JSC English First Paper | Unit: 1, Lesson: 2 | A glimpse of our culture | Nakshi Kantha

Key words: quilt, artistic, commercially, traditional, demand, pattern 

A. Look at the picture and the questions. Then ask and answer the questions with your partner.

1 What do you see in the picture?

2 What is it called?

3 Have you seen it before? Where?

4 What do we do with it?

B. Now read the text to know about nakshi kantha.

Nakshi kantha is a kind of embroidered quilt. The name was taken from the Bengali word, 'naksha' which means artistic pattern. It is a kind of traditional craft and is said to be indigenous to Bangladesh and West Bengal in India. The art has been practised in rural Bengal for centuries. The name'Nakshi Kantha' became popular after the poet Jasimuddin's poem ' Nakshi KantharMath' was published in 1929.

Traditional kanthas are made for family use. Old or new cloth and thread are used to make these quilts. Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Rajshahi, Faridpur, Bogra and Jessore are most famous for this craft. Now it is produced commercially. You can find them in many expensive handicraft shops in cities. The quilts are now in great demand because of the colourful patterns and designs embroidered on them.

C. Write a paragraph describing how the nakshi kantha is made. Start like this: Old or new cloth and coloured thread are needed. First the cloth is folded, then...........

D. Do you like a nakshi kantha or an ordinary kantha! Why?

E. Complete the sentences with clues given

Bengali, patterns, embroidery, years, fashion, art, rural, designs, quilt, naksha

1 Naksha means artistic.................
2 The name was taken from a............. word.........
3 The art has been practised in ............ Bengal for ................
4 Nakshi kanthas are now sold in............... shops.
5 Nakshi kanthas are in great demand because of their colourful........... and..............
6 Nakshi kanthas are a kind of...............

F. Write down five questions for the completed statements in activity E above.
One is done for you.

1. What does naksha mean ?

G. Work in pairs. Ask and answer all the questions. Now write 3-4 more questions on the text given in activity B above.

If you want to read the next lesson of this unit please click the link below:
Lesson: 3 | Our ethnic friends (1)