Class VIII English book The revamped Class VIII book titled `Poorvi’ is a celebration of prominent Indians who have shaped the country, past and present. The achievements of Bibha Chowdhury, India’s first woman particle physicist is highlighted. Among other heroes presented are India’s first Param Vir Chakra awardee, Major Somnath Sharma, who was martyred on November 3, 1947, while stopping the advancing troops from Pakistan in Srinagar’s Budgam Valley during the Indo-Pak war in 1947 and Verghese Kurien, the father of India’s dairy revolution. Indian astronomer-astrologer Varahamirihara and leading mathematician Aryabhatta too make their debut in the textbook.The book also has seven natural wonders of India, in place of the world’s. Among them are the bioluminescent waters of Kumbalangi village in Kerala; the magnetic hills at Leh in Ladakh which seemingly defy gravity; the invisible Chandipur village in Odisha; the mangrove forests in the Sunderbans; Living Root Bridge of Meghalaya; the Flower Valley of Uttarakhand; and the enigmatic Lonar Lake in Maharashtra which turns pink.Among manmade wonders which are showcased for the children are Gujarat’s Statue of Unity, Mumbai’s Bandra-Worli Sealink, Bhupen Hazarika Setu in Assam, the Vittala temple in Karnataka’s Hampi with musical pillars, and the Kallanai Dam in Tamil Nadu built by Chola King Karikala which is considered an achievement in ancient Indian hydraulic engineering.
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