Class 2 · Hindi · New NCERT
Chapter 21: Haathi Cycle Chala Raha Tha
"Haathi Cycle Chala Raha Tha" (हाथी साइकिल चला रहा था) means "the elephant was riding a bicycle", an amusing, imaginative idea. Such chapters are meant to make children laugh and wonder, and the humour helps motivate reading. Children can describe the picture, predict what might happen and make up their own funny situations with animals and vehicles. The chapter supports the use of the continuous tense ("was riding"), vocabulary of actions and creative expression. A read-only piece, "Daro Mat!", follows it in the book.
This is chapter 21 of 26 in Sarangi, the Class 2 Hindi textbook, in Unit 4, मित्रता (Friendship), and begins on page 103 of the printed 2026-27 book. It follows "Chhupan-Chhupai" and is followed by "Chaar Dishayein".
The Hindi programme treats language as listening, speaking, reading and writing together. With "Haathi Cycle Chala Raha Tha", children are encouraged to listen to or read the text aloud, talk about it in their own words and relate it to their own lives before moving to written tasks. Questions after the lesson invite conversation as well as short written answers, and the vocabulary is built from home and school contexts. The aim is expressive, confident use of Hindi along with an enjoyment of reading.
After "Haathi Cycle Chala Raha Tha", ask your child to draw a scene from the lesson and write or say a line about it. Poems can be recited to family members and stories retold. Elders can add their own stories, songs and sayings on the same theme.
This overview is written from the 2026-27 textbook's Contents page, its preface and the chapter title, to help families and teachers prepare. Please read the chapter itself for exact content, activities and exercises.