Read the passage. At the edge of a village stands a banyan tree so old that nobody remembers it young. Its hanging roots look like grey beards, and its trunk is too wide for five children to circle hand in hand. Before sunrise each day an old woman sweeps the ground beneath it and lights a small clay lamp at its foot. By midday it turns into a market: a potter lays out his pots among the roots, a boy sells raw mangoes from a basket, and farmers rest in the shade beside their bullocks. Parrots quarrel overhead, squirrels dart along the branches and a stray dog dozes in the cool dust. When the monsoon comes, rain drums on the leaves and children swing from the roots, laughing in the downpour. At dusk the birds return and the old woman's lamp glows in the dark. Generations have lived and grown old in its shade, and still the tree stands, quietly watching over them. (a) Illustrate a scene from the passage. (b) Write a poem called "A Tree" based on it.
- Time limit
- 30 minutes
What mentors look for
- Concept & originality
- Storytelling / communication
- Visual expression
- Observation
- Sketching skill
Source: NID M.Des DAT Prelims 2024, as recalled by students; reworded by Dnerd Studio