area under a flood presents a very horrible sight. The miseries of the people cannot be fully described. Famine and epidemic diseases break out as the after-effects of a flood.
- Measures to help the sufferers - People try their utmost to help the flood-stricken people. They start relief committees. Money, food, medicine and cloth are collected. Volunteers are sent to the flooded area to help the people. Food, cloth, and money are distributed to them. Medicine also is distributed free to them. The Government also grants them help. It grants peasants loans of seeds and money and provide people with work.
- Some notable floods - Floods are common to all countries. Floods occur every year in some parts of India. In Bengal, there was a terrible flood in 1913. It is known as the Damodar flood. Large areas of land in the districts of Burdwan, Hooghly and Midnapur were flooded. The North Bengal flood of 1922 also caused a great loss of life and property. A terrible flood visited North Bengal and East Bengal in 1931. In 1934 a terrible flood caused a great loss to the people of Assam. Their condition became extremely miserable. The people of the unaffected parts of India came forward to help the sufferers. In recent years, terrible floods have caused great loss to Assam, North Bengal and Bihar. In Southern India also there have been terrible floods by the rise of water in the Cauvery and other rivers. In 1987, a terrible flood affected Assam, North Bengal, North Bihar and eastern part of Uttar Pradesh. It also caused great loss of the lives and properties of men, crops and domestic animals. It is an irony of fate that just during this time there had been an unprecedented drought in some other parts of India. Thus the Government of India had a very hard time to tackle the situation. It had to help both the flood-stricken and drought-stricken people to mitigate their sufferings.
- Preventive Measures - We cannot fully check the occurrence of a flood. But we may try to dig a large number of passages of water, so that water may flow away easily. Railway bridges should be made in large numbers. Some of the river banks should be raised and embankments must be made strong. More dams should be built to store the excess water of these rivers.
- Conclusion - The flood is a great evil. But it has some good effects, too. It makes the soil fertile. It also washes away all impurities of land. Still we never welcome a flood in a terrible form.
Preparation- It was a Saturday evening. I was discussing with my classmates how best we could spend the next day. Jatin, one of our classmates, suggested having a picnic in their country house at Khardaha on the bank of the Hooghly river, commonly known as the Ganga. The suggestion found ready acceptance. It was decided that next morning we should all meet at the Sealdah Station and catch the 6.30 train in the morning. We then went to market and made some necessary purchases which were entrusted to the care of Sailen. And I took upon myself the responsibility of taking some cooking utensils and vessels.
The Journey- The next morning we reached the station at the appointed time. Then we got into the train. It was a short journey; still we passed the time merrily. After reaching Khardaha station, we went to the country house hiring several rickshaws. After taking a little rest we had our breakfast there. It consisted of tea, buttered toast, sweets and fruits.
Bathing in the river - The house stood just on the Ganga. A landing stage led from the compound of thewouse to the water of the river. We all know how to swim. So rubbed our body well with mustard oil and plunged into the water for a swim. It was the month of April, and so the bath in the cool water of the river was very refreshing.
Our meal - After the bath was over we began to prepare our food. I know how to cook. So I took the leading part in this. We had brought meat and fish with us. While the cooking was going on, some of us began to read newspapers, some others began to play cards. Some sat by the side of the river to enjoy the beauty of the scene. When the cooking was over plantain leaves were spread by one of us and then he also sat with us. We fell to eating as we were very hungry. But all the while we were talking about various topics. We had a grand feast, and everybody admired my cooking skill.
Rest after Meal - We had all eaten our fill and we required some rest. We lay down on the carpet soft grass in the shade of a tree. A pleasant breeze was blowing. Some of us fell asleep, while others went on playing cards and chatting.
The evening and the return journey - In the afternoon we had tea. Then we all sat on the bank of the river. The sun was now setting. A pleasant breeze was blowing from the south. The river was flowing down with a sweet murmuring note. Many boats were sailing up and down the river. We enjoyed the scene very much. At last the time for our departure arrived. We gave some baksis to the servant of the country house who helped us much. We then went to the station, got into a local train and reached Sealdah.From there we went to our respective homes. We were all of the opinion that we had passed a very pleasant day.
Introduction - Some animals live in the houses of men. These are called domestic animals. Men keep them for milk, food, hunting, riding, tilling the land and for many other useful services to them. The cow, the dog, the buffalo, the horses, the sheep, the goat, the camel, the donkey, the elephant, etc. are domestic animals.
Different domestic animals and their usefulness -The cow is perhaps the most useful of all domestic animals. She gives us milk. Milk is a perfect food. It is the principal food of babies and sick persons. Butter, ghee, cheese, curd and many kinds of sweets are made of cow's milk. The ox draws carts and ploughs the field.Cow dung is used as manure and fuel. The urine of the cow is used as medicine in many diseases. Some people eat the flesh of the cow or ox. The cow is useful to us even when she is dead. Her skin, hoof, hair, horns, bones are all useful to us. Many things are made of these. So the cow is one of the most useful animal friends of men.
Men keep buffaloes for milk and for drawing carts and ploughing the field. Various things are made also from the milk of buffaloes.
The goat is kept 'or meat. The she goat gives us milk. This milk is generally tak€, by children and sick people.
The sheep is kept for its hair and flesh. The hair is made into wool. This wool is used in making warm clothes.
The horse is kept for riding. Some horses draw carts and carriages, plough the field and carry loads. Some horses are trained to run races. A race horse sometimes brings a large fortune to its master. Some horses are used in battle. It is a very intelligent animal. Sometimes it saves its master's life. It has a beautiful appearance. For its intelligence and fine appearance it is called a noble animal.
The camel is kept by the people of the desert.It can store a large quantity of water by oridizing the fat in the hump. It is very useful to those people. They get its milk and flesh. It is the only means of transport in the desert. It can store a large quantity of water in its body, for this reason it can walk long distances and work without water for days together in hot summer days. Hence it is called the ship of the desert.
The donkey is a beast of burden. It is used for drawing and carrying heavy loads. It is used in hunting also. It is also a very intelligent animal.
None of these animals take fish or meat. They live on grass, hay, leaves, grams, oil cakes, rice-gruel, etc.
Among the domestic animals we have also the dog and the cat. The cat is generally kept as a domestic pet. The cat does one service to men. It kills rats and mice. But it is a thief. It eats fish and meat and drinks milk very stealthily.
The dog is a very faithful animal friend of men. It guards the house of its master.. It is used in hunting. Some dogs are trained to detect criminals. They are sometimes kept as pets. They are very intelligent. Dogs and cats do not eat grass. They are fond of fish and meat. The cat is particularly fond of milk.
Conclusion - These domestic animals are all useful to men. Hence they should be treated kindly. They should be properly fed and taken care of.
What it is- Some people do their own work themselves.
They do not require the help of others. They do not depend upon others. This habit of doing work without the help of others is called self-help.
Benefit - Self-help is the best help. It is a great virtue. It leads one to success in life. God helps those who help themselves. It is the will of God that man should not be dependent on others. He must do his work himself. Self-help instills self-respect in a man.
He feels his inner power. He feels that he is not inferior to anybody. He feels proud that he does not depend upon others. He does not bow down to anybody. He feels that he will rise to fame and honour. He relies upon his own strength and abilities. Such a man has a strong will-force. Nothing seems to him to be difficult. Such a man is honest and hard-working. Success is his prize. He can face the world boldly, because he does not want the help of others.
He is blessed; he is happy.
Effect of the want of self-help - Some men can do no work without the help of others. They are weak-minded. They have no strength of mind. They feel something lacking in them. Such men can never do any great work. They cannot face and overcome difficulties. They cannot earn their own bread even. They are idle and inactive. Their lives are miserable.
When to acquire it - We must acquire this habit of self-help early in life. Some students do not work hard. They try to depend upon others. They suffer in the long run. It is, therefore, the duty of all to start. being self-reliant even when they are young.
Example - All great men of the past had been self-reliant.
Pandit Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar is a brilliant example of self-help. All of us know how he depended upon his own self.
He struggled alone in spite of poverty. He did everything himself when he was a student. He cooked his own food. The spirit of self-help made him so great. We should follow his example if we want to be a great man.
What it is and where it occurs- A cyclone is a very violent storm.
It never comes alone. Heavy showers of rain, thunder and lightning are its companions.
When a cyclone blows, it moves round and round in the form of small circles.
It always changes its course when it blows. It does not move always i n the
same direction like an ordinary storm. It occurs mostly i n the
warm parts of the world. India is a region of such a part of the
world. Hence cyclones often blow over her. In cold countries
there is no cyclone.
The signs of a cyclone - There are some signs of a brewing
cyclone. A low pressure is created in the sea. The weather becomes
very hot. There is not a breath of wind. Patches of dark clouds
gradually spread in the sky. At last, the sky becomes dark. A
storm sets in. The wind then begins to blow violently. That is
the beginning of a cyclone.
The actual cyclone - Then it rains very heavily. Flashes
of lightning are seen. Thunders begin to peal loudly. The wind
begins to blow furiously. It blows on forming circles. There is a
roaring sound. The wind continues to blow for some hours.
Sometimes it continues for a day or two. Such terrible cyclones
happened in September 1918 before the Pujas and in November
1988.
Its effect - The effect of a cyclone is terrible. Big trees fall.
Roofs of houses are blown away. Many a house is destroyed.
Many a man is killed. The water of the river rises. There are
huge waves in the river. Many boats sink. Many men are
drowned. Sometimes steamers are also sunk. Everywhere dead
bodies of men and beasts are found. Crops are destroyed. People
suffer much. They become homeless and helpless. There is
scarcity of food. Famine breaks out. This miserable condition of
the people cannot be fully described. Other people then try to
help them with money, food, medicine and clothes.
Conclusion - The cyclone is a terrible evil. Man has no
power to prevent it. But people may be warned beforehand
by weather experts and meteorologists that there will be a cyclone.
