NCERT Class 5 Bansuri Book: What’s Inside, Chapter by Chapter

The NCERT Class 5 Bansuri book is the official Arts textbook for Class 5, and every chapter’s official PDF is on this page. The volume runs to 19 chapters across 172 printed pages, covering visual arts, theatre, music and dance in one book.

The PDF gives you the book; this page tells you what is inside it. Below you get the official chapter PDFs first, then a chapter-by-chapter look at what each chapter teaches — the page ranges, the activity counts, and the named activities, songs, ragas and dances inside each one.

Download any chapter from the table and keep this guide open alongside it.

NCERT Class 5 Bansuri Book: Official Chapter PDFs

Every file below is NCERT’s own, hosted on ncert.nic.in — the same PDFs the board publishes on its official textbook portal, not a third-party mirror. The table lists chapter, title, page range and the official download link. For example, the official PDF of Chapter 1: Visual Arts shows the naming pattern every chapter follows (eebu plus the chapter number).

The Bansuri Book, Measured

• 19 chapters in a single volume, in four parts.
• 172 printed pages across the book.
• 19 official chapter PDFs, all hosted on ncert.nic.in.
• 0 numbered section headings — the chapters are organised around activities and themes.
• 22 hands-on activities across the book; there are no end-of-chapter exercises.
• Four parts: visual arts (chapters 1–5), theatre (6–9), music (10–14) and dance (15–19).

This is a doing book. Practice sits inside the activities, not in question sets at the end of chapters — the book sets none. Chapters run 5 to 14 pages each, and the artwork is printed without numbered captions, so the reference layer on this page is chapters, activities and page ranges rather than numbered figures.

What Each Chapter Teaches

The table above counts what is actually in the book. A section is one of NCERT’s own numbered headings, a figure is a numbered illustration with a printed caption, an activity is a hands-on task inside the chapter, and a question is an end-of-chapter exercise.

For the Bansuri book, sections are 0 because the chapters run as activities and themes; questions are 0 because the book sets no end-of-chapter exercises; and figures are 0 because the artwork is printed without numbered captions. These are facts about how the book is built, not gaps.

Chapter 1: Visual Arts (pp. 1–12)

The opening chapter lays the foundation of the visual arts for the preparatory stage: the competencies a beginning artist needs, observing objects on the move, and creating patterns from parts.

• Competencies for the Preparatory Stage
• Objects on the Move
• Creating Patterns from Parts

Chapter 2: Peeping Out of the Window (pp. 13–22)

This chapter trains the eye — low-relief work with creepers and climbers, then systematic colour work with primary colours, warm and cool colours, and the colours of time and seasons. It ends with a special exercise designed with visually impaired learners in mind.

• Activity 2.1: Creepers and Climbers in Low Relief
• Primary Colours
• Warm and Cool Colours
• Colours of Time and Seasons
• Special exercise with the visually impaired

Chapter 3: Picturing Stories (pp. 23–32)

A chapter on storytelling with shadows: shadow tracing, creating shadow creatures, drawing the shadows, and finishing with your own personal emojis.

• Activity 3.1: Trace Shadows
• Create Shadow Creatures
• Draw the Shadows
• Create Your Personal Emojis

Chapter 4: Imaginary Beings (pp. 33–40)

Imagination builds composite creatures here — you construct an imaginary being and fill in the names of the nine animal parts that make it up.

• Activity 4.1: Fill in the Names of the Nine Animal Parts You See

Chapter 5: Spreading the Message (pp. 41–50)

Art as communication: the basics of poster design, creating a poster of your own, and the book’s first summative assessment.

• Basics of Poster Design
• Activity 5.1: Create Your Poster
• Summative Assessment

Chapter 6: Dear Theatre Teacher, (pp. 51–62)

The first theatre chapter opens with the Namaste… Suswagatam greeting and works on creating a scene: what to do and not do on stage, and establishing where, when and who — including the vegetable market exercise and the Guess Where task.

• Namaste… Suswagatam
• Create a Scene
• Things you should do on stage
• Things you should not do on stage
• Where: Establishing the Place — A Vegetable Market
• Activity 6.1: Guess Where
• When: Establishing Time
• Who: Establishing Character

Chapter 7: Stitch It for a Story (pp. 63–68)

Fabric becomes a storytelling medium — you tell a story through stitching and then tell one through drawing. At six pages it is one of the book’s shorter chapters.

• Activity 7.1
• Story Through Drawing

Chapter 8: Time, Team, Technique (pp. 69–82)

This is the longest chapter in the book at 14 pages, and it runs a complete theatre production from scratch: storyboard and script, planning, timeline, rehearsals, the tech team, and the get-set-show stage.

• Step 1: Storyboard and Script
• Step 2: Planning
• Step 3: Timeline
• Step 4: Rehearsals
• The Tech Team
• Step 5: Get-set-SHOW!
• Things to Avoid Before a Show

Chapter 9: View and Review (pp. 83–91)

A critical eye on drama: a vacation with Vidushka across the folk theatre of west, south, central, north and east India, then mapping the drama, understanding story and plot, and noticing audience reactions.

• Vacation With Vidushka
• West India — South India — Central India — North India — East India
• Activity 9.1: Map the Drama
• Understand the Story and Plot
• Notice the Audience Reactions
• Critics’ Corners

Chapter 10: Dear Music Teacher, (pp. 92–100)

Music begins with song: the prayer song Itni Shakti Hame Dena Daata, Mi Dolkara, singing with accompaniment, beatboxing (vocal percussion) and experimenting with a cappella voicing. This chapter carries 3 of the book’s 22 activities.

• Sing and Play
• Prayer Song: Itni Shakti Hame Dena Daata
• Activity 10.1: Group Singing
• Song: Mi Dolkara
• Sing With Accompaniment
• Beatboxing or Vocal Percussion
• Beatboxing Exercises
• A Cappella or Voicing Instruments
• Experimenting With A Cappella

Chapter 11: Music Around Me (pp. 101–105)

Music is already around you — this chapter builds a music-around-me chart, practises describing music and recording sounds, and learns songs for themes, including the Flag Song and Chamba Kitni Door in Himachali. At 5 pages it is one of the two shortest chapters in the book.

• Activity 11.1a
• Music Around Me Chart
• Describing Music
• Recording Sounds Around
• Songs for Themes
• Song: Flag Song
• Song: Chamba Kitni Door
• Language: Himachali

Chapter 12: Sounds and Instruments (pp. 106–112)

How instruments make their sound: identify an instrument from its sound, read the story of the santoor, meet one-stringed instruments through the ektara song Baadol Baaul Baajay Re Ektaara, and make a bird whistle.

• Identify the Instrument from Its Sound
• Story of Santoor
• One-Stringed Instruments
• Song: Baadol Baaul Baajay Re Ektaara
• Bird Whistle

Chapter 13: Building Blocks (pp. 113–123)

The formal building blocks of music: box breathing, Carnatic music through Vara Vina in raga Mohana and tala Rupaka, Hindustani music through raga Khamaj, and a practice journal to carry your learning forward. This chapter also carries 3 of the book’s 22 activities.

• Box Breathing
• Carnatic Music
• Vara Vina
• Raga: Mohana
• Tala: Rupaka
• Anu Pallavi
• Hindustani Music
• Raga Khamaj
• Practice Journal

Chapter 14: Ideas and Inspiration (pp. 124–131)

Where musical ideas come from: responding to music, the tale of the Monkey and the Crocodile, and the inspiring musicians DK Pattammal and Purna Das Baul. The chapter closes with a summative assessment.

• Activity 14.1: Responding to Music
• The Monkey and the Crocodile
• Inspiring Musicians
• DK Pattammal
• Purna Das Baul
• A Musician Who Inspires Me
• Summative Assessment

Chapter 15: Dance (pp. 132–142)

Dance fundamentals start here: finding dance in everyday activities, moving and standing still, hand gestures, the movement directions — horizontal, diagonal and vertical — and the work of eyes and eyebrows.

• My Everyday Activities in Modes of Dance
• Activity 15.1: Dance Away
• Moving and Standing Still
• Hand Gestures
• Horizontal Movement
• Diagonal Movement
• Vertical Movement
• Eyes and Eyebrows
• Eye Movements in Dance

Chapter 16: Dancing with Rhythm and Tempos (pp. 143–152)

Moving to a beat: dance with rhythm, arms and feet together, changing tempo, jumps and spins, and feet combinations built on three beats. The chapter carries two activities and prints a Note to Teacher.

• Activity 16.1: Dance With Rhythm
• Arms and Feet Together
• Tempo 2 — Now Sing
• Jumps and Spins
• Feet Combination With Three Beats
• Combination 1
• Combination 2
• Formative Assessment

Chapter 17: Dances of My Nation (pp. 153–157)

The dances of India in one chapter: build a dance collage, practise matching dances with their states, and unite with and celebrate your own dance. At 5 pages it is one of the two shortest chapters in the book, and it carries two activities.

• Activity 17.1: My Dance Collage
• Match the Dances With Their States
• Uniting With My Dance
• I Celebrate My Dance
• Formative Assessment

Chapter 18: My Dance Expresses Emotions and Narrates Stories (pp. 158–165)

Dance as storytelling: expressing emotions through eyes and eyebrows, showing two opposite emotions, and expressing with your five senses. With 4 of the book’s 22 activities, this is the activity-densest chapter in the book, and it prints a Note to Teacher.

• Activity 18.1
• Emotions Expressed
• Eyes and Eyebrows in Emotion
• Express Two Opposite Emotions
• Expressing With Your Five Senses
• Formative Assessment

Chapter 19: My Dance and Your Dance

The closing chapter sets your own dance beside the dances of your neighbourhood and neighbouring regions, then closes the book with a summative assessment.

• Activity 19.1: Dance in My Backyard
• Dances of My Neighbouring Regions
• Formative Assessment
• Summative Assessment

Chapter Study Pages

Where a full chapter-by-chapter study page has been published, the list below links to it; chapters still in preparation are marked so you know what to expect.

How to Use the Bansuri Book

The book’s four parts build on one another, so the best order of work is the printed order: visual arts (chapters 1–5), theatre (6–9), music (10–14) and dance (15–19).

1. Chapter 8 assumes Chapter 6. Time, Team, Technique runs a full production, so it needs the scene basics — where, when, who — from Dear Theatre Teacher.
2. Chapter 13 assumes Chapters 10–12. The ragas in Building Blocks sit on the singing and listening practice built up from the prayer song to the santoor and ektara.
3. Chapter 16 assumes Chapter 15. Dancing with Rhythm and Tempos builds its feet combinations on the movement vocabulary — hand gestures, directions and eye work — learned in Dance.
4. Chapter 18 assumes Chapters 15–17. The emotion work grows from the movement and state-matching practice before it.
5. Chapter 19 belongs at the end. My Dance and Your Dance compares your dance with your neighbours’, which only makes sense after you have danced.

• The 22 activities are the content. Attempt each one rather than reading through — a chapter that is only read is not learned.
• One chapter fits one session. Most chapters run 5–14 pages, short enough to finish in a single working period.
• Use the assessments as checkpoints. The Formative and Summative Assessment sections, beginning with Chapter 5, tell you when the skills have actually landed.

For adults supervising: no prior art training is needed to guide this book. Chapter 2 includes an activity designed for inclusive settings, and the Note to Teacher entries in Chapters 16 and 18 point to classroom extensions.

The common mistake is treating this like a read-and-recall subject. The book teaches through making — skip an activity and you have skipped the teaching.

Related NCERT Class 5 Resources

This listing is maintained for the 2026-27 academic session using the NCERT textbook information available to us. NCERT remains the authority for confirming the latest edition.

• NCERT Books hub — the index of NCERT book pages on this site.
• Class 5 NCERT books — the other Class 5 textbooks covered here.
• Class 5 Arts resources — study pages for the Bansuri book and its chapters.

Sources and Data Verification

• This page describes the NCERT Bansuri Arts textbook for Class 5 (English medium), current edition as published on ncert.nic.in.
• It covers this single book — chapter titles, page ranges, activity counts and the official chapter PDFs. It is not a curriculum or syllabus document.
• The listing is maintained for the current academic session.
• NCERT settles textbooks, editions and PDFs; CBSE settles the curriculum, syllabus and examinations. Textbook contents and the examinable syllabus are not always identical — check the current official CBSE syllabus.

Reference: NCERT Class 5 Arts (Bansuri) textbook, official edition on ncert.nic.in. Section and activity titles quoted from the textbook; page references are to the official PDF.

FAQs About the Bansuri Book

How many chapters are there in the NCERT Class 5 Bansuri book?

The book has 19 chapters in four parts: visual arts (Chapters 1–5), theatre (6–9), music (10–14) and dance (15–19).

Is the Bansuri Arts book PDF official and free to download?

Yes. Every chapter file is published by NCERT and hosted on ncert.nic.in, and the PDFs are free to download from the official portal.

Which chapters of the Bansuri book cover music, dance and theatre?

Theatre is Chapters 6–9, music is Chapters 10–14 and dance is Chapters 15–19. Visual arts opens the book in Chapters 1–5.

Does the Bansuri book have exercises at the end of chapters?

No. The book teaches through 22 hands-on activities instead, and assessment appears inside chapters as Formative and Summative Assessment sections from Chapter 5 onward.