Chapter 9 — Different Lands, Different Lives

Chapter 9, 'Different Lands, Different Lives', shows how four landforms — plains, deserts, coastal regions, and mountains — shape the food, clothing, houses, festivals, and livelihoods of the people living in them. The chapter is told through holiday stories of four children: Gurpreet (Punjab), Ritika (Rajasthan), Chandni (Odisha), and Nayan (Sikkim).

The most popular food in the plains of Amritsar (Punjab) is makki di roti (roti made with corn flour) and sarson da saag (made from mustard leaves), served with a big glass of lassi.

The Golden Temple, also known as Sri Harmandir Sahib, is a famous Gurudwara in Amritsar. Its structure is gold-plated and surrounded by a serene sarovar (water tank). Langar sewa is a community kitchen service at the temple that serves free meals to everyone — it is one of the world's largest community service operations.

The camel is called the 'ship of the desert' because it is widely used for travel across sandy desert terrain, much like a ship crosses water. Camels can survive with very little water, making them ideal for the harsh desert environment.

Plants like cactus, khejri, and babool grow in deserts because they can survive on very little water; the cactus stores water in its stem. Animals and birds found in the desert include camels, lizards, wild cats, pythons, and eagles.

Tankas are water tanks built into traditional mud houses in the desert. Because water is very scarce in desert regions due to very little rainfall, people store rainwater in tankas to use throughout the year.

Women in Rajasthan wear colourful bangles and bandhini dupattas with beautiful ghaghras while dancing. Men wear colourful turbans. Traditional musical instruments of the region include the khartal and sarangi.

Puri is a coastal city in Odisha famous for its sand beaches and beautiful sand art. Chandni saw fishermen going out in boats, collected sea shells including shankh (conch shells), went on a boat ride and saw turtles, watched Odissi dance, and visited the Shree Jagannath Temple. Puri is also famous for Rath Yatra, a grand chariot festival.

Coastal regions of Odisha are frequently hit by strong winds and cyclones, which affect the lives of people, animals, and trees. In recent years, the Government of Odisha has won national and international awards for saving lives through early warnings, advance preparations, and effective cyclone management.

Sikkim is in the Himalayan mountains and is cold, with snow-capped peaks like Mount Kangchenjunga. People there eat warm thukpa and sweet sel roti. They wear traditional clothes called bakhu, dumdyam, and Gunyo cholo. Yaks are commonly used for mountain travel.

Loosong and Namsoong is one of the most significant festivals in Sikkim that marks the start of the Sikkimese New Year. It celebrates the hard work of farmers. People enjoy the festival with local dishes, traditional games, and a mask dance called chaam.

Traditional houses in mountain regions like Sikkim are built with wood and have slanting roofs so that snow and heavy rain can slide off easily. This design prevents the weight of snow from damaging the roof and keeps the house dry and safe.