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Read the following source… (Social Science 2024 32/3/1 Q35)

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Social ScienceCBSE Class 10 · Board exam 2024, set 32/3/1 · 4 marks · Case-based

CBSE Class 10 Social Science 2024: question 35

Set in the CBSE Class 10 board exam of 2024, paper 32/3/1, section E, question 35, for 4 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q35 · 4 marks · Case-basedCompetency-basedForest and Wildlife Resources

Read the following source and answer the questions that follow.

Sacred Groves – A wealth of diverse and rare species

Nature worship is an age old tribal belief based on the premise that all creations of nature have to be protected. Such beliefs have preserved several virgin forests in pristine form called Sacred Groves (the forests of God and Goddesses). These patches of forest or parts of large forests have been left untouched by the local people and any interference with them is banned.

Certain societies revere a particular tree which they have preserved from time immemorial. The Mundas and the Santhal of Chota Nagpur region worship mahua (Bassia latifolia) and kadamba (Anthocaphalus cadamba) trees, and the tribals of Odisha and Bihar worship the tamarind (Tamarindus indica) and mango (mangifera indica) trees during weddings. To many of us, peepal and banyan trees are considered sacred.

Indian society comprises several cultures, each with its own set of traditional methods of conserving nature and its creations. Sacred qualities are often ascribed to springs, mountain peaks, plants and animals which are closely protected. You will find troops of macaques and langurs around many temples. They are fed daily and treated as a part of temple devotees. In and around Bishnoi villages in Rajasthan, herds of blackbuck, (chinkara), nilgai and peacocks can be seen as an integral part of the community and nobody harms them.

  1. (35.1)

    How does sacred groves relate to the belief in nature worship?

    1 mark
  2. (35.2)

    How do communities incorporate trees into their cultural practices? Explain with example.

    1 mark
  3. (35.3)

    Explain the cultural values that contribute to the coexistence of nature.

    2 marks

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2024 board paper, set 32/3/1.

Hints

Open one hint at a time and try again before the next.

Hint 1

Look at what the passage says about why groves are left untouched.

Hint 2

Find the examples naming specific trees and the communities that worship them.

Hint 3

For (iii), think about how beliefs lead people to protect animals and natural features.

Step-by-step solution

Each step shows the marks it earns, as an examiner would award them. Checked by an independent re-solve from the question paper.

  1. (i) Sacred groves are patches of virgin forest left untouched because of nature worship. Tribal belief holds that all creations of nature must be protected, so interference is banned.

    1 mark

  2. (ii) Communities build trees into their culture and worship. For example, the Mundas and Santhals of Chota Nagpur worship mahua and kadamba trees, and tribals of Odisha and Bihar worship tamarind and mango trees during weddings.

    1 mark

  3. (iii) Bishnoi villages in Rajasthan treat blackbuck (chinkara), nilgai and peacocks as an integral part of the community, and nobody harms them. This shows compassion for all living beings.

    1 mark

  4. (iii) Sacred qualities are ascribed to springs, mountain peaks, plants and animals, which are protected. Macaques and langurs around temples are fed daily as devotees. Such religious values prioritise the well-being of all creatures and lead to coexistence with nature.

    1 mark

Answer: (i) Sacred groves are forests preserved untouched on the belief that nature must be protected; (ii) e.g. Mundas and Santhals worship mahua and kadamba; (iii) Bishnoi compassion for animals and the sacredness of springs, peaks, plants and animals foster coexistence.

Where the marks are

  • Link of sacred groves to nature worship (1 mark)
  • Trees in cultural practice with example (1 mark)
  • Cultural value, e.g. Bishnoi treat animals as part of the community (1 mark)
  • Second cultural value, e.g. sacredness of natural features and temple animals (1 mark)

Revise the chapter

Practise this chapterBoard-style questions from Forest and Wildlife Resources, one at a time, marked against the answer key and marking points.Back to the full paper2024 board paper, set 32/3/1: every question, by section.

The question is transcribed from the official paper; figures are described in words. The solution, hints and chapter tag are ours. Spotted an error? Write tosupport@questionbuddy.in.