পাঠভিত্তিক প্ৰশ্নোত্তৰ আৰু কাৰ্যাৱলী (Textbook Activities & Solutions)

Activity 1: Answer the following questions 

Question (a): What does the old man ask the poet?
Answer: The old man asks the poet to describe what his native land is like.
(বৃদ্ধজনে কবিক তেওঁৰ জন্মভূমিখন দেখিবলৈ বা অনুভৱ কৰিবলৈ কেনেকুৱা সেই কথা ক’বলৈ অনুৰোধ কৰিছিল।)

Question (b): Why does the old man ask the question to the poet? 
Answer: The old man asks this question because he is blind and lonely, and therefore cannot see the beauty and scenery of his motherland with his own eyes.
(বৃদ্ধজন অন্ধ আৰু অকলশৰীয়া হোৱা বাবে তেওঁ নিজ চকুৰে স্বদেশৰ সৌন্দৰ্য দেখা পোৱা নাছিল, সেয়েহে কবিক এই প্ৰশ্নটো সুধিছিল।)

Question (c): How does the poet address the old man? What does that form of address mean?
Answer: The poet addresses the old man as “Koka”. In Assamese, “Koka” means grandfather, which is an affectionate and respectful way to address an elderly man.
(কবিয়ে বৃদ্ধজনক “ককা” (Koka) বুলি সম্বোধন কৰিছে। অসমীয়াত “ককা” মানে ককাদেউতা, যিটো বয়োজ্যেষ্ঠ ব্যক্তিক শ্ৰদ্ধা আৰু মৰমেৰে মতা এক সুন্দৰ সম্বোধন।)

Question (d): Why does the poet ask the old man to breathe deep?
Answer: The poet asks the old man to breathe deep so that he can smell the fragrant earth and feel the warm, familiar air of his native land, which brings back fond memories of his childhood friends.
(কবিয়ে বৃদ্ধজনক দীঘলকৈ উশাহ ল’বলৈ কৈছে যাতে তেওঁ স্বদেশৰ উমাল বতাহ আৰু মাটিৰ গোন্ধ অনুভৱ কৰি শৈশৱৰ বন্ধুসকলৰ স্মৃতি মনত পেলাব পাৰে।)

Question (e): With what does the poet compare the cool breeze on the old man’s face?
Answer: The poet compares the cool morning breeze on the old man’s face to the peaceful breath of his native land after a night of thunder and rain.
(কবিয়ে পুৱাৰ শীতল বতাহজাকক ৰাতিৰ ধুমুহা-বৰষুণৰ অন্তত অহা স্বদেশৰ এক শান্তিময় নিশ্বাসৰ লগত তুলনা কৰিছে।)

Question (f): With what does the poet compare the contented gurgling of the little baby?
Answer: The poet compares the contented gurgling of the little baby to the fertile and nurturing soil of which his native land is made.
(কবিয়ে কেঁচুৱাটোৰ তৃপ্তিময় খলখলনি শব্দটোক স্বদেশ গঠিত হোৱা উৰ্বৰ মাটিৰ লগত তুলনা কৰিছে।)

Question (g): What does the chorus of the cuckoo and the sparrows do?
Answer: The chorus of the cuckoo and the sparrows, as they play around the nearby treetops, shapes the living spirit and natural beauty of the native land.
(গছৰ ডালত কুলি আৰু ঘৰচিৰিকাই একেলগে গোৱা সমবেত গীতে স্বদেশৰ প্ৰাকৃতিক সৌন্দৰ্য আৰু প্ৰাণময় ৰূপ নিৰ্মাণ কৰে।)

Question (h): What are the things that create the soul of the poet’s beloved country?
Answer: The soul of the beloved country is created by the distant beats of the bihu dhol, the melodious tunes of the pepa and gogona, the rich aroma of pitha and laroo, and the harmonious chants of evening prayers in namghars, masjids, and churches.
(দূৰণিৰ বিহু ঢোলৰ মাত, পেঁপা আৰু গগনাৰ সুৰ, পিঠা-লাড়ুৰ আমোলমোল সুবাস আৰু নামঘৰ, মছজিদ তথা গীৰ্জাৰ পৰা ভাঁহি অহা সন্মিলিত সান্ধ্য প্ৰাৰ্থনাৰ ধ্বনিয়ে প্ৰিয় স্বদেশৰ আত্মা গঢ়ি তোলে।)

Activity 2: Match Stanzas with Summaries

1. (a) My native land makes me feel as safe and secure as a baby carried on a mother’s back. → Stanza 4

2. (b) The spirit of my native land can be understood in terms of its unity in diversity… → Stanza 6

3. (c) The lonely, blind old man in the street asked me to describe our native land. → Stanza 1

4. (d) Our native land is rich in its gift of nature and is brought to life by the birds… → Stanza 5

5. (e) The touch of our native land is as peaceful as the cool, fresh breeze blowing after a night of thunder and rain. → Stanza 3

Activity 3: Sensory Descriptions for the Blind Man

• (i) Touch (স্পৰ্শ): The warm air, the cool morning breeze.

• (ii) Hearing (শ্ৰৱণ): The sound of thunder, the contented gurgling of the baby, the chorus of cuckoo and sparrows, the distant roll of the bihu dhol, the music of pepa and gogona, the chant of evening prayers in namghar, masjid, and church.

• (iii) Smell (ঘ্ৰাণ): The heady aroma of freshly made pitha and laroo.

Question: Was the old man able to guess the season when the poet described what his land was like?
Answer: Yes, the old man was able to easily guess that it was Spring / Rongali Bihu season through the sounds of the cuckoo singing, the beats of the Bihu dhol, pepa, gogona, and the sweet aroma of pitha and laroo.
(হয়, কুলিৰ মাত, বিহু ঢোল-পেঁপা-গগনাৰ সুৰ আৰু পিঠা-লাড়ুৰ সুবাসৰ বৰ্ণনাৰ পৰা বৃদ্ধজনে বুজি পাইছিল যে সেয়া আছিল বসন্ত কাল বা ৰঙালী বিহুৰ বতৰ।)

Activity 4: Word Matching & Sentence Making

Matching:

• Thunder: the loud explosive sound that follows lightning in the clouds

• Morn: morning

• Contented: happy and satisfied

• Gurgling: the happy sound made by babies

• Chorus: singing or speaking at the same time

• Aroma: strong pleasant smell

• Sturdy: strong and firm

Sentences:

• Thunder: The loud roar of thunder frightened the little children.

• Morn: The birds begin singing sweetly in the early morn.

• Contented: The old man smiled with a contented heart.

• Gurgling: The baby’s cheerful gurgling filled the room with joy.

• Chorus: The students sang the national anthem in chorus.

• Aroma: The delicious aroma of pitha spread all over the kitchen.

• Sturdy: The table is made of sturdy Assam teak wood.

Activity 6: Bihu Musical Instruments

1. Dhol (ঢোল): A two-faced barrel-shaped wooden drum beaten with a stick and hand, providing the main rhythmic beat of Bihu songs and dance.

2. Pepa (পেঁপা): A traditional hornpipe pipe crafted from buffalo horn and bamboo, producing a high-pitched melodious tune.

3. Gogona (গগনা): A delicate vibrating jaw-harp instrument made of seasoned bamboo, played between the teeth with fingers.

Paragraph on Bihu Musical Instruments:
Traditional musical instruments form the heartbeat of Assam’s vibrant Bihu festival. The most prominent instruments used in Husori and Bihu performances are the dhol, pepa, gogona, toka, and taal. The thunderous beats of the dhol set the energetic rhythm, while the sweet, piercing melody of the buffalo-horn pepa captures the joyful spirit of spring. The rhythmic twang of the bamboo gogona and clapping of the toka add rich harmony. Together, these indigenous instruments create the lively and enchanting folk music that defines Assam’s cultural heritage.

Activity 7: Letter Writing

ABC Village, Udalguri
Date: 10 April 2026

My dear Rahul,

I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. As you know, our most beloved festival, Rongali Bihu, is just around the corner. I am writing this letter to cordially invite you to visit my home during the Bihu holidays.

During Bihu, my mother prepares delicious traditional delicacies like Til Pitha, Ghila Pitha, Narikol Laroo, and fresh Doi-Sira. On the first day (Goru Bihu), we worship our cattle by the river, and on Manuh Bihu, we seek blessings from elders and exchange Gamosas. We will also enjoy the vibrant Husori performances and open Bihu dances in our village field.

I am sure you will thoroughly enjoy experiencing the authentic cultural heritage and hospitality of our village. Please let me know your arrival date so I can pick you up from the station.

Convey my warm regards to your parents and love to your little sister.

Your loving friend,
Niran

Activity 9: Animal & Bird Sounds — Onomatopoeic Words

• Cow: Moo (গৰুৰ হাম্বা ৰৱ)

• Owl: Hoot (ফেঁচা চৰাইৰ মাত)

• Hen: Cluck (কুকুৰাৰ মাত)

• Lamb: Bleat (ভেড়া পোৱালিৰ মাত)

• Parrot: Screech (ভাটৌৰ কিৰিলি মাত)

• Pigeon: Coo (পাৰ চৰাইৰ মাত)

• Crow: Caw (কাউৰীৰ কা-কা মাত)

• Snake: Hiss (সাপৰ ফোঁচ-ফোঁচনি)

Activity 10: Grammar — Indirect Speech for Imperative Sentences

1. The poet said to the old man, “Feel the cool breeze on your face.”
   → The poet asked the old man to feel the cool breeze on his face.

2. The man said to me, “Listen to the gurgling of that little baby.”
   → The man told me to listen to the gurgling of that little baby.

3. The teacher said to us, “Enjoy your holidays.”
   → The teacher wished / told us to enjoy our holidays.

4. She said to me, “Tell me your mobile phone number.”
   → She asked me to tell her my mobile phone number.

5. My mother tells me, “Always obey your teachers.”
   → My mother advises me to always obey my teachers.

6. I said to him, “Come to our house tomorrow.”
   → I told / invited him to come to our house the next day.

7. She said to me, “Get me a glass of water, please.”
   → She requested me to get her a glass of water.

8. The man said to me, “Please close the gate.”
   → The man requested me to close the gate.

Activity 12: Recipe — How to Make Til Pitha (তিল পিঠা বনোৱাৰ প্ৰণালী)

Ingredients (উপকৰণসমূহ):

• 2 kg sticky rice (Bora saul)

• 1/2 kg black sesame seeds (Kola til)

• 1 kg jaggery (Gur)

Method of Preparation (পদ্ধতি):

1. Preparing the Rice Powder: Wash and soak the sticky rice for an hour. Drain the water and spread the rice on clean paper to dry partially. Grind it finely and sieve to get smooth rice flour. Keep it covered to retain moisture.

2. Making the Filling: Wash, dry, and lightly roast the black sesame seeds in a dry pan until aromatic. Coarsely grind the seeds. Melt jaggery in a pan, mix with the ground sesame seeds, and let it cool.

3. Making the Pitha: Heat a flat iron pan (tawa). Take a ladle of rice flour, spread it gently in an oval/circle shape. Place a spoonful of sweet sesame filling in the center. Carefully roll the rice sheet into a cylinder and move it to the edge until crispy. Serve hot.