Chapter 2: Going to the Mela

A community mela displays rich local crafts and livelihoods:
1. Clay Pottery & Toys: Earthen pots (matkas), kulhads, clay whistles, and painted figurines made by local potters.
2. Handmade Textiles & Bangles: Colorful lac and glass bangles, embroidered dupattas, and handloom kurtas.
3. Handcrafted Wooden & Bamboo Items: Wooden spinning tops (lattu), bamboo flutes, and hand-woven wicker baskets.
4. Traditional Sweets: Jalebi, imarti, cotton candy, roasted groundnuts, and sweet batashas.

Children must follow these essential safety rules in crowded places:
1. Stay With Adults: Always hold a parent's or guardian's hand and never wander off toward toy stalls alone.
2. Emergency Information Card: Keep a pocket slip containing parents' names, phone numbers, and home address.
3. Identify Safe Help Points: If separated, never leave the venue with strangers; immediately approach a police officer or the official Mela Information & Public Announcement Booth.
4. Establish a Meeting Spot: Agree upon a noticeable landmark (e.g., the clock tower or entry gate) where family members can reunite if separated.

Visitors can protect the environment by:
• Carrying cloth bags for purchases to avoid single-use polythene bags.
• Disposing of used leaf plates (pattals), sugarcane peels, and paper cups strictly into designated color-coded dustbins.
• Avoiding food wastage by taking only what they can finish.

Handicrafts & Fair Economy:
(a) Traditional Handmade Toys:
• 1. Clay figurines / whistles (mitti ke khilone).
• 2. Wooden spinning tops (lattu) / wooden rocking horses.

(b) Supporting Artisans:
• Traditional artisans preserve ancient cultural heritage and use eco-friendly natural materials (clay, wood). Buying from them provides livelihood to rural craftsmen and keeps our country's folk arts alive.

Community Helpers at the Fair:
1. Police Officers: Maintain law and order, control crowds, and run the 'Lost and Found' booth for lost children.
2. Sanitation Workers: Continuously empty waste bins and sweep paper plates to keep the fairgrounds clean and hygienic.
3. First-Aid Medics / Doctors: Provide immediate medical care, bandages, and oral hydration to anyone injured or dizzy.

Step-by-Step Clay Craft:
1. Kneading: Knead damp clay thoroughly with fingers until it is soft, smooth, and free of air bubbles.
2. Ball Making: Roll a piece of clay between palms into a smooth sphere.
3. Shaping: Press your thumb into the center to make a hollow bowl, pinching the rim outward to form the groove for the wick.
4. Drying: Place the diya in the shade to dry, then sun-bake it so it turns firm and sturdy.

Directional Logic:
• Facing North towards the Giant Wheel, East is directly to your Right.
• Therefore, to go from the Giant Wheel towards the Food Stalls, you must travel in the South-East direction (or turn right towards the East).

Observations:
1. Interdependence: Plants, animals, and humans depend closely on each other for food, oxygen, and shelter.
2. Community Helpers: People in our neighbourhood perform essential services (farmers, sanitation workers, doctors, teachers).
3. Resource Conservation: Water, soil, and clean air are precious gifts that must not be polluted or wasted.

Seasonal Impact:
• Summer: We wear light cotton clothes, drink lots of water and fresh juices, and eat fruits like mangoes and watermelons.
• Winter: We wear warm woollens, enjoy hot soups and nuts, and sit in the sun.
• Monsoon: We use umbrellas and raincoats, and enjoy hot pakoras while taking care to avoid stagnant water.

Daily Actions:
1. Segregate Waste: Keep green dustbins for wet biodegradable kitchen waste and blue dustbins for dry recyclable plastic/paper.
2. Avoid Single-Use Plastic: Carry cloth bags for vegetable shopping and refill reusable steel water bottles.

Classification:
• Living Things: Neem tree, Butterfly, Honeybee (they breathe, grow, and reproduce).
• Non-Living Things: School bus, River stone, Wooden table (they do not grow or breathe).

Leaf Observations:
• Shape: Banana leaves are broad and long, peepal leaves have a pointed tip, and pine needles are thin and pointy.
• Colour: Leaves vary from light yellow-green to dark emerald green, and some crotons have red or purple spots.
• Texture: Lotus leaves feel waxy, rose leaves feel soft with serrated margins, and hibiscus leaves feel slightly rough.

Importance & Method:
• Washing with soap removes invisible disease-causing germs and bacteria.
• Steps: Wet hands, apply soap, rub palms together, wash backs of hands, clean between fingers and under nails, rinse thoroughly under running water, and dry with a clean towel.

Water Saving Ways:
1. Turn off the tap tightly while brushing teeth instead of letting water run.
2. Use a bucket and mug for bathing rather than a shower.
3. Pour leftover water from drinking bottles into plant pots instead of draining it away.

Helping Summer Animals:
• Place an earthen clay bowl filled with clean fresh water on the terrace, balcony, or under a tree for thirsty birds.
• Keep a bowl of water in the shade outside the house for community dogs and cats.
• Never disturb bird nests or throw stones at sleeping animals.

Festivals and Traditional Foods:
1. Eid: Families prepare and share sweet Sevaiyan (vermicelli pudding) and biryani with neighbours.
2. Holi: People celebrate spring by sharing traditional Gujiyas and refreshing thandai.
3. Diwali: Families distribute homemade Laddoos, kaju katli, and savoury namkeens.

Answers:
• (a) True: Photosynthesis produces oxygen.
• (b) True: Rainwater harvesting replenishes groundwater.
• (c) False: Burning releases toxic smoke and causes severe air pollution. Dry leaves should be composted into organic manure.