Chapter 18: A House Like This!
मकान हो तो ऐसा! (असम के बाँस के खम्भे, लद्दाख के दो मंजिला पत्थर के घर, मनाली, श्रीनगर शिकारा एवं राजस्थान के मिट्टी के घर)
Don't Let a 20-Minute Bubbling Delay Cost You CTET Qualification
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- Assam (Molani Village): High torrential rainfall; houses are constructed **10 to 12 feet (3 to 3.5 meters) above the ground on strong bamboo pillars (बाँस के खंभों पर)** to avoid floodwaters; roofs are sloped; interior is made completely of wood.
- Manali (Himachal Pradesh): Hilly mountainous terrain with heavy rainfall and snow; houses are made of **stone and wood with sloping roofs**.
- Leh & Ladakh: Cold desert; houses have **two storeys built of stones plastered with thick mud and lime**; the ground floor has **NO windows** and is used for livestock and fodder storage; in freezing winters, family sleeps downstairs; roofs are **flat** and used to dry red chillies, maize, vegetables, and fodder.
- Rajasthan: Very hot dry desert; villagers live in **houses with very thick mud walls** plastered with cow dung to keep interiors cool; roofs are made of **thorny bushes (कटीली झाड़ियाँ / कीकर)**.
- Srinagar (Kashmir): Tourist houseboats (80 ft long, 8-9 ft wide) featuring intricate geometric wood carving called **Khatamband (ख़त्मबंद)**; local families live in floating boats called **Donga** on Dal Lake and Jhelum river.
- Kahwa: Kashmiri traditional green tea brewed with cardamom, saffron, and almonds, served to guests.
- Trap: Which houses are built 10 to 12 feet high on strong bamboo pillars? Correct: **ASSAM**.
- Trap: Features of Leh/Ladakh houses: **2 storeys, stone walls coated with mud/lime, ground floor has NO windows, flat roofs for drying crops**.
- Trap: Which state has thick mud walls and thorny bush roofs? Correct: **RAJASTHAN**.
- Trap: What is 'Khatamband'? Intricate jigsaw puzzle-like wood carving found on the ceilings of Kashmiri houseboats.
NCERT Core Facts: Regional Shelter Blueprints Across India (The #1 CTET Topic)
NCERT Class 3 Chapter 18 is unanimously the single highest-scoring shelter topic on the CTET examination.
1. Master Comparative Architectural Matrix
| State / Region | Child | Climate | Structural Blueprint & Materials | Defining Feature (CBSE Signature) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assam (Molani Village) | Bhupen | Torrential rain, floods | Strong Bamboo Pillars (बाँस के खंभे), wooden floor, sloping roof | Built 10 to 12 feet (3 to 3.5 meters) high off the ground. |
| Manali (Himachal Pradesh) | Naseem | Heavy snow & rain | Stone and timber wood with steeply sloping roofs | Mountain homes engineered to shed heavy winter snow. |
| Leh & Ladakh | Tashi | Freezing cold desert | Two-storey stone houses coated with mud and lime | Ground floor has NO windows (keeps animals); flat roof for drying crops. |
| Rajasthan | Kanshiram | Extreme scorching heat | Thick mud walls plastered with dung; thorny bush roofs | Thick walls keep interiors cool; thorny acacia keeps rain off. |
| Srinagar (Kashmir) | Tourist | Scenic lakes & cold | Houseboats & floating Donga boats | Ceiling woodwork called Khatamband (ख़त्मबंद); tea is Kahwa. |
2. In-Depth Architectural Details
A. Assam Bamboo Houses (असम के बाँस के घर)
- Bhupen states: "It rains heavily in our place. Hence, our houses are made almost 10 to 12 feet above the ground. They are made on strong bamboo pillars. The inside of our houses is also made of wood."
B. Leh & Ladakh Two-Storey Stone Houses
- Ground floor is built directly on bedrock with thick stone masonry and zero windows to prevent Arctic icy winds from entering.
- Animals are sheltered on the ground floor; when temperature drops below -20°C, the family moves downstairs because body heat from livestock warms the windowless room.
- The flat roof is essential for solar food drying (red chillies, orange pumpkins, yellow corn).
C. Kashmir Houseboats & Khatamband
- Houseboats on Dal Lake are up to 80 feet in length and 8 to 9 feet in width.
- The ceiling has beautiful wood carvings with geometric motifs resembling a jigsaw puzzle, known as Khatamband (ख़त्मबंद).
Test Your Mastery: A House Like This!
Authentic CBSE exam questions tested directly from this NCERT chapter.
A student from a village states: 'In our village it rains heavily. Hence our houses are made almost 10 to 12 feet (3 to 3.5 metres) above the ground on strong bamboo pillars. The inside of our houses is also made of wood.' This village must be located in:
'हमारे गाँव में बहुत अधिक वर्षा होती है। इसलिए हमारे घर जमीन से लगभग 10 से 12 फीट (3 से 3.5 मीटर) ऊँचाई पर मजबूत बाँस के खंभों पर बनाए जाते हैं। हमारे घरों के अंदर का भाग भी लकड़ी का बना होता है।' यह गाँव किस राज्य में होना चाहिए?
Consider the following statements about houses in Leh and Ladakh: (A) Houses are built of stones with two storeys. (B) The ground floor is meant for animals and storing necessary things with no windows. (C) Roofs are made sloping to shed heavy rain. (D) The flat roof is an important part of the house used for drying fruits and vegetables. Which statements are CORRECT?
लेह और लद्दाख के मकानों के बारे में निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार कीजिए: (A) मकान पत्थरों के दो मंजिला बनाए जाते हैं। (B) नीचे की मंजिल पर जानवरों और आवश्यक वस्तुओं को रखा जाता है जिसमें कोई खिड़की नहीं होती। (C) भारी वर्षा के लिए छतें ढलवां बनाई जाती हैं। (D) समतल छत मकान का महत्वपूर्ण हिस्सा होती है जिसका उपयोग फल और सब्जियां सुखाने के लिए किया जाता है। सही कथन चुनिए:
In rural Rajasthan, why are village houses constructed with very thick mud walls and thatched with thorny bushes?
राजस्थान के ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों में मकानों की दीवारें बहुत मोटी मिट्टी की तथा छतें कटीली झाड़ियों की क्यों बनाई जाती हैं?
In which Indian state are village houses built 10 to 12 feet above the ground on strong bamboo pillars?
In Assam (Molani village) to protect against heavy monsoon floods.
What are the distinctive architectural features of houses in Leh/Ladakh?
Two storeys, thick stone walls plastered with mud/lime, ground floor without windows for livestock, and flat roofs for drying harvest.
Where are houses built with thick mud walls and roofs made of thorny bushes found?
In rural villages of Rajasthan to insulate against scorching desert heat.