Everyone needs a shelter. Animals too need a shelter. They live in a den, hole or nest. All living things need shelter to protect themselves from rain, storm, snow and sun. Shelter also protects us from enemies, wild animals and thieves.
We live in houses made of mud, cement, bricks, tiles, marble, stone, wood, etc. Without shelter, we cannot survive.
In a house, a family lives in peace. A house gives a feeling of security.
Different Types of Houses
In desert regions, houses are made of mud and straw. In India, such houses are found in Rajasthan. These houses do not have windows. This is done to prevent dust from entering the house. The mud walls and thatched roof keep the house cool in hot summers.
Tree houses are made in forests. They protect people from wild animals. Tribal people in Arunachal Pradesh build their houses on wooden platforms. Mostly, bamboo is used for making the house.
Some people live in houseboats. Houseboats are houses made on boats. Such type of a house has bedrooms and kitchen. Some of the houseboats are used for leisure trips in lakes and backwaters.
The houses of Naga tribe are also made with wood and bamboo. In front of the house, they keep their traditional symbol of animal head.
A stilt house is a raised house, built over water or marsh. It can also be built over sand. A tipi is a conical tent. It can be easily shifted from one place to another. It is made with canvas, cloth or animal skin.
Tent houses are also made of cloth or canvas. Tipi and tents are used by nomadic people who need to move from place to place due to the nature of their work or mode of living.
People in cities live in flats. A flat is an independent house in a multi- storey building. A multi-storey building has many flats.
A house on wheels is usually small. If needed, it can move from place to place. These are buses which have all the facilities of a house. They are called houses on wheels.
An Ideal House
An ideal house should have a healthy environment. It should be comfortable and safe.
- It should have enough doors and windows to allow sunlight and fresh air to come in. Sunlight kills germs in the house.
- The doors and windows should have wire netting so that flies and mosquitoes do not enter the house.
- There should be a proper drainage system to carry dirty water out of the house.
A Clean House
A house should be kept clean. Flies and mosquitoes breed in unclean houses and cause diseases.
Every day, we should sweep the floors and keep the things in order. We need to mop the rooms to avoid dust. Bathrooms must be kept dry. Wash basins, toilets and bathrooms must be washed and cleaned daily.
The garbage should be put in the garbage pit made near the house. In cities, garbage is kept in the garbage bin. Later, the garbage is carried away to the garbage dump.
Decorating the House
People decorate their houses on various occasions like festivals and weddings. It makes the house look beautiful. People make rangolis, i.e. lovely patterns with coloured powder. They are also called kolam or alpana.
We can decorate the walls of a house with flowers and pictures. People also use lights, diyas, lanterns, flowers and torans to make the house look more beautiful.
