Long and high ranges of mountains lie in the North and North-eastern parts of India. These ranges are called the Himalayas, i.e., ‘the house of snow’. They stretch from Jammu & Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, covering a distance of 2,600 kilometers. States like Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal and parts of West Bengal, etc., also lie in the Himalayas. The Himalayas have some of the highest peaks in the world like Mount Everest & Kanchenjunga. There are big bodies of slow-moving ice, called glaciers, in the Himalayas. Rivers like the Ganga, Yamuna and Brahmaputra originate in the Himalayas and get water from these glaciers when the snow melts in summer.
Himalayas guard the northern borders of our country by forming a natural wall between India and its neighboring countries. These mountains act like a shield against the icy winds that blow from the north. They stop the monsoon winds. It is because of this many places of Northern India receive rainfall.
There are hills in Central and Southern India too. You can see the Eastern and Western Ghats, Aravalli Hills and Nilgiri Hills marked on the map.
Climate in the mountains:
The summer months of May and June are not really hot in the mountains. In fact, some mountains remain covered with snow even in summer. In other places, the weather becomes pleasant. People come from the plains to spend their summer vacations here.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
The monsoons cause heavy rainfall in the foothills of the Himalayas. The heavy rains sometimes result in many rivers flooding the plains below. The monsoon winds blow from the Arabian Sea around the month of July, and first few showers are experienced along the Eastern and Western Ghats. Cherrapunji in Meghalaya receives the highest amount of rainfall in the world.
Winters months, from November to February, are very cold in the mountains. In the higher reaches of most mountains, there is heavy snowfall.
Lifestyle of people living in mountains:
The main occupation of people living in the mountains is farming. Terrace or step farming is done on slopes of hills to grow rice, maize, and tea depending on the height of the region they are living. Orchards of fruits like apples, peaches, pears, plums, etc., are common. People also rear animals like sheep and cows for wool and milk. Fruits, wool and handicrafts are sent all over the country from these regions.
On the Dal Lake in Kashmir, many people make their living by using boats called Shikaras to give rides to tourists. Here handicrafts are also a source of income. Shawls, walnut furniture, papier-mache articles are some famous handicrafts of Kashmir.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
In the eastern states, most of the people belong to different tribes like Garos, Khasis, etc. They hunt, cultivate land and catch fish for a living. Cane and bamboo handicrafts are famous in some eastern states like Assam, Nagaland, etc.
Houses in the mountains usually have sloping roofs to prevent the rainwater and snow from collecting. Some houses are made of wood and some of common building materials like cement bricks, stones etc.
Clothes people wear:
The people of Kashmir wear a typical long woolen shirt called phiran with a salwar. The men cover their heads with caps and women wear dupattas. In Himachal Pradesh women wear kurtas and churidar with scarves tied on their heads. Men wear Kurtas tied at the waist with a band and chairdars. They wear the famous and colourful Himachali caps on their heads. In most states in north-eastern India, people who belong to different tribes wear the traditional dresses of their tribe and follow their own customs.