How the Land Becomes Sacred Class 7 Question Answer SST Chapter 8

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Class 7 SST Chapter 8 How the Land Becomes Sacred Question Answer

Class 7 Social Science Chapter 8 How the Land Becomes Sacred Question Answer

How the Land Becomes Sacred Class 7 Questions and Answers

The Big Questions (Page No. 167)

Question 1.
What is ‘sacredness’?
Answer:
Sacredness is finding something of deep religious or spiritual significance, worthy of respect and reverence. It can be a special location or shrine that evokes such deep feelings, high thoughts or emotions. Therefore, sacredness is not only connected with religion and spirituality, but also with geography and all sorts of traditions.

Question 2.
How does the land become sacred?
Answer:
A land on earth is considered sacred because it is associated with a divine, holy memory, or a spiritual person or figure. In Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, such sacred sites are generally associated with a great personality.

Question 3.
How do sacred sites and pilgrimage networks connect with the life and culture of the people?
Answer:
Many Indians undertake tirthayatras to various sacred sites during their lifetime. This is called a pilgrimage. This ancient and continuous tradition of pilgrimage is not just a physical journey but also an inner journey that requires a specified code of conduct.

These sacred sites are spread throughout the country, yet they are closely interconnected. A pilgrimage site is a place where a seeker transitions from their ordinary life to a higher, spiritual life. Such places are viewed with immense reverence and sanctity. Thus, sacred sites and pilgrimage sites are interconnected.

By travelling to major sacred sites and pilgrimage destinations associated with their beliefs, pilgrims naturally become familiar with the entire landscape of India. Along the way, they experience a variety of languages, customs, clothing, and food, as well as the underlying similarities among them. This clearly shows that sacred sites and pilgrimage networks connect with the life and culture of the people.

Question 4.
What role did sacred geography play in the cultural integration of the Indian Subcontinent?
Answer:
While visiting the major sacred places connected to their respective faiths, pilgrims would naturally cover the geography of India. They would come across diverse languages, customs, clothing and foods along the way, but would notice the commonalities too.

A part from religious motivations, some, like merchants and traders, travelled to exchange goods; others travelled to discuss, debate and popularise their beliefs or to learn and study from eminent teachers in different parts of the country. Though they were travelling for different purposes, their routes often converged.

Discussions and debates, sharing of goods, experiences, and tales, enriched everyone. New ideas emerged, and old ones were adapted. This complex process became a major factor in the cultural integration of the Indian Subcontinent.

Let’s Explore (Page No. 173)

Question.
Note the locations of the char dham. What do you think it implied for the people when they travelled north-south and east-west?
Answer:
The Hindu Char Dham are four sacred pilgrimage sites in India, located in the north, south, east, and west directions-Badrinath (Uttarakhand), Jagannath Puri (Odisha), Rameshwaram (Tamil Nadu), and Dwarka (Gujarat).

Significance-

1. Each of these pilgrimage sites has its own unique spiritual significance, and a pilgrimage to these places is considered a path to salvation.
2. It is believed that Adi Shankaracharya established these four pilgrimage sites in the four directions of India.
3. A pilgrimage to the Char Dham often involves a long journey, providing both a spiritual and physical experience for the body and mind.

Class 7 How the Land Becomes Sacred Question Answer

Question 1.
Read the following statement by a well-known environmental thinker, David Suzuki: “The way we see the world shapes the way we treat it. If a mountain is a deity, not a pile of ore; if a river is one of the veins of the land, not potential irrigation water; if a forest is a sacred grove, not timber; if other species are biological kin, not resources; or if the planet is our mother, not an opportunity- then we will treat each other with greater respect. Thus is the challenge, to look at the world from a different perspective.”

Discuss in small groups. What do you think this statement means? What implication does it have for our actions with respect to the air, water, land, trees and mountains around us?
Answer:
Students should discuss David Suzuki’s statement in small groups. From this statement, we understand that the entire natural landscape should be considered a sacred space. This concept will help us protect and preserve nature because it will influence our behaviour towards nature, leading us to understand that we are a part of nature, not separate from it. Protecting and preserving it is our responsibility.

Question 2.
List the sacred sites in your region. Enquire into why they are considered sacred. Are there stories connected with these sacred places? Write a short essay of 150 words. (Hint: You could speak to elders in your family and community, discuss with your teacher, read books and articles, etc., to gather relevant information.)
Answer:
Students should create a list of sacred sites in their area by discussing with their family and community elders. They should also consult their teacher on this matter and include related stories in their writing.

Question 3.
Why do you think natural elements like rivers, mountains and forests are considered sacred for the people? How do they contribute to our lives?
Answer:
In our view, natural elements like rivers, mountains, and forests are considered sacred because they provide essential benefits for human life and existence. These elements supply resources such as air, water, and food, contribute to economic development, and are crucial for mental and physical well-being.

Furthermore, these elements help maintain the Earth’s natural balance and regulate the climate, which is essential for all living beings.

These natural elements also hold cultural and spiritual significance, as nature is often considered a symbol of beauty, peace, and prosperity, connecting people to it emotionally. These natural elements are believed to be the dwelling places of deities. Due to their sacred importance, they provide shelter to a vast biodiversity of plants and animals.

1. Rivers – Rivers have been lifelines for the Indian civilisation. Their sources, tributaries and the places they flow through are often regarded as sacred. Rivers have been worshipped in India since Vedic times. Even today, many rituals involving water invoke the presence of some of the most important rivers of India, like ‘Ganga ji’ or ‘Yamuna ji’.

2. Mountains-All over the world, mountains are often associated with legends, deities or heroes. Due to their height, mountains are seen as a symbolic gateway from earth to heaven. Many tirthas and temples in India are located on hilltops. Physical journey to these peaks is seen as a symbolic journey to reach the divine.

3. Forest – Forests are considered as the abodes of deities. Due to their sacred status, it has come to shelter great biodiversity of flora and fauna. Many sacred groves are also home to small water bodies and thus help in water conservation.

Question 4.
Why do people visit a tirtha or other sacred sites?
Answer:
People travel to major sacred sites associated with their faiths for the following reasons-

1. Cover the geography of India- Pilgrims naturally become familiar with the entire landscape during their journey. They would come across diverse languages, customs, clothing and foods along the way, and also notice the commonalities too.
2. Religious and spiritual significance- Many people travel to religious and spiritual sacred places so that they can experience divinity and feel closer to God.
3. Social bonding- A part from religious and spiritual motivations, many people like merchants and traders, travel to exchange goods.
4. Other purpose of travel- Others travel to discuss, debate and popularise their beliefs or to learn and study from eminent teachers in different parts of the country.

Question 5.
How did the ancient pilgrimage routes help in fostering trade during those times? Do you think the sacred sites help in developing the economy of the region?
Answer:
Hinduism has dense network of pilgrimage sites that covers the entire geography of India.

The ancient pilgrimage routes help in following ways in fostering trade during those times-
1. Encounter with traders and businessmen during the journey-Pilgrims in ancient times encounter traders and merchants along their journey. This interaction benefits both groups. Pilgrims need various items, which traders can provide. As a result, the pilgrimage routes and the trade routes often overlap.

2. Traders travelling as pilgrims-Some traders might also double as pilgrims, taking their wares to distant towns and cities while visiting sacred sites and shrines. These types of pilgrimages also contributed to the economic development of those regions.

3. Major trade routes-The ancient pilgrimage routes-Uttarapatha and Dakshinapatha- facilitated the development of those regions through the trade of valuable commodities such as precious stones like shells and pearls, coins, gold and diamonds, as well as cotton, spices, and sandalwood.

Question 6.
How do sacred places influence the culture and traditions of the people living near them?
Answer:
Sacred places influence people’s culture and traditions in various ways-
1. Spread of knowledge and tradition- Sacred sites provide opportunities to understand mythological stories, customs, and religious texts, thereby increasing people’s knowledge and deepening their religious sentiments.

2. Spiritual progress-People purify their souls through meditation, worship, and spiritual gatherings at these holy places. paving the way for spiritual liberation.

3. Formation of cultural identity-Sacred sites is smbols of the identity and heritage of a particular religion oc community, fostering a sense of connection to the past and ensuring the continuity of traditions.

4. Cultural exchange-Traveling to sacred sites allows people to explore new places and become familiar with the customs. arts and traditions of different Communities, thereby promoting respect and understanding among different cultures.

5. Promotion of local traditions and lifestyle-Local people living around the sacred sites and the temple priests interact with the pilgrims, which also promotes local traditions and lifestyle.

Question 7.
From the various sacred sites of India, select two of your choice and create a project explaining their significance.
Answer:
For my choice of two diverse sacred sites in India, I select the Sabarimala Temple and the 51 Shakti Peethas-
Selected sites and their significance:
(a) Sabarimala temple-Sabarimala temple is dedicated to the deity Ayappa It is located in the Western Ghats mountain range in Kerala and is an important site for millions of Hindus worldwide. Approximately ten million devotees visit this place every year. This hilltop shrine was traditionally reached by an immensely difficult trek through hills and forests.

Significance :
1. Symbol of the difficulties of the spiritual journey-A journey along a path marked with natural signs is considered sacred It symbolizes the difficulties of the spiritual journey. Lord Ayyappa was born from Lord Shiv a arid Vishnu’s Mohini form.

2. A Symbol of Religious Faith, Equality, and Social Harmony-This temple is a symbol of religious faith, equality, and social harmony. The temple’s significance lies in the synthesis of Shaivite and Vaishnavite traditions, religious discipline, and the welcoming of all devotees without discrimination. This temple represents a bridge between Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu, symbolizing the two major traditions of Hinduism.

3. Ayyappa Deeksha and Discipline-The temple’s devotees observe a strict 41-day vow, which includes a simple lifestyle, vegetarian diet, celibacy, and walking barefoot.

4. Connection with nature-This temple is situated amidst the dense forests of Kerala, which provides it with a natural and spiritual environment that offers deep peace to the devotees.

(b) 51 Shakti pithas-Shakti, the divine mother in the form of Sati, and her consort, Shiva, were insulted by her father. An angry Sati immolated herself. Shiva was so livid that he took her body and refused to allow the last rites. Shiva’s anger was dangerous for the world and the cosmos. So Vishnu used his chakra to cut up Sati’s body. The Shakti pithas are the places across the Subcontinent where the body parts of the divine mother fell one by one.

Significance:
1. Spiritual Significance-At each Shakti Pitha, the goddess is worshipped in a specific name and form. It is believed that visiting and worshipping at these sacred sites grant special blessings from the Divine Mother upon devotees, fulfilling their wishes and granting spiritual peace.

2. Importance of Pilgrimage-The significance of these sacred sites is considered equivalent to that of pilgrimages and visits to the Jyotirlingas in Hinduism.

Question 8.
What is the two-fold significance of a tirthayatra or a pilgrimage?
Answer:
Pilgrimages hold twofold significance. On one hand, they contribute to the integration of the Indian subcontinent, and on the other hand, they have commercial importance.

For example-
1. Spiritual development and cultural integration-Hinduism has dense networks of pilgrimage sites that covers the entire geography of India. Pilgrimage leads to personal and spiritual growth. The landscape of a pilgrimage site is a blend of culture and spirituality.

Apart from religious motivations, some people travel to discuss, debate and popularise their beliefs or to learn and study from eminent teachers in different parts of the country. New ideas emerged, and old ones were adapted. This complex process became a major factor in the cultural integration of the Indian Subcontinent.

2. Trade-Pilgrims come into contact with traders and businessmen during their journeys. Some merchants travel to pilgrimage sites as pilgrims themselves, carrying their goods to sell in distant towns and cities. Thus, pilgrimages are significant from a trade perspective. It is clear that pilgrimages are important not only for fulfilling spiritual and cultural objectives but also for facilitating trade. Therefore, pilgrims hold a dual significance.