1. Complete the chart.
One who works in the fields
Write the name
Kunbi / Farmer
One who holds the vatan
Watandar
One who protects the town
Gadkari
2. Which undesirable customs are prevalent in today’s society? Suggest measures for their eradication.
Some undesirable customs prevalent in today’s society include:
- Dowry System: The practice of demanding money and gifts from the bride’s family at the time of marriage.
- Caste Discrimination: Treating people of certain castes as inferior and denying them opportunities.
- Female Foeticide: The illegal practice of aborting female fetuses to have a male child.
- Superstitions: Beliefs in black magic, witch-hunting, and other unscientific practices that lead to harassment and violence.
Measures for their eradication:
- Education and Awareness: Educating people, especially in rural areas, about the ill effects of these customs through campaigns, street plays, and school curriculum.
- Strict Laws: Enforcing existing laws strictly (like the Dowry Prohibition Act) and creating new, stronger laws to punish those who practice these customs.
- Empowerment of Women: Providing education and employment opportunities to women so they are not seen as a burden.
- Role of Media: Using newspapers, television, and social media to highlight the positive impact of giving up these customs and to expose the criminals who perpetrate them.
- Community Support: Encouraging community leaders and influencers to speak out against these practices and support families who refuse to follow them.
3. Make a detailed note about the festivals celebrated in your area.
In my area, we celebrate a variety of festivals with great enthusiasm throughout the year. The most important one is Ganesh Chaturthi, where people bring home idols of Lord Ganesha for ten days. The entire locality comes together to worship, and on the final day, grand processions carry the idols for immersion, accompanied by dancing and singing.
We also celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, by lighting oil lamps and candles, bursting firecrackers, and sharing sweets. Holi, the festival of colors, marks the arrival of spring, where people play with colored powder and water. Makar Sankranti is celebrated by flying kites and eating sweets made from sesame seeds and jaggery (tilgul). Navratri and Dussehra are also celebrated, with people performing Garba dances in the evenings. Other festivals, such as Bail Pola (in some rural areas near my town), where farmers honour their bulls, and Eid and Christmas, celebrated by our Muslim and Christian neighbors, show the rich cultural diversity of our area.
4. Use the following points to compare life in the era of Shivaji Maharaj and today’s life.
| Sr. No. | Point | At the time of Shivaji Maharaj | Today’s Life |
| 1. | Transactions | Barter system and use of old coins (Hons, Rupees) made of silver and copper. | Use of paper currency, digital payments (UPI, cards), and online banking. |
| 2. | Houses | Mostly made of stone, mud, and wood with small windows and tiled roofs. Forts for rulers, wadas for nobles, and small huts for common people. | Houses are made of bricks, cement, concrete, and glass. High-rise apartments and bungalows with modern amenities are common. |
| 3. | Transportation | Mainly walking, palanquins, horse-drawn carts, and riding horses. Sea travel by small wooden ships. | Bicycles, motorbikes, cars, buses, trains, airplanes, and modern ships. |
| 4. | Entertainment | Folk songs (Lavani, Powada), storytelling (Kirtan), folk dances, and outdoor games like wrestling (Mardani Khel). | Television, movies, the internet, video games, social media, and various indoor/outdoor sports. |
| 5. | Script | The Modi script was widely used for administrative purposes. | The Devanagari script for Marathi and the Roman script (for English) are used. |