Top Free Navodaya EVS Question Passage 71 to 80 – JNV Class 6 2027

India has many unique records that make it even more interesting. India’s smallest state by area is Goa, famous for its beaches. India’s longest tunnel is the Atal Tunnel, built in Himachal Pradesh, connecting Manali to Leh. India’s tallest waterfall is Jog Falls, located in Karnataka. India’s longest coastline is in the state of Gujarat. India’s largest mosque is the Jama Masjid, located in Delhi. India’s tallest dam is the Tehri Dam, built on the Bhagirathi river, a tributary of the Ganga, in Uttarakhand. All these unique records show us that India is rich in both diversity and unique achievements.

India’s National Emblem is taken from the Lion Capital of Ashoka, built by Emperor Ashoka at Sarnath. It shows four lions standing back to back, but from the front, we can see only three lions. Below this emblem is written “Satyameva Jayate,” meaning “Truth alone triumphs.” India’s national anthem “Jana Gana Mana” was first sung in 1911, and it was officially declared the national anthem in 1950. Singing the national anthem takes exactly 52 seconds. India’s national calendar is the Saka calendar, and the national aquatic animal is the Ganges River Dolphin, which is found only in fresh water. All these national symbols represent India’s glorious history and culture.

The northeastern part of India is famous for its lush green hills, dense forests and heavy rainfall. Mawsynram and Cherrapunji, located in Meghalaya, are among the wettest places in the world. It rains so much here that local people have joined tree roots together to build “living root bridges,” which are used to cross rivers. The Brahmaputra river flows through Assam, and it is one of the few rivers in the world that has a large river island in the middle of it, called Majuli. The one-horned rhino is also found in the forests of the northeast, protected in Kaziranga National Park in Assam. People here make houses, baskets and many other things from bamboo, because bamboo grows in abundance here.

Makar Sankranti is a festival celebrated on the same date every year, 14 January, because it is linked to the change in the sun’s position, not to the moon-based calendar. On this day the sun enters Capricorn (Makar), which is why it is called Makar Sankranti, and from this day, days slowly start getting longer and nights shorter. Different states celebrate this festival under different names — in Gujarat and Rajasthan it is celebrated as a kite-flying festival, in Punjab as Lohri, in Tamil Nadu as Pongal, and in Assam as Bihu. There is a tradition of eating sweets made of sesame seeds and jaggery on this day, because sesame and jaggery give warmth to the body in winter. This festival also symbolises joy over the harvest and gratitude towards the sun.

Every farmer in India eagerly waits for the monsoon, because the sowing of kharif crops depends on this rainfall. The monsoon comes because of moist winds from the Indian Ocean, which first hit the coast of Kerala in early June, which is why the monsoon first arrives in Kerala in India. It gradually spreads across the whole country and stays until September. The smell of the first monsoon rain is called “petrichor,” which comes from water falling on dry soil. Both too much and too little monsoon rainfall can be harmful for farmers — too much rain can cause floods, and too little can cause drought. That is why the weather department forecasts the monsoon every year, so that farmers can prepare in time.

Gir National Park is located in Gujarat and is the only natural home of Asiatic lions in the entire world. There was a time when hunting had reduced the number of Asiatic lions to just a few dozen. The Nawab of Gujarat at that time started saving them by banning the hunting of lions, and later the government declared the Gir forest a protected area. Today, hundreds of Asiatic lions live safely in Gir. Unlike African lions, the mane (neck hair) of a male Asiatic lion is a little less thick. Tribal people called Maldharis also live in the Gir forest, who have known for centuries how to live peacefully alongside lions. Gir’s success is an example that endangered animals can be saved with the right efforts.

Punjab is called the “Granary of India” because its fertile land and network of canals produce a huge amount of wheat and rice. In the 1960s, the “Green Revolution” came to India, in which new and better seeds, fertilisers and irrigation methods began to be used, increasing crop yields many times over. Punjab became the biggest centre of this Green Revolution because its land and rivers like the Sutlej and Beas were very favourable for farming. Because of the Green Revolution, India became self-sufficient in food grains, whereas before this the country had to import grain from outside. Nowadays farmers use tractors and other modern machines, which has made farming easier than before.

Kashmir’s pashmina shawl is famous worldwide for its softness and warmth. This shawl is made from the extremely soft hair on the neck and belly of a special type of goat called the pashmina goat. These goats are found in the high, cold regions of Ladakh, where it is so cold that these goats grow extremely soft wool on their bodies to keep themselves warm. Making one pashmina shawl takes several weeks of hard work, because cleaning, spinning, dyeing and weaving the wool is all done by hand. This craft is taught from generation to generation in Kashmir, and it is a source of livelihood for many families. A pashmina shawl is so light and fine that it can even be pulled through a ring.

The Rann of Kutch is a unique place in Gujarat, one of the largest salt deserts in the world. This place fills up with sea water during the monsoon season, but in summer the water dries up, leaving behind a white, shiny layer of salt that looks like snow. On a full moon night, when moonlight falls on this white salt, the place looks extremely beautiful. Every winter, a famous fair called the “Rann Utsav” is held here, where people from India and abroad come to see Gujarati culture, dance and handicrafts. Wild asses are also found in the Rann of Kutch, found only in this region. This place is a unique example of India’s geographical diversity.

The states of South India have their own special culture, language and capitals. The capital of Karnataka is Bengaluru, also called the “Silicon Valley of India” because it has many information technology (IT) companies. The capital of Kerala is Thiruvananthapuram, and this state is famous for its backwaters and coconut trees. The capital of Andhra Pradesh is Amaravati, while the capital of Telangana is Hyderabad, famous for its biryani and Charminar. The capital of Tamil Nadu is Chennai, which is also a major port city. All these states are known for their distinct language, dance, music and food, which further enrich India’s cultural diversity.