PAGE 1: Overview OVERVIEW ======== The Indian traditional calendar is used to find many Hindu and other religious observances. In this sub-strand you will name the seven days in that calendar, match each day with the Sun, the Moon or a planet, and make a weekly plan and greeting that show you value this tradition. ## Strand 8.0: Utsav (Festivals) Sub-strand 8.2: Indian Traditional Calendar Suggested lessons: 10 ## What this sub-strand covers • Days of the week in relation to planets ## Source • KICD Grade 4 Hindu Religious Education Curriculum Design (Revised 2024) — Strand 8.0 Utsav (Festivals), Sub-strand 8.2 Indian Traditional Calendar ## Learning outcomes By the end of the sub-strand, the learner should be able to: a) name the days of the week according to Indian traditional calendar b) relate the days of the week with the corresponding planets for preservation of tradition c) appreciate Indian traditional calendar for its uniqueness ## Key inquiry questions 1. How are the days of the week related to the solar system? ## Learning experiences • download the Indian traditional calendar and form a weekly plan • create and decorate the calendar using digital devices wherever possible • match the days with the corresponding planets • make greeting cards as per the Indian traditional calendar to share among peers and family • compose a song in praise of the Indian traditional calendar ## Core competencies • Learning to learn: Learner develops independent learning while making greeting cards as per the Indian traditional calendar to share among peers and family. ## Values • Responsibility: Learner enhances self-drive when creating and decorating the calendar using digital devices wherever possible. ## Pertinent and contemporary issues • Life skills: Learner develops analytical thinking skills when creating and decorating the calendar using digital devices wherever possible. ## Links to other learning areas • Learner is able to relate to the skills of making greeting cards as per the Indian traditional calendar to share among peers and family to the creative skills learnt in Creative Arts. PAGE 2: Lesson 1: A calendar with a long memory — More than one way to count days LESSON 1: A CALENDAR WITH A LONG MEMORY ======================================= ## What you will learn • Explain what the Indian traditional calendar is used for. • Say why a weekly plan still needs the seven day-names. Curriculum outcomes: c) appreciate Indian traditional calendar for its uniqueness ## Introduction A wall calendar tells you the date of a test. A traditional Indian calendar does that and more. Communities use it to find festivals, fasts and holy days. Before you learn the planets, you need to see why the calendar itself is treasured. ## Notes ### More than one way to count days The calendar you use for school is the common civil calendar, with months such as January and June. Indian tradition also keeps a calendar based on the motions of the Moon and the Sun. Festivals such as Maha Shivratri are fixed on that traditional calendar, which is why their dates on a school diary move from year to year. Both calendars can be true at the same time. They answer different questions. The school diary answers 'What date is the trip?' The traditional calendar answers 'When is the holy night this year?' PAGE 3: Lesson 1: A calendar with a long memory — Why uniqueness matters ### What this sub-strand studies You will not be asked to calculate every lunar date. That is skilled work done with a panchang, a traditional almanac, often prepared by people trained in it. Your work is the week. The traditional week has seven days, each with a Sanskrit or Hindi name, and each name remembers a graha: the Sun, the Moon, or one of five planets. ### Why uniqueness matters A tradition is unique when it carries something a people would lose if they stopped teaching it. The day-names are a small door into that tradition. If children learn only 'Sunday' and never 'Ravivar', the link between the day and Ravi, the Sun, fades. Appreciating the calendar means you learn the names carefully, you do not laugh at them, and you use them in a real weekly plan. ### Download and check If a teacher helps you look at a traditional calendar online or in a home, notice the seven day-names and any festival marked that week. Copy what you see. Do not invent a festival date. If the calendar is written in a script you cannot read, ask an adult to read the days with you. ## Key words • traditional calendar — a calendar kept by custom, used to find religious days • panchang — a traditional almanac that sets out days, lunar dates and observances • graha — in this calendar, the Sun, Moon or a planet linked with a day PAGE 4: Lesson 1: A calendar with a long memory — Look at a traditional calendar ## Worked examples ### Example 1 Why can Maha Shivratri fall on different school-diary dates in different years? Working: 1. The festival is fixed on the traditional calendar. 2. The traditional calendar follows the Moon and the Sun. 3. Those dates do not stay locked to the same civil date every year. Answer: Because it is set by the traditional calendar, not by one fixed civil date. ## Activity: Look at a traditional calendar You will need: A printed or digital Indian traditional calendar, Exercise book 1. With your teacher, open a traditional calendar. If you download one, do it only with the adult's help. 2. Find the seven day-names for the current week. Write any name you can already read, and leave a blank where you need help. 3. Notice one festival or blank week. Do not invent an extra holy day. 4. Write one sentence on why this calendar is worth keeping. ## Practice 1. What is one use of the Indian traditional calendar? 2. Why might a festival fall on different dates in a school diary from one year to the next? 3. What is a panchang? ## Answers to practice 1. To find festivals, fasts and other religious days. 2. Because it follows the traditional calendar, which is based on the Moon and the Sun. 3. A traditional almanac that sets out the days and observances. ## Summary • The Indian traditional calendar is used to find religious days. • This sub-strand focuses on the seven days and their grahas. • Copy dates from a real calendar. Do not invent them. PAGE 5: Lesson 2: The seven day-names — The week in order LESSON 2: THE SEVEN DAY-NAMES ============================= ## What you will learn • Name the seven days of the Indian traditional week in order. • Give the ordinary English name beside each one. Curriculum outcomes: a) name the days of the week according to Indian traditional calendar ## Introduction You already say Monday and Tuesday. The traditional names are not a second week. They are the same seven days, heard in Sanskrit and Hindi. Learning them in order stops the list from becoming a jumble. ## Notes ### The week in order The traditional week begins with Sunday. - **Ravivar** — Sunday - **Somvar** — Monday - **Mangalvar** — Tuesday - **Budhvar** — Wednesday - **Guruvar** — Thursday. This day is also called Brihaspativar. - **Shukravar** — Friday - **Shanivar** — Saturday Say them aloud until the order is smooth. A useful check is to touch seven fingers or seven stones as you speak, always starting with Ravivar. If you start with Monday because the school week feels as if it starts then, you will shift every planet in the next lessons. School can start on Monday. The traditional name-list taught here starts with Ravivar. PAGE 6: Lesson 2: The seven day-names — Writing them ### How the words are built Var means day. Ravi, Som, Mangal, Budh, Guru, Shukra and Shani are the names attached to that day. You do not need to spell every Sanskrit sign. You do need a stable spoken form. Listen to a teacher or a parent whose pronunciation is reliable, and copy them. Do not make up a new name that 'sounds Indian'. ### Writing them Write the seven names in a column with the English beside them. Cover the traditional column and recall it. Then cover the English column and recall that. Both directions matter, because a greeting card or a plan may use either language. Appreciate the names by using them once a day this week: 'Today is Budhvar' on Wednesday, and so on. A name you never say will not stay in the memory. ## Key words • Ravivar — Sunday in the Indian traditional calendar • var — day • Guruvar — Thursday; also called Brihaspativar ## Worked examples ### Example 1 A learner recites Somvar, Mangalvar, Ravivar. What is wrong with the order, and what should the first three days be? Working: 1. The traditional list in this lesson starts with Sunday. 2. Ravivar comes before Somvar. 3. The first three are Ravivar, Somvar, Mangalvar. Answer: Ravivar was placed too late. The first three days are Ravivar, Somvar and Mangalvar. PAGE 7: Lesson 3: Ravivar and Somvar — Ravivar and the Sun ## Activity: Seven stones, seven days You will need: Seven stones or bottle tops, A list of the names 1. Lay the stones in a row. Touch each one as you say Ravivar through Shanivar. 2. A partner says an English day. You answer with the traditional name. 3. Swap. They answer with the English name when you say the traditional one. 4. Write the full list from memory and let the teacher mark the order. ## Practice 1. Name the seven traditional days in order, starting with Sunday. 2. What is the traditional name for Wednesday? 3. Which English day is Shukravar? ## Answers to practice 1. Ravivar, Somvar, Mangalvar, Budhvar, Guruvar, Shukravar, Shanivar. 2. Budhvar. 3. Friday. ## Summary • The days are Ravivar, Somvar, Mangalvar, Budhvar, Guruvar, Shukravar and Shanivar. • They match Sunday through Saturday, beginning with Sunday. • Guruvar is also called Brihaspativar. LESSON 3: RAVIVAR AND SOMVAR ============================ ## What you will learn • Relate Ravivar to the Sun and Somvar to the Moon. • Explain, in simple science words, what the Sun and the Moon are. Curriculum outcomes: a) name the days of the week according to Indian traditional calendar; b) relate the days of the week with the corresponding planets for preservation of tradition ## Introduction The first two days of the traditional week are named from the brightest objects in the sky. Ravivar belongs to the Sun. Somvar belongs to the Moon. You can see both of them without a telescope, which makes them a good place to start. ## Notes ### Ravivar and the Sun Ravi is a name of the Sun. Ravivar is therefore the day of the Sun, which is Sunday. In the solar system the Sun sits at the centre. Earth and the other planets travel around it. The Sun is a star, not a planet. It gives the light and heat that make day, crops and weather possible. Traditional language still links Sunday with the Sun, and that link is worth keeping even while science class calls the Sun a star. Never look straight at the Sun. It can damage your eyes. You do not need to stare at it in order to remember Ravivar. PAGE 8: Lesson 3: Ravivar and Somvar — Holding both truths ### Somvar and the Moon Som, or Soma, is a name of the Moon. Somvar is Monday, the Moon's day. The Moon is not a planet. It is Earth's satellite, a companion world that travels around the Earth. You see it change shape through the month because different parts of its sunlit face point towards us. Those changing shapes, the phases, are one reason a lunar calendar can mark religious dates. ### Holding both truths The key question asks how the days relate to the solar system. Here is a clear answer for these two days. Sunday's traditional name remembers the star at the centre of the solar system. Monday's traditional name remembers Earth's moon. In the old language of the calendar both are counted among the grahas that rule the days. In a science lesson you use the more exact words star and satellite. Using both sets of words correctly is a sign of understanding, not of disrespect. Write: Ravivar — Sun — Sunday. Somvar — Moon — Monday. ## Key words • Ravi — the Sun • Som — the Moon • solar system — the Sun and the planets and other bodies that travel with it ## Worked examples ### Example 1 A classmate says the Moon is a planet because Somvar is a planetary day. How do you answer with respect for both the calendar and science? Working: 1. The calendar links Somvar with the Moon, and that link is correct. 2. In science the Moon is Earth's satellite, not a planet. 3. You can keep the traditional match and still use the scientific name. Answer: Somvar is the Moon's day. The Moon is Earth's satellite, not a planet. PAGE 9: Lesson 4: Mangalvar and Budhvar — Mangalvar — Mars — Tuesday ## Activity: Sun card and Moon card You will need: Two cards, Colour pencils 1. Make a card for Ravivar with a sun symbol, the word Sun, and Sunday. Do not look at the real Sun. 2. Make a card for Somvar with a moon symbol, the word Moon, and Monday. 3. Tell a partner the science word for each: star, satellite. 4. Place the two cards at the start of a week strip you will add to later. ## Practice 1. Which day is Ravivar, and what does it correspond to? 2. Which traditional day corresponds to the Moon? 3. Is the Sun a planet? ## Answers to practice 1. Sunday, corresponding to the Sun. 2. Somvar, which is Monday. 3. No. The Sun is a star at the centre of the solar system. ## Summary • Ravivar is Sunday, the day of Ravi, the Sun. • Somvar is Monday, the day of the Moon. • The Sun is a star and the Moon is Earth's satellite. The calendar still links the days to them. LESSON 4: MANGALVAR AND BUDHVAR =============================== ## What you will learn • Match Mangalvar with Mars and Budhvar with Mercury. • State one true fact about each planet's place in the solar system. Curriculum outcomes: a) name the days of the week according to Indian traditional calendar; b) relate the days of the week with the corresponding planets for preservation of tradition ## Introduction Tuesday and Wednesday have traditional names that point to two planets. Mars is the planet of Mangalvar. Mercury is the planet of Budhvar. Both travel around the Sun, just as Earth does. ## Notes ### Mangalvar — Mars — Tuesday Mangal is the traditional name linked with the planet Mars. Mangalvar is Tuesday. Mars is a planet in the solar system, farther from the Sun than Earth is. It is often called the red planet because its surface looks reddish. You do not need a made-up story about armies in order to remember the match. The match itself is the lesson: Tuesday, Mangalvar, Mars. ### Budhvar — Mercury — Wednesday Budh is the traditional name linked with Mercury. Budhvar is Wednesday. Mercury is a planet closer to the Sun than Earth is. It is the innermost planet. Because it stays near the Sun in the sky, it is not as easy to notice as the Moon. The calendar remembers it even when you have not seen it. PAGE 10: Lesson 4: Mangalvar and Budhvar — A fair comparison ### A fair comparison Mars and Mercury are both planets. They are not the same size, colour or distance from the Sun. Do not swap them. A common mistake is to give Mercury to Tuesday because the English word sounds a little like a rush, or to invent a rule that is not the tradition. The tradition is fixed: - Tuesday — Mangalvar — Mars - Wednesday — Budhvar — Mercury ### Seen from Kenya The planets are the same planets wherever you live. You do not need a different list for your county. On a clear night an adult may point out a bright planet, but do not guess which one without help. Guessing teaches a false match. The day-name match does not require you to find the planet in tonight's sky. ## Key words • Mangal — the traditional name linked with Mars • Budh — the traditional name linked with Mercury • planet — a large body that travels around the Sun ## Worked examples ### Example 1 Sort the pairs: Budhvar and Mars, Mangalvar and Mercury. Which sorting is traditional? Working: 1. Mangal belongs with Mars, and Mangalvar is Tuesday. 2. Budh belongs with Mercury, and Budhvar is Wednesday. 3. The given sorting is swapped. Answer: Mangalvar goes with Mars. Budhvar goes with Mercury. PAGE 11: Lesson 4: Mangalvar and Budhvar — Two planet cards ## Activity: Two planet cards You will need: Cards, A simple labelled diagram of the solar system if the teacher has one 1. Add Mangalvar — Mars — Tuesday and Budhvar — Mercury — Wednesday to the week strip. 2. On a solar-system picture, point to Mars and Mercury only if they are labelled. Do not guess. 3. Say one true fact: Mars is farther from the Sun than Earth; Mercury is closer. 4. Test a partner with the four days learned so far. ## Practice 1. What planet corresponds to Mangalvar? 2. What is the traditional name for Wednesday, and which planet matches it? 3. Which of Mars and Mercury is closer to the Sun? ## Answers to practice 1. Mars. 2. Budhvar matches Mercury. 3. Mercury. ## Summary • Mangalvar is Tuesday, the day of Mars. • Budhvar is Wednesday, the day of Mercury. • Mercury is nearer the Sun than Earth. Mars is farther out. LESSON 5: GURUVAR AND SHUKRAVAR =============================== ## What you will learn • Match Guruvar with Jupiter and Shukravar with Venus. • Use the second name Brihaspativar for Thursday correctly. Curriculum outcomes: a) name the days of the week according to Indian traditional calendar; b) relate the days of the week with the corresponding planets for preservation of tradition ## Introduction Thursday and Friday complete the middle of the week. Thursday is Guruvar, the day of Jupiter. Friday is Shukravar, the day of Venus. Venus is bright in the dawn or evening sky. Jupiter is a giant planet much farther out. PAGE 12: Lesson 5: Guruvar and Shukravar — Guruvar — Jupiter — Thursday ## Notes ### Guruvar — Jupiter — Thursday Guru means teacher. The planet Jupiter is called Guru or Brihaspati in this tradition, so Thursday is Guruvar or Brihaspativar. Both names are correct. Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. It travels around the Sun far beyond Mars. You will not see its stripes without a telescope. The calendar link does not depend on seeing them. Calling the day 'teacher's day' every week would be a mistake. Guru here is the traditional planetary name, not a school timetable. You may still remember that a guru is a teacher, and treat the word with respect when you say it. ### Shukravar — Venus — Friday Shukra is the traditional name of Venus. Shukravar is Friday. Venus is a planet between Mercury and Earth in order from the Sun. It is often the brightest planet in the sky and is sometimes noticed just after sunset or before sunrise. Even then, do not point at a bright dot and declare it Venus unless a knowledgeable adult confirms it. A bright dot might be another planet, or an aircraft. PAGE 13: Lesson 5: Guruvar and Shukravar — Practice ### Keep the chain straight By now the chain is: - Sunday, Ravivar, Sun - Monday, Somvar, Moon - Tuesday, Mangalvar, Mars - Wednesday, Budhvar, Mercury - Thursday, Guruvar or Brihaspativar, Jupiter - Friday, Shukravar, Venus Saturday is still to come. Do not give Jupiter to Friday just because both words feel important. Check the list rather than guessing. ## Key words • Brihaspati — the traditional name of Jupiter, also called Guru in the day-name • Shukra — the traditional name of Venus ## Worked examples ### Example 1 Someone calls Thursday Shukravar and Friday Guruvar. Write the correction. Working: 1. Thursday is Guruvar, linked with Jupiter. 2. Friday is Shukravar, linked with Venus. 3. The names have been swapped. Answer: Thursday is Guruvar (Jupiter). Friday is Shukravar (Venus). ## Activity: Thursday and Friday on the strip You will need: The week strip, Two new cards 1. Add Guruvar and the second name Brihaspativar on the Thursday card, with Jupiter. 2. Add Shukravar and Venus on the Friday card. 3. Recite from Ravivar to Shukravar without looking, then check. 4. Say one science fact: Jupiter is the largest planet; Venus is a planet that can look very bright. ## Practice 1. Give two traditional names for Thursday and the planet that matches them. 2. Which planet corresponds to Shukravar? 3. Which English day is Guruvar? ## Answers to practice 1. Guruvar and Brihaspativar match Jupiter. 2. Venus. 3. Thursday. ## Summary • Guruvar, also Brihaspativar, is Thursday and belongs to Jupiter. • Shukravar is Friday and belongs to Venus. • Jupiter is the largest planet. Venus orbits between Mercury and Earth. PAGE 14: Lesson 6: Shanivar and the full match LESSON 6: SHANIVAR AND THE FULL MATCH ===================================== ## What you will learn • Match Shanivar with Saturn. • Recite all seven days with their corresponding grahas without a swap. Curriculum outcomes: b) relate the days of the week with the corresponding planets for preservation of tradition ## Introduction The week closes with Shanivar, Saturday, the day of Shani, which is Saturn. When this last match is firm, you can say the whole traditional week and point to the right body in the solar system for each name. ## Notes ### Shanivar — Saturn — Saturday Shani is the traditional name of Saturn. Shanivar is Saturday. Saturn is a large planet far from the Sun, beyond Jupiter. It is known for its bright rings, which a telescope can show and the naked eye cannot. Do not claim you saw the rings unless you really looked through a telescope with an adult. The day-name does not require that viewing. ### The full traditional match - Ravivar — Sun — Sunday - Somvar — Moon — Monday - Mangalvar — Mars — Tuesday - Budhvar — Mercury — Wednesday - Guruvar (Brihaspativar) — Jupiter — Thursday - Shukravar — Venus — Friday - Shanivar — Saturn — Saturday Five of these are planets: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. The Sun is a star. The Moon is Earth's satellite. The calendar calls the set grahas and gives each one a day. That is the relationship the key question is asking about. The days are not named after random objects. They are named after these members of the solar system as the tradition counts them. PAGE 15: Lesson 6: Shanivar and the full match — How to check a swap ### How to check a swap Read the Sanskrit or Hindi name and ask what it means before you answer. Mangal is not Shani. Budh is not Shukra. If you are unsure, go back to Sunday and walk forward rather than jumping. Most mix-ups happen when the list is started on Monday and every graha slides by one day. Practise until a partner can call any English day and you can give both the traditional name and the graha. [DIAGRAM] TYPE: svg ALT: The seven traditional days and the graha each one remembers. PAYLOAD: CAPTION: The seven traditional days and the graha each one remembers. [/DIAGRAM] ## Key words • Shani — the traditional name of Saturn • Shanivar — Saturday, the day of Saturn ## Activity: Match all seven You will need: Day cards, Graha cards, English day cards 1. Mix the cards. Match each traditional day to its English name and its graha. 2. Include Saturn with Shanivar as the newest match, then check the whole set. 3. A partner removes one card. Say what is missing. 4. Copy the full table into your book for the weekly plan in the next lesson. ## Practice 1. Which planet corresponds to Shanivar? 2. List the seven grahas in day order from Sunday to Saturday. 3. Which of the seven are planets, and which are not? ## Answers to practice 1. Saturn. 2. Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn. 3. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are planets. The Sun is a star. The Moon is Earth's satellite. ## Summary • Shanivar is Saturday, the day of Saturn. • The seven days match Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn. • Start from Ravivar so that the matches do not slide. PAGE 16: Lesson 7: A weekly plan from the calendar — What to put on the plan LESSON 7: A WEEKLY PLAN FROM THE CALENDAR ========================================= ## What you will learn • Build a seven-day plan that uses the traditional names. • Show the matching graha on each day of the plan. Curriculum outcomes: a) name the days of the week according to Indian traditional calendar; b) relate the days of the week with the corresponding planets for preservation of tradition; c) appreciate Indian traditional calendar for its uniqueness ## Introduction A calendar becomes useful when it organises a real week. You will make a plan that a Grade 4 learner can actually follow: school, a chore, a prayer or quiet time, and rest. Each day keeps its traditional name and its graha. ## Notes ### What to put on the plan Use the coming week, not an imaginary one. For each day write: - the traditional name and the English name - the graha - one real duty, such as a lesson, a home chore, or reading - one kind act or one short prayer you can truly do Do not copy a festival onto a day unless you have seen it on a real calendar for that date. An ordinary week is still a traditional week. Ravivar does not need a festival in order to be Ravivar. ### Make it beautiful and truthful Decorate the plan with a small sun, moon or coloured dot for each graha. Decoration must not hide the words. If you use a digital tool, type the names correctly and save the work so you can show it. A messy beautiful picture with swapped planets has not done the task. Check Mangalvar against Mars and Budhvar against Mercury before you colour. PAGE 17: Lesson 7: A weekly plan from the calendar — Decorate a weekly plan ### Living the plan On two days this week, do the duty you wrote. Tick it honestly. If you miss it, leave the tick blank. A calendar of lies does not honour the tradition. The uniqueness you are appreciating is a week that remembers the solar system in its very names, and a learner who can use that week to live in an orderly way. Share the plan with a family member. Teach them one match they may not know, and thank them if they teach you a pronunciation. Tradition stays alive when it is spoken at home, not only stored in a school bag. ## Key words • weekly plan — a simple list of what you will do on each day of the week ## Worked examples ### Example 1 A plan labels Wednesday as Mangalvar and Mars. What two corrections does the day need? Working: 1. Wednesday is Budhvar, not Mangalvar. 2. Budhvar corresponds to Mercury, not Mars. 3. Mangalvar and Mars belong to Tuesday. Answer: Change the name to Budhvar and the graha to Mercury. ## Activity: Decorate a weekly plan You will need: A large sheet or a digital slide, Colour pencils or a simple drawing tool 1. Rule seven rows from Ravivar to Shanivar. 2. Write the English day and the graha in each row. Check the full match before decorating. 3. Add one real duty and one kind act or prayer for each day. 4. Show the plan to the teacher. Correct any swapped planet before you take it home. PAGE 18: Lesson 7: A weekly plan from the calendar — Answers to practice ## Practice 1. What three things should each day of your plan show? 2. Why should you not invent a festival on the plan? 3. Which graha and traditional name belong on Saturday's row? ## Answers to practice 1. The traditional name, the matching graha, and a real duty or kind act. 2. A festival date must come from a real calendar. A made-up date is not traditional knowledge. 3. Shanivar and Saturn. ## Summary • A weekly plan uses all seven traditional names and grahas. • Duties on the plan should be real and the ticks honest. • Do not invent festival dates. LESSON 8: CARDS AND A SONG OF THE SEVEN DAYS ============================================ ## What you will learn • Make a greeting card that uses a traditional day-name correctly. • Compose a short song or chant that praises the week and keeps every match true. Curriculum outcomes: c) appreciate Indian traditional calendar for its uniqueness ## Introduction The last practice is a gift and a song. A greeting card can carry one day-name to a friend or a parent. A chant can carry all seven. Both are ways of appreciating a calendar that ties ordinary days to the solar system. PAGE 19: Lesson 8: Cards and a song of the seven days — Why this tradition is worth the effort ## Notes ### The card Choose one day that matters in your family: perhaps Ravivar, if you worship then, or any day you will see a grandparent. On the card write the traditional name, the English name and the graha. Add a kind sentence: a wish for a peaceful Ravivar, or thanks for a meal on Shanivar. Decorate with a simple sun, moon or planet symbol. Do not copy a holy picture you do not understand and label it wrongly. Give the card to someone. A card left in the desk has not done the sharing the lesson asks for. If a person cannot read your handwriting, read the card aloud. ### The song Compose a short chant of seven lines. Each line needs the traditional day and the correct graha. A rhythm helps memory, but rhyme must not force a wrong planet. It is better to sing 'Budhvar, Mercury' plainly than to rhyme Mercury with a day it does not belong to. A sample shape, which you may improve, is: 'Ravivar for the Sun, Somvar for the Moon...' Continue until Saturn. Sing it for the class. If you record it on a device, do so only with the teacher's permission and with words you have checked. ### Why this tradition is worth the effort Many cultures name the days from the same seven: Sun, Moon and five planets. The Indian traditional calendar keeps the names in Sanskrit and Hindi and uses the week inside a larger religious year. Learning it does not insult any other calendar. It preserves a way of looking at time that still guides festivals, fasts and family greetings. That is its uniqueness. When you can sing the seven matches and hand someone a true card, you are not only repeating a list. You are keeping a tradition in use. PAGE 20: Lesson 8: Cards and a song of the seven days — Example 1 ## Key words • greeting card — a card made to wish someone well or to thank them • chant — words spoken or sung in a steady rhythm so they are easy to remember ## Worked examples ### Example 1 A song line says 'Shukravar shines with Saturn'. What is the mistake, and what should the line say? Working: 1. Shukravar is Friday and belongs to Venus. 2. Saturn belongs to Shanivar. 3. The line should pair Shukravar with Venus, or Shanivar with Saturn, not cross them. Answer: Change it so that Shukravar is paired with Venus. Saturn stays with Shanivar. ## Activity: Card and chant You will need: Card paper, Colour pencils, The checked week table 1. Make a greeting card for one traditional day, with its English name and graha written correctly. 2. Compose a seven-line chant. Check every graha against your table before you perform. 3. Sing or say the chant to the class. 4. Give the card to a classmate, a teacher or a family member and read it aloud if they wish. ## Practice 1. What must a greeting card in this lesson include so that it is accurate? 2. Why is a rhyme that swaps a planet not acceptable? 3. Give one reason to appreciate the Indian traditional calendar. ## Answers to practice 1. A traditional day-name, the English day, and the correct graha. 2. The song is meant to preserve the true match. A wrong pair teaches a false tradition. 3. It keeps a unique way of naming the days from the solar system and of finding religious observances. ## Summary • A greeting card should carry one true day, its English name and its graha. • A chant of the week must keep every planet with the right day. • Using the names at home keeps the traditional calendar alive. PAGE 21: Revision quiz REVISION QUIZ ============= Answer all the questions, then mark yourself on the Answers tab. 1. The Indian traditional calendar is especially used to A. Find religious days and festivals B. Replace the need to tell the truth C. Name the counties of Kenya D. Measure a running race 2. Which list is the traditional week in the order taught, starting with Sunday? A. Somvar, Ravivar, Mangalvar, Budhvar, Guruvar, Shukravar, Shanivar B. Ravivar, Somvar, Mangalvar, Budhvar, Guruvar, Shukravar, Shanivar C. Shanivar, Shukravar, Guruvar, Budhvar, Mangalvar, Somvar, Ravivar D. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday only 3. Budhvar is A. Wednesday B. Tuesday C. Friday D. Sunday 4. Ravivar corresponds to the A. Moon B. Sun C. Saturn D. Mars 5. Somvar corresponds to the A. Moon B. Mars C. Jupiter D. Venus 6. Mangalvar and Budhvar match which pair? A. Mars and Mercury B. Venus and Saturn C. Sun and Moon D. Jupiter and Mars 7. Guruvar, also called Brihaspativar, corresponds to A. Venus B. Saturn C. Jupiter D. Mercury 8. Shukravar is Friday and Shanivar is Saturday. Their grahas are A. Venus and Saturn B. Saturn and Venus C. Mars and Jupiter D. Sun and Moon 9. Which statement is scientifically accurate? A. The Sun is a planet and the Moon is a star B. The Sun is a star, the Moon is Earth's satellite, and Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are planets C. All seven grahas are identical stars D. Saturn is closer to the Sun than Mercury 10. Why should a weekly plan not invent a festival date? PAGE 22: Quiz answers ANSWERS ======= 1. A. Find religious days and festivals Communities use it, often through a panchang, to find observances. 2. B. Ravivar, Somvar, Mangalvar, Budhvar, Guruvar, Shukravar, Shanivar Ravivar is Sunday and begins this traditional list. 3. A. Wednesday Budhvar is Wednesday. 4. B. Sun Ravi means the Sun, so Ravivar is Sunday. 5. A. Moon Som is the Moon, and Somvar is Monday. 6. A. Mars and Mercury Tuesday is Mars. Wednesday is Mercury. 7. C. Jupiter Thursday is the day of Jupiter. 8. A. Venus and Saturn Shukra is Venus. Shani is Saturn. 9. B. The Sun is a star, the Moon is Earth's satellite, and Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are planets The calendar links all seven with days. Science names their kinds more exactly. 10. Festival dates must be read from a real traditional calendar. An invented date is not true learning. Appreciation of the calendar includes accuracy.