MARCH (FIRST) 2020 | `35

FOUNDER
MARCH (FIRST) 2020 NO. 1017 VISHWA NATH
1917-2002

Things to do
Funtime18
Maze19
Who Am I? 26
Dot To Dot 27
Complete The Picture 30
Smart36
Hidden Picture 37

Storytime International Women’s Day

Colour Me
41
42
Healthy Holi 4 Spot The Difference 43
The Barking King 8 That’s Not Right 51
A Holi To Remember 14 World Wildlife Day 54
Solve It 55
Digital Holi 28
Dumdum’s Electricity Bill 31
Comics
The Real Reason 38
Damru And Holi 13
A Toy For The Princess  48
Cheeku24
Eco-Friendly Holi  56
Dadaji And World Wildlife Day 46

Cover Page
MARCH (FIRST)
2020 |`35

As colours splash, families meet

and greet, sweets are exchanged,
let’s not forget to play a happy and
healthy holi.
Editor, Publisher & Printer: Paresh Nath
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Thinking
SciQ–Instant Ice From Water 17
From Young Readers 44
Champak Creative Child Event 52
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Healthy Holi
Kusum Agrawal

I t was Dhulandi, the day after Holi.

Everyone had come out to play Holi.
With their favourite colours in hand,
they were going to neighbouring streets to
put colour on their friends.
“Let’s go to the park to play holi. There
is plenty of open space and our walls or
vehicles won’t get dirty,” said Himanshu.

“Yes. That’s a good idea,” said Neha and

The children’s Holi team was playing
healthy holi as they were taught by their
teachers and parents to use organic
colours. They played Holi without water
too. Many children had made colours from
flowers, a technique they had learnt from
their teachers.
Himanshu was the leader of the children’s
Holi team.
they went to the park.
But suddenly, they heard a group of
children shout, “Holi Hai!” and poured
buckets of water on them. Himanshu and
his friends were soaked from head to toe.
“Ma had told me not to play with water
as exams are nearing and I may fall sick
if I get wet,” said Shruti, looking at her
dripping clothes.

4
“But what can we do if someone else
throws water on us? Let’s stand in
the hot sun and dry our clothes,”
suggested Lavina.
The others agreed and they stood in the
sun, waiting for their clothes to dry.
While standing there for some time, they
saw the same group of children who
drenched them, walk towards them.
“What if they again throw water on us
again? We have managed to dry ourselves
by standing in this heat since such a long
time,” said Neeta, worried.
“We should run and hide,” suggested
Dipti.
They didn’t waste any time and hid behind
January (First) 2020
a bench in the park. They kept peeping to
see what the other group were upto.
They saw them walking towards a cow
that was sitting quietly in the park.
One of them threw the colour from his
bottle on the cow’s head. Seeing him, the
others emptied their bottles too.
The cow got up with a start and looked
restless. “I think they are using colours
with chemicals in them. The cow is
finding it difficult to see. Maybe her eyes
are burning because of the coloured
water. Some of it has gone into her
mouth too,” said Lavina.
“This way the cow will get sick. Ma had
told me that we should not throw colours
on animals, especially chemical colours.
And these children have done just that,”
said Himanshu. He could not see the
cow suffer.
“What should we do now?” Shruti asked
Himanshu.
“I am afraid of cows. What if she hits
us with her horns? How can we take the
colour off her?” said Neha.
“I have an idea. We can call the Animal
Welfare Society. The volunteers can help us.
I learnt about it in school. See, their phone
number is written on the pole there,” said
Neeta, pointing to the electric pole.
“Yes, I too have read that the Animal
Welfare Society volunteers treat the
animals when they are sick,” added Dipti.
“Yes, you are right,” said Lavina
In some time, after the mischievous
children left, Himanshu and his friends
came out from behind the bench and
asked one of the adults in the park, .
“Uncle, could you please help us? We
want to call the welfare society to take
care of this restless cow.”
“Yes, sure!” the man handed his phone to
the children.
They immediately called the Animal
Welfare Society and soon the volunteers
arrived and took care of the cow. After
seeing this, the children happily left to
play a healthy holi
Arisin
g pubt
ech so
lution
s
 The Barking King
Sanjeev Jaiswal

T he palace was in chaos. The

queen’s necklace was missing!
Never before had something got
lost in the palace, and King Shersingh
was worried. Everyone in the palace was
and there were beads around his neck. A
helper stood behind him, beating a small
drum and singing.

“Baba, the members of the palace are

hunting for the necklace.
As everyone was rushing around
searching, they heard someone singing.
“The world is full of sorrow; find joy and
love in Baba’s shelter.”
The king looked out and saw a man in
saffron robes standing at the palace gates.
He had grey hair and a long grey beard,
very disturbed today. Come back another
time,” said the palace guard.
“There is no victory without loss, there is
no love without loss. That’s why our king
has to lose!” said the Baba, raising his
hands towards the sky.
“That doesn’t make sense, Baba,” said the
guard. “Our king never loses!”

8
King Shersingh heard all this and wanted “Baba, my son is missing. Please find him
to know what the man meant. He invited with your magical powers,” the king asked
the Baba into the palace. with folded hands.

“The world craves victory while you are “He is not just your son, he is the future
thinking about your loss,” said the Baba, king; he is sleeping in your garden while
blessing the king. “Tell me, is there a everywhere you are looking,” said the
green dustbin in the palace?” Baba, stretching out his arms.

“Yes, there is,” replied Hira baboon,
the chief of palace staff. “The dustbin
outside the queen’s palace is green!”
“Be it garbage or gift, both are worthless
to me,” the Baba said with a smile.
He closed his eyes and chanted a mantra
and said, “Take off its lid and the
necklace you shall find.”
King Shersingh rushed to the garden to
see the prince sleeping peacefully!
After this, King Shersingh had complete
faith in the Baba. He started taking his
advice on the kingdom, and followed the
Baba blindly. His minister, Blacky bear
warned him about trusting the Baba too
much but King Shersingh did not pay
attention to his warnings.

When the servants searched the bin at
the King’s orders they found the necklace
in it. Everyone realised that the necklace
must have fallen in the queen’s room and
by mistake, it was swept and thrown in
the bin along with the garbage.
Soon, everyone knew that the King did
everything in consultation with the Baba
and the ministers too started taking
the Baba’s advice. This made the Baba
even more powerful and he was always
surrounded by animals.

Now, King Shersingh was convinced of

Baba’s magical powers. He decided to
reward the Baba, but he refused, saying
he needed nothing. King Shersingh
rewarded the Baba’s helper instead.
When the two got ready to leave,
the king asked them to stay
for a few days. After much
thought, the Baba agreed.

Two days later, King

Shersingh’s son went
missing. Nobody could
find him anywhere in the
palace. The worried king
went to the Baba for help.

March (First) 2020

One day, when alone with King Shersingh,
the Baba said, “You are sent to this world
to do something big. There is just one
thing that is keeping you from doing that.”
“What is that? Please tell me and I will
definitely try to overcome it,” said King
Shersingh.
“You are more powerful than an elephant,
muscular than a cheetah, smarter than
a chimpanzee and you can run faster
than a deer. But you lack in one thing
and you will never be able to
overcome it,” said Baba.
“Tell me what it is and
I’ll do everything I can to
overcome it,” said
the king.
“Your ability to smell is
10
very weak,” said Baba.
“Yes, I agree. What can I do to overcome
this weakness?” asked King Shersingh.
“You have to acquire the powers of a
dog,” replied Baba.
“The powers of a dog?” King Shersingh
repeated, shocked.
“Yes, a dog’s ability to smell is the most
powerful in the world. If you acquire
that power, not only will you
become the world’s most
powerful being, you will live
forever too,” Baba explained.
“Alright! I will call for
a lot of dogs today and
snatch their powers,”
King Shersingh said.
“Powers can never be snatched, you
have to acquire them,” Baba laughed.
“To acquire those powers, you have to
concentrate.”
“What kind of concentration?” asked
King Shersingh.
“Every day after your bath in the morning
you have to sit on the palace roof with
your eyes closed and pray for an hour.
After that, you have to bark like a dog for
half an hour.”
king continued barking every day for half
an hour.
This went on for some weeks, and made
the citizens of the jungle unhappy. They
didn’t want to be ruled by a barking king!
Minister Blacky got to know of this.
He too was unhappy about the king’s
behaviour, and was sure the Baba was
responsible. He did not believe in the
Baba’s magical powers, and was sure he
was a fake person.

“Bark like a dog?” King Shersingh After some thought, Minister Blacky went
repeated in shock. to the Baba. “Baba, our king has gone
mad and he has started to behave like a
“Yes, if you concentrate like this, you will dog. The people of the kingdom want
have the power of a dog in a few days. him to be replaced by a new king.”
After that you will become the world’s
most powerful being and you will live The Baba thought for a while. “You are
forever,” Baba explained. right. If the ruler of a kingdom goes mad,
it is only correct to choose a new king.”
King Shersingh felt awkward and
embarrassed to sit on the roof and bark
like a dog, but his faith in the Baba and
his desire to live forever made him forget
these feelings.

Baba advised him not to tell

anyone why he was barking
as that will make his powers
disappear.

Next morning, King

Shersingh sat down to
concentrate. After an
hour, he began barking
like a dog. Everyone
was shocked, but King
Shersingh did not stop.
Despite everyone talking
about him, the

March (First) 2020


“The people of the kingdom trust you
and they will agree to make whoever
you choose to be the king. Do you have
someone in mind?” asked Minister Blacky.
“The candidate is right in front of you,”
said Baba, raising his hands in the air.
“What do you mean?” asked Minister
Blacky with surprise.
“If you help me become the king, I will
make you my Prime Minister and reward
you too,” said Baba.
“It is you who shall get a reward from
me,” roared King Shersingh, leaping
towards the Baba and holding him by the
neck. Minister Blacky had asked the King
to hide behind the door and listen.
“You were trying to be the king while
suggesting I should do barking. I will
12
sonal
teach you a lesson today,” King Shersingh
threw him high in the air.
As the Baba fell, his grey hair flew off.
It was a wig! Minister Blacky pulled his
beard and that came off too. The Baba
was actually Baddy fox!
Baddy was a known crook, and King
Shersingh had thrown him out of the
kingdom a year ago. Baddy had come
back to take revenge. He admitted that
his helper Lalu had been working in the
palace for months before, and had hidden
the queen’s necklace and the prince.
Baddy had pretended to find them with
his magic.
A furious King Shersingh sent Baddy and
Lalu to jail. He promised Minister Blacky
that he would no longer follow fake
people and take their advice
Damru and Holi Damru starts working at Tamara fox’s paint shop.
Shivesh Shrivastava
Damru, look carefully at all
tins of paints and their sizes.
show customers all options.

Yes, madam.
everything
here looks so
colourful!

Next day. Damru, Tomorrow is we have to mix colours with water in the
Holi. We have to make tanks kept on my lawn. All the businessmen
preparations. of the forest will come to play holi.

What do we have Sure, Madam. You

to do, Madam? will have great holi.

Remember, Damru! the
tanks should be full
so that everyone can
play holi.
sonal
After some time. DAMRU! Why are you emptying
the oil paint TINS in the tank?

Madam, you told me to mix

yes! this holi the colours in the tanks.
will be fun!

WHAT! These paints WHAT HAVE YOU DONE! YOU HAVE made
ARE USED for painting YOU OPENED ALL me bankrupt on
buildings. Holi THE TINS! YOU HAVE this holi.
colours are different. ruined everything.

Madam, I also
you should have told emptied THE TINS
me THIS earlier. kept in THE storage.
 A Holi to Remember
Satish Rai
M icky rabbit enjoyed playing Holi,
which was a week away. “Ma,
please let’s go to the market. I
have to buy a pichkari!”
“Micky, Holi is a week away! What’s the
hurry?” asked his mother.
“My friends have already bought colours
and pichkaris. I want to buy one too.
Please, let’s go,” begged Micky.
“Micky, I’m busy. There’s so much
housework to be done! We’ll go to the
market tomorrow,” said his mother,
chopping vegetables.
Micky really wanted to go to the market.
He sat on a chair, looking sad. His mother
looked up and saw his sad face.
“Micky, why don’t you go to the market
with Ricky? You can buy the colours and
pichkaris on your own,” she suggested.
Micky’s face lit up. Ricky was his friend
and neighbour.
Ma gave Micky money. “Be careful in the
market and come straight back home after
buying what you want,” she instructed.
Micky was very happy, and ran to ask Ricky to
go to the market with him. Ricky also wanted
to shop for Holi, so he asked his mother and
the two friends went to the market.
The shops were full of colours. Tappo
elephant’s shop had big pichkaris on
display. “Uncle Tappo, how much is that
pichkari?” asked Micky, pointing at a big
one. “That’s `50,” said Tappo. “It’s the
best pichkari in the market!”

“That’s too much uncle!” exclaimed Micky.

“Will you give it to me for `40?” Tappo
agreed, and Micky bought the pichkari.
Ricky also bought one, and then they went
shopping for colours. They bought bright
colours, and even some balloons.

“Micky, let’s buy some masks so that no

one recognises us when we play Holi!”
suggested Ricky. Micky agreed at once,
and they bought two masks from Heenu
horse’s shop.

“Well, our shopping is done. Let’s go

home!” said Micky.
“But I’m hungry,” said Ricky. “Let’s eat
something.”
They stopped at Gabbu donkey’s sweet shop.
Gabbu was busy frying puris, and Ricky
bought a plate. “Micky, these are yummy.
Why aren’t you eating?” asked RIcky.
“I ate at home, so I’m not hungry,”
explained Micky.
Ricky finished his puris and rubbed his
tummy. “That was great! Now we can
go home.”
As the two friends were leaving the
market, they saw an old fox covered in a
blanket, sitting under a tree. Her hands
were shaking and she looked unwell.
“Children, will you help me walk home?
I’m so tired that I cannot walk without
help,” said the fox, her voice shaking.
“Of course we will,” Ricky said at once.
“Aunt fox, where’s your house?”
“Just on the next street,” she replied.
Micky and Ricky supported the fox and
helped her walk. When they reached the next
street, she said, “Thank you, children. This is
my home,” and pointed at a red house.
Before the two friends could move, the
fox jumped and removed the blanket.
They then realised she was not old at all.
“Fools! You should never trust a stranger,
especially a fox! My name is Shabbo
and I’m going to eat you up!” she said,
showing them her sharp teeth.

March (First) 2020 15

Micky and Ricky were burning!” yelled
scared. They couldn’t Shabbo. “Wait till I
run away because catch you, you naughty
Shabbo was blocking rabbit!”
their path. “Please let
us go, aunt Shabbo,” “Run, Ricky, run!”
begged Micky. “We shouted Micky,
were helping you like grabbing Ricky’s hand.
good children.” The two raced away as
fast as they could. Shabbo
“I’ve been waiting for food for tried chasing them, but with
a long time!” said Shabbo, glaring at powder in her eyes, she couldn’t
them. “I’ve finally managed to capture you see and tripped over a stone and fell.
and I’m not going to let you go!”
Micky and Ricky reached home by the
The two friends shivered with fear. They time Shabbo managed to get up. They
didn’t know what to do. Suddenly, Micky were glad to be home and happy that
remembered what his mother always told Micky used his wits to save them. This
him, “When in trouble, use your brains was one Holi they would never forget!
and be brave.”

He thought quickly, and took a step

back. “Aunt Shabbo, please grant us one
last wish before eating us. We have just
bought Holi colours. Will you let us play
Holi one last time?” he asked.

Aunt Shabbo stopped and thought. “Well,

I love Holi too. I guess I can allow you to
play. But don’t put too much colour on
me. It’s a lot of work to remove it later!”
Husain Zamin
Ricky didn’t understand what Micky
was up to. Micky opened the shopping
bag and took out some colours. “Aunt
Shabbo, if you bend down, I would like
to put some colour on you,” he said.

Shabbo bent down, and as soon as he

could reach her face, Micky threw colour
into her eyes!

“Aaaaa! How dare you! My eyes are

16
 Instant ice from water
Make ice instantly.

l A purified water bottle l A bowl l Ice cube

How does the water freeze so quickly?

1. Put a bottle of purified water in the
The freezing point of water is 0 degree Celsius.
freezer for a two-and-a-half hours and then
For water to become ice, it needs a nucleus or a
take it out.
starting point. Air bubbles or impurities present
in the water become that nucleus for water to
2. Place an ice turn into ice. A bottle, which has pure water has
cube in a bowl no air bubbles or impurities. This water doesn’t
and gently freeze quickly.
In our experiment, when this pure water that is
start pouring
cold but not frozen is poured on the ice cube, it
the cold water
freezes instantly because the cold water molecules
from the
turn into ice on top of already formed ice that act
bottle on it.
as the nucleus for this cold pure water.

Think hard!
Would the experiment work if you added
food colour to the water?

When you pour water on the ice cube, it

instantly freezes and forms a column of
ice. The water keeps on freezing as it falls
on the ice.
How can one detect if milk is impure?
Cryoscope is a device used to measure the freezing
point of a liquid. It uses the freezing
point of milk (-0.54 degree Celsius)
to determine if there are impurities in
it. Like in our experiment, if a liquid
has impurities in it, it will freeze
before its freezing point.
meyer.ca

The cryoscope starts to

cool the milk. If the milk
freezes before it reaches
its actual freezing point,
then it is impure.
Father: Arun, go out and Q: What did the doctor goat
water the plants. tell his patient?
Arun: But it is raining. A: Your teeth are very
Father: So? Take an Baaaaaaad.
umbrella and go out to Q: What did the lion tell its cub?
water the plants. A: You are roar-tastic!!
Shivani Ikhe, Ananya,
Q: You have 10 fishes, 5
8 years, Kolkata 10 years, Agra
of them drowned, 3 came
back to life. How many
Police: Where do you live? Man: Waiter! There’s a small
fishes do you have now?
Me: With my parents! fly in my soup!
A: Actually fishes don’t
Police: Where do your Waiter: Don’t worry, sir! I’ll
drown.
parents live? take it out.
Abdul Sattar,
Me: With me. -NEXT DAY-
12 years, Salem
Police: Where do you all live? Man: Waiter! There’s a
Me: Together. Q. What did the spider in my soup!
Police: Where is your house? thermometer say to the Waiter: Oh! That’s because the
Me: Next to my neighbours graduated cylinder? flies are on a strike today, sir.
house. A. You may have graduated Vaibhav Srivastva,
Police: Where is your but I’ve got so many degrees. 14 years, Amritsar
neighbour’s house? Anindita Banerjee,
Me: If I tell you, you won’t 11 years, Pune Sahil: I've named my dog
believe me. Ten Miles.
Police: Tell me! Teacher: Govind and Gopal Bunty: Why?
Me: Next to my house. have some mangoes with Sahil: Just so I can tell
P. Vishnu Vardhan, them. If Govind gives Gopal people I walk Ten Miles
13 years, Bellampally one mango, then they will twice a day!
have an equal number of Pooja Kirar,
Teacher: There is a speech mangoes. If Gopal gives 11 years, Delhi
on Neptune tomorrow. one mango to Govind then SMS us your jokes and riddles
Everyone must attend it. Govind will have thrice as to 9619587613, or write to us at
Ram: Sorry Ma’am. I won’t many mangoes as Gopal! writetochampak@delhipress.in
You can also send your jokes riddles to
be able to come. How many mangoes did each Champak, Delhi Press, A-4, Shri Ram
Teacher: Why? have in the beginning? Industrial Estate, Wadala,
Ram: My mother won’t let Ravi : Ask Govind and Gopal Mumbai – 400031
me travel so far. only ma’am! Find us online at
www.facebook.com/
Ronit Shah, Navya Seth, ChampakMagazine and https://www.
10 years, Gujarat 8 years, Patna youtube.com/ChampakSciQ
Maze Holi is celebrated on March 9. This festival is incomplete
without colours. Mix the colours to reach the finish line.

* Answer on the last page.

 Tripura
The Land of Fables,
legends and folklore
H ello, kids. I am Pakhi, the Green
Imperial Pigeon. You’ve met my
friend Lalu, the Red Panda of Sikkim, in
the previous issue. He must have told you
about our new expedition to Tripura. I
hope you are excited to explore ‘The Land
Of Fables And Legends’ with me.
You must be wondering why is it called
that? Well, that’s because my state is
a treasure house of captivating myths
and legends. Tripura, meaning three
cities, is the land of royals, majestic
palaces, serene lakes and temples. With a
magnificent fabled past amidst dazzling
hills, composed valleys and raw beauty,
Tripura will offer you more than you can
ever dream of. So, let’s get started.
My state is bordered by Bangladesh and
has a symbiotic relationship with Bengal,
Assam and Mizoram. Blessed abundantly
with nature’s touch, my state is known for
its lush valleys and serendipitous touch.
With Agartala as the capital and grandeur
texture at every step, Tripura is sure
worth more than one visit.
Diversity At Its Best
Tripura is an authentic representative of
the diversity and houses various tribal
groups. Through mystic folklore and
unique dance and music, you can get a
vivid insight into Tripura’s culture.
The celebration of festivals is a never-
ending party in Tripura. Make sure to
visit my state when some
of the popular festivals are
being celebrated such as
Kharchi, Banabihar Mela,
Makar Sankranti, Durga Puja,
Khumpui, Biju, Hozagiri,
etc. A lot of tribes in Tripura
celebrate many festivals during
the time of the harvest with
folk dances, which reflect the
tribal culture of Tripura at
its best.
Savour The Fish Effect
Kids, don’t forget to try the traditional
Tripura cuisine ‘Mui Borok’. A dried and
fermented fish, called ‘Berma’ is a key
ingredient. Fish is an important part
of Tripura’s culture and Pisciculture
or fish farming has
significantly Did you know?
more
enhanced in the My state produces
fish seeds.
past few years. than 100 million
My state is
also famous for its handicrafts from
hand-woven fabric to bamboo items. So,
don’t forget to bring yourself a wooden
souvenir.
Tripura is predominantly a hilly
region which displays three distinct
physiographic regions—hill ranges,
undulating plateau land and alluvial land.
My state is known for its adventurous hill
slopes as there are five major hill ranges—
Baramura-Deotamura, Atharamura-
Kalajhari, Jampui, Unakoti-Sakhantlang
and Longthorai.
My gorgeous small state is
distinguished by its impeccable cultural
inheritance, which is reflected from every
corner. Famous for orange and pineapple
gardens and not to forget those paddy
fields and tea plantations, Tripura will
surely give you the pastoral delight of
peaceful village life. It is
a true getaway from Did you know?
the city’s chaotic , Bethliangchhip
The highest peak
36 metres
life and provides of Tripura is 975.
l.
great detox from above the sea leve
pollution for sure.
Incredible State Symbols
l I am not just the state bird but also one of
the largest forest pigeons.
l The state flower, Indian rose chestnut is
also called cobra's saffron. Quirky, isn’t it?
l The state tree, Agarwood is one of the
world’s most expensive trees. It is also
called a Magic Tree as each and every
part of this tree is amazingly useful.
The lasting effects of herbal agar tea
are worth every sip.
l Don’t forget to see Phayre’s Leaf
Monkey, the state animal of Tripura.
This species is famous goggly eyes. This
adorable creature is on the verge of
extinction but luckily Tripura is full
of them.
Time To Create Your Itinerary
My state is an awesome destination for
tourists. It is filled with majestic royal
palaces, stone art and carvings that are
hard to forget. Be it temples, monasteries,
lush valleys, superfluous lakes, or the
captivating wildlife, Tripura will not stop
surprising you at every step you take.
The Royal Touch
The Neer Mahal is a famous palace found
in Tripura. There is also the mighty
Ujjayanta Palace, the former palace of
Fact-O-Pedia
l Floating palace, Neer Mahal is the only
water palace of Northeast India. This unique
architectural wonder reflects both Muslim and
Hindu cultures and traditions.
l There is only 1 Road (NH 44), which connects
Tripura to rest of India.
l Notable composers S D Burman and R D
Burman were from Tripura. So, yes the rich
musical culture of Tripura is a true delight to
one’s ears.
l It is also the third smallest state of India.
l The Tagore Connection: When Tripura’s
Bengali language and culture was on the verge
of socio-political crisis, the King of Tripura,
Krishna Kishore Manikya requested Prince
Dwarakanath Tagore, the great grandfather
of Nobel-laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore,
to save literature and culture and received
favourable support immediately.
the Kingdom, which is now a museum.
Located at the heart of Agartala, this
magnificent palace is a must-visit. The
tiled floors, beautiful wooden ceilings and
royal doors are truly captivating. The
Kunjaban Palace, a picturesque royal
building, famous for its scenic beauty
and intricate rock-cut carvings and
gigantic gardens should also be on your
itinerary for sure. Did you know? The poet
Rabindranath Tagore stayed there in his
last visit to Tripura get here for sure. Unakoti, also a famous
Temples And Monasteries
Kids, don’t forget to visit the oldest
temple ever. Matabari or Tripura Sundari
Temple is one of the famous temples of
Northeast India. It is almost 500 years
old. A well-revered place of Tripura is one
of the ancient temple located on a hill-top.
This popular religious shrine is visited by
thousands of devotees across the nation.
Kamalasagar
Kali temple,
the pilgrimage
centre of Tripura
also known as
Kasba Kali Bari
is situated 27 km
away from the
capital. You can
also see the beautiful lake near this temple
called Kamala lake which is a perfect spot
for a fun family picnic.
Also, don’t forget to visit the famous
Mahamuni Pagoda temple, one of the
most prominent Buddhist pilgrimage site.
The Mahumuni Buddha image is seated
on a 1.80 meters high pedestal. There is
also the serene Gedu Mia’s Mosque, this
tranquil beauty provides a calm ambience
not just to the Muslim minority of
Tripura but to anyone who finds pleasure
in exploring the exquisite minarets and
towers with embellishing artwork which is
hard to resist.
Reflecting The Ancient Architecture
Ever been on an excavation hunt? Love
exploring ancient sites. Then Tripura is
the right place for you. Pilak (Jolaibari)
exhibits the remnants of the old temple
and palace. This place is also called
the treasure house of Buddhist and
Hindu sculptures. Here you’ll see the
artefacts from the Hindu Rulers of the
seventh century. And let’s not forget the
exceptional photographs you are gonna
pilgrimage contains marvellous rock
carvings and scenic waterfalls.
The ruins of a brick-built building
emerged recently in the north-western
part of the state. The place is called
the Buddhist Stupa and an idol of Lord
Buddha had been discovered which
confirms that it was a Buddha temple in
the past. So, yes don't forget to check it
out as well.
The Gunabati group of temples may
look like the other contemporary temples
of Tripura but trust me their tangible
antiquity still need to be uncovered. So,
wake up the hidden Sherlock Holmes in
you and go for an excavation vacation.
Oh kids, there so much more, The State
Academy of tribal art, the beautiful
Dumboor,
Rudrasagar
and Kalyan
Sagar lakes;
the enchanting
wildlife
sanctuaries
at Sepahijala,
exalted Jampui
Hills and the notable rock carvings at
Chambimura and so on. I can’t stop telling
you how grand my state is. Better would
be to let it surprise you on its own. I hope
you have learned a lot about my state and
are curious to know more. Visit us soon to
explore more.
 Let’s play this fun quiz to revise our knowledge of Tripura. The first 100 entries, including
entries from Hindi, English, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada magazines, together will get an annual
subscription of Champak free. So, hurry up, what are you waiting for?

1) What is the capital of Tripura? 6) Match the following:

a) Berma a) Green Imperial Pigeon i) State Animal
b) Unakoti b) Indian rose chestnut ii) State Tree
c) Agartala c) Agarwood iii) State Bird
d) Sepahijala d) Phayre’s Leaf Monkey iv) State Flower

2) Fill in the blanks: “A lot of tribes in 7) The famous Neer Mahal is unique
Tripura celebrate many festivals during the a) Because of its intricate rock-cut carvings.
time of the ___________ with folk dances b) Because it is the only water palace of
which reflect the tribal culture of Tripura Northeast India
at its best.” c) Because it has a huge statue of Lord
a) Irrigation Buddha.
b) Harvest d) Because it is the oldest palace of Tripura.
c) Sowing
d) Storage 8) The Nobel laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore
stayed where during his last visit to the
3) Which among the following is the Tripura?
traditional Tripura cuisine? a) Neer Mahal
a) Mui Borok b) Ujjayanta Palace
b) Longthorai c) Kunjaban Palace
c) Sakhantlang d) Kamala lake Palace
d) Atharamura
9) The famous Mahamuni Pagoda temple is
4) The highest peak Bethliangchhip of Tripura famous for the
is how many metres above the sea level? a) Buddha image which is seated on a 1.80
a) 976.36 metres meters high pedestal.
b) 977.36 metres b) Stupefying Buddhist and Hindu sculptures.
c) 978.35 metres c) Marvellous rock carvings and scenic
d) 975.36 metres waterfalls.
d) Artefacts from the Hindu Rulers of the
5) State whether the given statement is true seventh century.
or false.
“There is only 1 Road (NH 44) which 10) Fill in the blanks: “The ruins of a brick-
connects Tripura to rest of India.” built building emerged recently in the
a) True _______________ part of the state.”
b) False a) North-eastern
b) South east
c) North-western
d) West Tripura

Mail your answers with your contact info at

writetochampak@delhipress.in
And kids, now I bid you farewell as our trip to Northeast India has come to an end. I truly hoped
that you have enjoyed this wonderful journey. I sure hope that my friends and I have made you more
curious about our unique culture and unremarkable heritage. I know that you will be visiting us
shortly, so it’s not goodbye after all.
 Today is Holi! All the kids will be
busy playing Holi on the playground.
I'll surely catch someone!

DAS

jackal smears black kids were playing Holi. jackal was walking
colour on his face. towards the playground
Let's apply colour on when fox sees him.
Now no one will jumbo, like every year.
recognise me! Oh! A ghost!
Yes, and then he will
GIVE US sweets! yAY!

I'm not a ghost! Well, you seem to I'm going to the

I'm JOJO jackal! have played Holi! What playground to
more do you want? catch a prey.

Oh, yes! There are many kids on the I will catch one and
playground. I'm going there too! make him my meal!
Never! These are my prey, not yours! Not at all! This is
my area, not yours!

The fox PUNCHEs the jackal, The jackal falls I should run,
hurling him in the air. amongst the kids. otherwise they'll
catch me too!
Pour water on HIM!
Let's see his face!

I'll beat you up

in your own area! Ouch!

jumbo WAS WALKING jumbo kicks the fox. The fox too lands
TOWARDS the PLAYGROUND. amongst the kids.
You won't make
Hey! What are that mistake again! Let's pour water
you doing here? on him too!

I CAME HERE
by mistake! Aah!

Or you can APPLY hAPPY HOLI! LET'S

CELEBRATE AND And we WILL
COLOURS on him!
EAT sweets! remain hungry
FOREVER!
1. I am not alive, but I grow 1. Which is the largest flower in
I don’t have lungs, but I need air the world?
I don’t have a mouth, but water A) Rose
kills me. B) Rafflesia
Who am I? C) Sunflower
D) Marigold
2. I make two people out of one.
Who am I? 2. What do you call a house made
of ice?
3. I am white A) Bamboo Home
when I am dirty, B) Log Home
and black C) Igloo
when I am clean. D) Cottage
Who am I?
3. Which is the smallest bird?
4. I have a thousand needles A) Humming Bird
but I do not sew. B) Crow
Who am I? C) Parrot
D) Sparrow
5. I am a box without hinges,
lock or keys. 4. Who discovered the radio?
Yet golden treasure lies within me. A) Dr. Abdul Kalam
Who am I? B) Albert Einstien
C) Pavlov
D) Marconi

5. An egg 4. A Porcupine
3. A blackboard 2. A mirror 1. Fire 4. D 3. A 2. C 1. B
Answers: Who am I? Answers: How Much Do You Know?
 Join the dots according to the
numbers and complete the picture.

March (First) 2020 27

Digital Holi
Vinod Kumar Vicky

C hampu mouse
was getting
excited as Holi
approached. Though
he had not bought any
colours or pichkaris this
year, he had decided
that he will celebrate
Holi digitally.

For many days, Champu

had been creating
beautiful digital Holi
cards with poems and
pictures. He signed them
using a digital signature, and
saved them on his laptop and
mobile phone.

He refused to allow anyone else to use

his laptop or phone because he did not
want them to see his beautiful messages.
He wanted to surprise his family and
friends with his unique electronic greetings
at midnight on the day before Holi.
Champu wanted to be the first in Jingalala
forest to do send these greetings on
Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp.
Even his dreams were full of the messages
he would send, and the many likes and
comments he would get when he sent them.
Finally, it was the day before Holi. That
night, after dinner, Champu sat down
with his laptop and phone and began
sending the messages. But they wouldn’t
go through!
The server was down and there was no
network. Champu tried and tried to send
his beautiful messages for hours and
didn’t know when he fell asleep.
He woke up the next day to noises outside
his window. He looked out and saw all his
friends having fun. They were hugging each
other and throwing colour around. Many of
them were eating gujiya and dahi-vada.

28
Music was being played, and Chichi
sparrow, Mannu mynah, Ginni bird and
Teepu parrot were dancing. Covered in
pink and green colours, Gopu rhino and
Humpty elephant danced along.
Soaked in red colour, Nanku rabbit was
putting colours on others. Simpu jackal
was carrying a pichkari spraying coloured
water on the animals and Sweetie lioness
hugged everybody and wished them.
Dhenchu donkey, covered in blue
colour and Rozy fox in purple were
distributing sweets.
Looking at this, Champu felt sad. His
grand plan of sending digital messages to
all had failed because of poor network.
He wanted to be the first to greet
everyone. Instead, he was the last person
to welcome Holi.
Just then, Gillu giraffe saw him, and
pulled Champu out to wish him a happy
Holi. Gillu was joined by Billu cat and all
the others.
They put colour on Champu and sprayed
him with water and offered him sweets.
Champu began to feel better.
He realised that wishing his friends by
hugging them, and tossing real colours
around made him much happier than the
likes and comments he would have got on
a digital greeting.
Very soon, he was jumping around,
throwing colour in the air and shouting
“Happy Holi!”
p s babu
 Parts of this
image have been
left blank. Look
at the picture,
complete it and
then colour it.

30
 Dumdum’s Electricity Bill
Nina Singh Solanki

D umdum bear lived in a peaceful

forest called Anandvan. He ran
a grocery shop from his house
and all the animals came there to buy
from his shop. Timmy deer and Nattu
went to see him. “Can I help you, Lalu?”
he asked.

“Thanks for the offer, Dumdum, but I

monkey were Dumdum’s best friends and
everyone knew about their friendship.
Lalu fox had just moved to Anandvan
and he rented a house next to Dumdum’s
house. The day Lalu moved in, Dumdum
have just finished unpacking,” said Lalu,
out of breath from all the moving.
“You are new to this forest, so do let
me know if you need any help,” said
Dumdum, being kind and friendly to his
new neighbour.
“Thank you, I will. After all, a neighbour
is your companion in good and bad
times,” said Lalu, thanking Dumdum.
Dumdum then invited Lalu to his house
for tea and biscuits. “I would like that.
I’m feeling tired after all this work,” said
Lalu, and the two went to Dumdum’s
house for tea.
This became a habit, and Lalu would drop
by for tea almost every day. This went on
for more than a month.
“Dumdum, we hope you won’t forget
your old friends in your excitement of
making new friends,” teased Timmy
and Nattu.
“Can that ever happen? Ours is an
unbreakable bond!” said Dumdum, and
they all laughed.
32
Just then, Gogi pigeon came with
Dumdum’s electricity bill. Dumdum
opened the bill and was shocked to see a
huge amount.
“What is wrong, Dumdum?” asked Timmy.
“Gogi, are you sure this is not someone
else’s bill?” asked Dumdum.
“Let’s check the name on top. It’s yours
only,” said Gogi, reading the envelope.
Nattu took the bill and looked at it. “It is
your bill, Dumdum,” he said.
“But this bill is for `4,000,” said a
shocked Dumdum. “You know how
careful I am while using electricity. I never
leave the fan or lights on when they are
not needed. Normally, my bill is for `500
or so. I never get such a huge bill!”
“Oh, I’m sure such bills are common for
rich people like you,” teased Nattu.
“This is more than what I pay in four
months,” laughed Timmy.
“This isn’t funny!” exclaimed Dumdum.
“I can’t believe I got such a huge bill.”
His friends then realised that Dumdum
was upset and they fell silent, thinking of
how to solve this problem.
Timmy went to the electricity department
office to check if there was a problem
with the meter reading. But everything
was right, and the meter showed a much
higher reading than usual.
Dumdum paid the bill, but began to be
even more careful about using electricity.
He only switched on the light and fan
when he was in a room, and made sure to
switch everything off when he left. Despite
this, the next month’s bill was equally high.
Dumdum went to Lalu to see if he
had a similar problem. “Dumdum, the
government has increased the price of
electricity. That’s why your bill is so high,”
said Lalu.
“Is your bill also high, Lalu? How much
was it for this month?” asked Dumdum.
“Oh, it’s always high but I pay it without
thinking. Now, I really have to leave to
meet someone,” said Lalu, and left the
house hurriedly.
A few days later, Nattu and Timmy
were walking on the back lane to go to
Dumdum’s house. They noticed a wire
going through a window into Dumdum’s
house. “Nattu, do you see that wire?”
asked Timmy.
“Yes, it’s an electric wire and it’s going
from Lalu’s house to Dumdum’s,”
replied Nattu.
Nattu and Timmy decided to ask
Dumdum about it.
34
Dumdum also had no idea about why
there was a wire connecting the two
houses. His friends were sure something
fishy was going on. “Maybe this is how
your electricity bills reached `4,000,”
said Nattu.
“But how is this possible?” asked
Dumdum innocently. “Why would Lalu
do that?”
Timmy and Nattu were sure that Lalu
was up to no good. They went inside
the house and looked at the electricity
main board. There was a wire coming
from Lalu’s house going into Dumdum’s
electricity board!
“Dumdum, have you let Lalu inside your
house and left him alone?” asked Timmy.
“Never. He usually sits in the shop with
me,” said Dumdum. “Oh, there was
just one time when I had to buy things
and was expecting a courier. I left my
keys with Lalu and had gone out for a
few hours.”
Timmy pulled out the wire from Lalu’s
house. “It is clear now why your bills have
been so high!”
The friends scolded Dumdum. “One
should not be so careless, Dumdum,” said
Timmy. “You should have noticed this
wire before!”
“I’m going to file a complaint with the
police,” said Nattu.
“I’m going to drive him out of
Anandvan,” said Timmy angrily. “There’s
no place for cheats in our forest.”

“Wait! Let us first talk to Lalu,” said
Dumdum, trying to calm his friends. Just
then, Lalu came to visit Dumdum.
“Did you steal from your innocent
neighbour?” asked Nattu as soon as
Lalu entered.
Lalu’s face became pale when he heard
this.
“Don’t you feel ashamed of yourself ?”
asked Timmy. “Dumdum has been so nice
to you since you moved here!”
Lalu began to shake with fear and
began apologising. “Dumdum, I am so
sorry. I misused your goodwill and
stole from you. Please forgive me. I
promise I will never do something like
this again!”
March (First) 2020
Navya Bhupathiraju
“If someone regrets his mistakes and is
truly sorry, we should accept his apologies
and forgive him. Come friends, let us all
have tea together,” said Dumdum.
Lalu felt even more ashamed of his
behaviour and promised that he would
never cheat again. He paid Dumdum
back and decided to be a kind neighbour
like him
Statement of ownership and particulars about CHAMPAK
Form IV, see Rule 8
1. Place of publication: New Delhi.
2. Periodicity of publication: Fortnightly.
3. 4. 5. Printer’s, Publisher’s, and Editor’s Name: Paresh Nath.
Nationality: Indian. Address: Delhi Prakashan Vitran
Pvt. Ltd., E-8 Jhandewalan Estate, Rani Jhansi Road,
New Delhi-110055.
6. Names and addresses of individuals who own the
newspaper and partners or shareholders holding more than
one per cent of the total capital: Delhi Prakashan Vitran Pvt.
Ltd., E-8 Jhandewalan Estate, Rani Jhansi Road, New
Delhi-110055.
I, Paresh Nath, hereby declare that the particulars given above
are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.
 Sd. Paresh Nath, Publisher.
35
Holi Piñata
By Avantika Gupta

Make a piñata this Holi from

crepe paper and have fun!
You will need:
Paper cylinder, pencil, scissors, glue
stick, red chart paper, crepe paper in
different colours, thread, treats

How to make:

1. Cut 2-inch strips from
all the crepe sheets so
that they wrap around the
cylinder. Cut slits along the
edge of each strip.
2. Cut a circle using 3. Stick the crepe paper
red chart paper and strips using glue on top
cover one end of of each other to cover the
the cylinder. surface of the cylinder.

4. Stick thread inside 5. Fill the cylinder with

the cylinder to hang it. treats and cover the other Your piñata is ready! Hit it
end. Hang the Piñata with a stick till it breaks
using the thread. and treats fall from it.
Try making this yourself at home! Send your creations to us at
writetochampak@delhipress.in or take a photo and send it to us at +91 9619587613
Hidden Find 10 pichkaris in the picture below.
Picture

* Answer on the last page.

 The Real Reason
Medhavini Mohan
J ulie was sad when she came home
from school. After lunch, as was
her habit, she didn’t sit and talk to
ma about what happened in school
that day. Instead, she ate and went to
her room.
Ma waited for a little time, and when Julie
did not come out, went to her room. She
found Julie lying in bed, silent. “What
happened, dear?” asked ma, stroking
Julie’s hair.
Julie burst into tears and blurted, “The
teacher has put me in the back row for the
group dance. She does this every time!”
“So much crying for just this? Maybe the
other children dance better,” consoled ma.
“No, ma. That’s not the reason. I know
why she put me in the last row!” said
Julie, sobbing. “You know I love to dance,
and I asked you to make me join Kathak
dance classes. I have also been learning
modern dance. You know that ma.”
“Yes dear. I know you have been
practising very hard,” said ma.
“And when the auditions for the
group dance were announced, I
practised even more and I was
selected. But Vidisha ma’am put me in the
last row. Three girls who make so many
dance mistakes are in the first row. Ma’am
even asked me to teach them the steps,”
explained Julie.

“Oh. If she thinks you’re so good, why

did she not put you in the front row?”
asked ma.

“First, I thought it was because there was

something wrong with my dance. But
from the time I have started dancing in
class 1 to now, I have never been put in
front. This time, I worked so hard and
I know I dance better than most of the
others. But still, I’m in the last row,”
sobbed Julie.

“Why is that?” asked ma.

“Because I’m dark. That’s why!”

exclaimed Julie.

Ma hugged Julie. She now understood
what Julie was going through. When ma
had been in school, she too had often
been teased by others for being dark.
Ma did not want Julie to grow up feeling
the same way, so had brought her up
to think that good qualities were more
important than skin colour. But what
could a child do when a teacher was
being unfair?
“And in class, Vidisha ma’am is not so
strict with children who are fair. Can you
complain to the principal, ma?” asked
Julie, still talking.
Her mother thought for a while. “Julie,
I think there’s another way to make your
teacher understand. It may be difficult to
prove that she is being unfair because of
your skin colour. Let me think,” said ma.
Julie and ma sat quietly for some time.
Then ma asked, “Julie, isn’t Vidisha
ma’am your language teacher? She has
given you an essay to write on ‘what I
want to become’, hasn’t she?”

“Yes, ma. I will finish it today. We are

supposed to read it out in class tomorrow.
I’m going to write that I want to become
a dancer!”

39
“Well Julie, what if you write about how
you want to be a teacher?” ma laughed and
looked at Julie with a twinkle in her eyes.
Julie understood what ma meant! “Oh
yes! Thank you for this idea, ma!”
The next day, all the children had to read
their essays in Vidisha ma’am’s class.
Soon, it was Julie’s turn.
She picked up her notebook and started
reading, “I want to become a teacher
when I grow up because just one teacher
can make or break the future of so many
40
kids. It is a very important job. When I
become a teacher, I will make sure that all
children are treated equally in my class.
I will pay attention to their talent and
abilities, and not to the colour of their
skin. I will not behave differently to a
child who is dark or fair, tall or short.
I will not do anything to make any
child feel sad. And just like my teachers
here, I will put in all my effort to teach
the children.”
All the children in class who had been
ignored because of their colour or
size clapped loudly and cheered when
Julie finished.
Vidisha ma’am understood what Julie had
done. Without complaining or blaming
anyone, she had said what she wanted to say.
That day, when dance practice
began, Vidisha ma’am changed the
order of dancers.
Julie was now in the front
row, along with many
accomplished dancers. Julie
danced happily, like a bird
who had been set free
from the cage
s
ic
aph
gr
n
atio
g am
al
am
International Women’s Day International Women’s Day is
celebrated on March 8. Below are a
few famous Indian women and their
achievement. Can you identify them?

First Indian woman

who went to space

First woman police

officer of India

Founded the first

girl’s school of India

First woman to play 200

One Day Internationals

Voice of the Millennium

* Answer on the last page.

Colour Me
SpOt the Difference Circle 10 differences you can find
between the two pictures.

Us and Them and body posture to communicate

with each other. Horses have better
eyesight than cats and dogs.
Humans express emotions through a They use the facial muscles to alter
variety of facial gestures like frowning, their facial expressions in different
raising eyebrows, rolling eyes, lifting social situations. For example, when
chins and many more like these. These threatened or surprised, they raise
gestures form a part of non-verbal their eyebrows. They widen their eyes,
communication in which words are like us, to show fear. Horses can also
not used. purse their lips to show anger, flare
their nostrils before getting into a fight
We have 27 distinct facial movements and curl back
that we use to express these emotions. their upper lip
when smelling
In the animal kingdom, one would
a strong odour,
assume that chimpanzees would have
besides several
the second highest facial movements
other facial
since they are closely related to us. But
movements.
horses come second with 17 unique
facial movements, followed by dogs
with 16 and chimpanzees with 13 facial Horses
movements. ears can turn
in different
Like us, horses are social animals that
live in herds. They use their excellent directions to aid
sense of sight, facial expressions their hearing.
 An unusual Role Model
When I open a book,
A storybook or a textbook,
It lets me soar over my imagination,
Through its white pages as fluffy as a cloud.
It lets me hover,
While gripping its colourful cover,
Through incredible cities of imagination,
And colossal castles of creativity.
It removes thoughts of gloom,
And makes my mind bloom,
Throughout the fabulous flight,
Over vast lands of innovation.
It flies
Over vast skies,
Carrying large quantities of imagination,
And a pinch or two of creativity.
It floats over heights,
And makes me feel ecstatic onsight,
Of every interesting book,
That’s really awesome.
It inspires me,
To write a story or a poem with glee,
That’s when I realise,
That it’s real role model.
I learn from a book to be innovative,
And creative,
Moreover, to be quite useful,
Muskan dhull
And that’s why I consider it as
14 years, Hisar
an unusual role model.
P. V. Dharshini
11 years, Chennai
Fun
Stars sail on the night sea,
Somehow, they manage to appease me!
Rainbows mingle among the clouds and rain,
That’s the moon bow’s cause and main!
Can we all play together?
That’ll be fun in any weather!
Games don’t matter,
Just like the hare and Mad Hatter!
You can read a book if you have time to spare,
Find a novel somewhere!
Just be curious, keep wondering,
Make others’ lives uphill, don’t just keep bickering!
That’s how much fun it is!
Anusha Shukla Kumud Bhalla
10 years, Jabalpur 5 years, Delhi
 Niyati Srinath
8 years, Bengaluru Bhargav Soni
11 years, Himachal Pradesh

Holi
Sky is filled with colours; The Wave
Once there was a wave
Made from the fragrance of flowers,
When I saw I thought hooray
Children are playing
But he said caloo calay
By spraying colours on their friends,
So then I thought to say
Everyone is enjoing!
Why don’t we play?
It’s the flower season, Spring;
He wanted to say
Happiness is what it brings
But he saw a sun’s ray
To celebrate Spring,
Due to which he looked grey.
We celebrate Holi,
Holi the festival that depicts the arrival of Spring. Meena Kapur
R. Sahana 8 years, Mumbai
10 years, Chennai

Calendar made by
our reader,
Aura Samanta,
11 years,
West Bengal

Send us jokes, riddles, drawings or stories with your

full name, age and address to:
ur
Delhi Press We cannot return yo
t nt
wa
A-4, Shri Ram Industrial Estate work, so you migh
Wadala, Mumbai-400031 to keep a copy.

Aaradhya Soni writetochampak@delhipress.in 9619587613

7 years, Uttar Pradesh facebook.com/ChampakMagazine youtube.com/ChampakSciQ
 Riya and Rahul were reading
Dadaji and World Wildlife Day the newspaper with Dadaji.
Vivek Chakravarty
Why do we celebrate
Dadaji, what does this day, Dadaji?
this headline 'INDIA
INCREASES ITS WILDLIFE
CONSERVATION EFFORTS'
mean? Is there
something special
going on today?

Yes, RIYA, today IS March 3 AND IT

is celebrated as World Wildlife Day.

This day is celebrated to raise Yes! Not just the animals,

awareness among people about plants in the wild need to
taking care of the existing species be cared for, too.
of wild animals and plants.

Even plants?

What kind of care, Dadaji?

nowadays, fOR development, we are destroying

our forests by cutting down trees. THIS cauSES air
pollution. our actions cause severe damage to the
environment, which haRMS many animals and plants.
 Dadaji, but the That is what we all think. However,
animals and there are thousands of animals
plants that were and plants around the world that
around us earlier are at the verge of going extinct.
are still here. in India, there are 132 animal and
Then, what is this plant species in danger.
danger all about?

132 species!?
Therefore, WE
WANT PEOPLE TO
REALISE THAT
their actions ARE
NOT HELPING THE
ENVIRONMENT.

Yes! In fact, some of the most Yes, And before all these species
common birds flying around us vanish from earth just like the
such as sparrows and vultures dinosaurs, we need to take action
too are in danger. towards their protection.

sonal
Uh-oh! That’s why we are seeing
lesser and lesser number of
birds around us these days.

Certainly! it is very crucial to preserve the

ENVIRONMENT of the planet. Also, the theme
for this year is Sustaining all Life on Earth.

Yes, Dadaji. I have

also read that the
life of humans
can exist on this
planet only IF these
animals and plants
exist. If they vanish,
Yes Dadaji! Earth belongs to all of us, and so does
then human beings
the responsibility of its protection and care!
too will NOT BE ABLE
TO SURVIVE. Dadaji nodded his head warmly in agreement.
 A Toy For The Princess
Harish Bhandari

T he king of Shantivana, Sheru,

had a pretty daughter. He loved
her very much. One day, the
princess fell ill. The king called the best
doctors to treat her, and took her to many
The king was very worried. One day,
when he was sitting with the princess, he
said, “My dear daughter, I wish I knew
what to do to cure your illness!”

hospitals. But nobody could find out why The princess replied, “Papa, just get me
the princess was ill. In spite of taking the moon to play. I know I will feel better
medicines, she did not become better. when I play with it.”
The king was happy
to do something and
immediately called his
minister. “Minister, my
daughter says she will
get well when she plays
with the moon. You
must get me the moon
by tomorrow night,”
ordered the king.

The minister was shocked.

“The moon?” he said. “This is
impossible, your majesty. I can get
anything else from any corner of the
world. But I cannot get the moon.”

The king became angry and ordered the

minister to go away. Then he called for
his army commander and repeated his
order. “Get the moon for my daughter
to play with!” The commander too said
he could not. “Your majesty, nobody can
bring the moon here. It’s too far away!”
The king sent him away and called for
the minister in charge of finance. He too
was unable to help. “Go away from here,”
shouted the king angrily.
Finally, the king ordered the court joker
to come to him. “Your majesty, did you
send for me?” asked the joker, bowing.
“Yes!” said the king, and burst into tears.
“My daughter says she will not be well till
she plays with the moon. Can you bring
the moon for her to play with?”
“Yes, your majesty,” replied the joker.
“But first, I need to ask the princess how
big her moon should be. Don’t trouble
yourself, sir. I will go ask her that myself.”
The joker went to the princess’s room.
“Have you brought me the moon?”
she asked excitedly, as soon as she saw
the joker.
“I’ll get the moon for you. But first, tell
me, how big should the moon be?”
“As big as the nail of my thumb,” replied
the princess. “When I stretch my thumb
nail towards the moon, I cannot see it. It
gets completely hidden behind it.”
“Good! Now can you please tell me what
it is made of and how high is it?” asked
the joker.
“The moon is made of gold and it is at
the height of the tree over there,” the
princess replied.
“Alright! Tonight, I will climb the tree and
bring the moon down,” said the joker and
went back to the king.

March (First) 2020 49

“Your majesty, tomorrow I will bring the
moon for the princess,” he announced.
Then he told the king his plan. King
Sheru was very happy to hear it.
The joker left the palace and went to
the jeweller. He asked him to make a
golden moon.
The next day, the joker took the golden
moon with him and gave it to the
princess. She was very happy with it, and
immediately put it on a chain and wore it.
Soon, she began to feel better.
The king was happy to see his daughter
get well. But he was worried. “What will
she say when she sees the moon in the sky
tonight?” he wondered.
That evening, the king and the joker
went to the princess’s room. The moon
rose in the sky and the princess ran to
the window to look at it. “Well princess,
how is there a moon in the sky when it is
around your neck?” asked the joker.
The princess laughed. “You are so funny!
When a tooth breaks and falls off, another
one comes out. Everyone knows that! In
the same way, a new moon has come out!”
The king also laughed and sat down to
play with his daughter
MANIMALA JEEVA
Some things in
this picture are
not right. Find
out what they are.
 Champak proudly presents the results of the Season

Champak Creative Child Contest Season 7. 7

Go Green
I want to make my
wish come true
Let’s make the sky blue.
Don’t cut the trees
Lets’s make our world clean and green.
Use the cars
When you’re going very far
No use for bikes
The thing that elders ride.
Let’s make our world pollution free,
Do you all agree?
Priyanti Mazumder, 9 years,
Kolkata
Vighnesh Sunil Zore, 10 years
KVK Ghatkopar Sarvajanik School
(Primary Section), Ghatkopar West

Nidhi Vinod Natekar, 7 years Shaalin Santosh Mandlik, 7 years

KVK Ghatkopar Sarvajanik School KVK Ghatkopar Sarvajanik School
(Primary Section), Ghatkopar West (Primary Section), Ghatkopar West

An exciting drawing competition!

Arya Pravin Raje, 8 years Harsh Bhalchandra Kamat, 5 years Tanvi Jaywant Nachanekar, 9 years
Champak Creative Child Contest was organised at KVK Ghatkopar Sarvajanik School (Primary Section), Ghatkopar West. 100
students participated in the contest and enthusiastically submitted their drawings. Certificates were given to the best entries.
 Tushar K. Chaurasia, 12 years
The Modern School SSC, Charni Road Krishang S. Pawaskar, 8 years
The Modern School SSC, Charni Road

Champak congratulates the

winners and would love all our
readers to participate. So grab your
writing and painting material and get those
creative ideas flowing. To participate look
for the Champak Creative Child Contest
advertisement in this issue.
Hurry!
Topics for next month’s wild card entry are:
l World Health Day
l April Fool’s Day
l National Pet Day
Send your entries on A4 size paper.

Postal address: Champak, Delhi Press, A-4,

Shri Ram Industrial Estate Wadala, Mumbai- 400031
Surekha Kamlesh Patel, 13 years E-mail: writetochampak@delhipress.in
The Modern School SSC, Charni Road Visit our Facebook page for updates:
www.facebook.com/ChampakMagazine

Champak Creative Child Contest was organised at The Modern School SSC, Charni Road. 40 students participated in the
contest and enthusiastically submitted their drawings. Certificates were given to the best entries.
World Wildlife Day March 3 is World Wildlife Day. Look at the footprints
below and match them with the right animals?

E 5

G
7

H
8

I 9

J
10
* Answer on the last page.
Solve It Look at the sums below, identify
the value of the fruits and fill in the
blanks with the correct answer.

Can you find the right answer?

* Answer on the last page.

 Eco-Friendly Holi
Siddhesh Bhusane
H oli was just a week away, and all
the children were in a festive
mood. Kashyap had just moved
to a new locality and was excited about
playing Holi with his new friends.
The other kids in the building had started
throwing water balloons and plastic
packets filled with water at each other.
One day, a water balloon hit Kashyap’s
grandmother just as she was leaving to go
to work. She was furious. “Who did that?”
she shouted at the kids.
“We are so sorry, grandma. The balloon
hit you by mistake. We were throwing it at
our friend,” replied Raju.
“But why are you throwing balloons
today? Holi is still far away,” said
grandma. The children were silent. “Come
to my house in the evening. I will tell you
all a story,” she said and left.
Kashyap’s grandmother was the principal
of a school. She told Kashyap what had
happened and he agreed that it was not right
to play Holi a week before the festival.
That evening, the kids came to Kashyap’s
house. They were nervous, expecting
another scolding. Instead, Kashyap’s
grandmother welcomed them in.
“Please don’t be upset that I scolded you
all and try to understand why I scolded
you. Sit down everyone and eat these
yummy samosas.”
Kashyap and his mother served the hot
samosas to the kids.
“Do you know there are many parts of
the country where there is no water?
People don’t have enough water to drink.
We should not be wasting water by
playing with it,” explained grandma.
The kids listened carefully. “These plastic
bags you have been throwing are harmful
for the environment. The colour, if
they have chemicals, are extremely
harmful for humans and animals. Black
contains lead oxide, which harms our
kidneys. Green contains copper sulfate,
which hurts our eyes. Silver contains
aluminium bromide that can cause
cancer. Blue too has persian blue that can
cause cancer.”
“But grandma, it’s Holi—the festival of
colours. Can’t we play with any colours?”
asked Reema.
“Of course. One can play with colours!”
March (First) 2020
exclaimed grandma. “In the past, Holi
used to be played using flower petals and
organic colours. Even today, at many
places Holi is played using tuberose and
rose petals. Also, you can buy organic
colours in the market. Reema, you can
even make colours at home!”
“How can we make colours at home?”
asked Raju.
“There are so many ways,” said grandma.
“By soaking beetroot in water, one gets
red, mehndi leaves, various flowers,
sandalwood powder, all mixed with
water give many different colours. These
don’t harm us or the environment. It’s
important that we celebrate Holi without
causing harm. This way, we don’t waste
water nor use harmful plastics. So, are
you kids interested in playing an eco-
friendly Holi?”
57
 “Yes, of course!” replied the
kids. “We will take care and not
harm the environment. And we
will play Holi on the day of the
festival, not a week before!”

“Well done, children!” said

grandma. “And remember to
come here for sweets on the
day of Holi!”

“We will!” shouted the kids

and went back excited to play a
amalgamation graphics
great Holi

Page 41: International Women’s Day

Kalpana Chawla
Page 37: Hidden Picture

Kiran Bedi
Page 19: Maze

Savitribai Phule

Mithali Raj

Lata Mangeshkar

3
Page 54: World Wildlife Day

2
3
Page 55: Solve It

14
58 March (First) 2020