Chapter Notes and Summary
• Diversity in India : India is a country of vast diversity. People speak different languages, celebrate different festivals and eat various types of food. Diversity is a reality created by individuals and groups from a broad spectrum of demographic and philosophical differences.
• Factors Influencing Diversity : Historical and geographical factors are two factors that influence diversity of a region. Life of people near sea is different from people in a mountainous area.
• Ladakh : Ladakh is a land with awesome physical features and is set in an enormous and spectacular environment.
It is surrounded by world’s mightiest mountain ranges, Karakoram in North and Great Himalayas in South.
• Physical Differences in Ladakh : People are different from rest of India. faces and physique of people of Ladakh resemble those of Tibet and Central Asia than of India. original population may have been Dards, an Indo-Aryan race.
• Agriculture : Ladakh, being a cold desert with barren landscape and very limited sources of water, has still been a home for thriving culture for more than thousands of years. Very little agriculture is possible as this region receives less rain.
• Occupation : Each family in Ladakh owns goats, cows and dzos (Yak-cows). herds follow mountain paths and return in evening to their villages. Yak-cheese is produced in this region.
• Food : Rice is staple food of Kashmir. people also relish meat, cooked in delicious varieties. They also consume milk products like cheese and butter.
• Religion : Ladakh is known as land of Lamas and Buddhists of Ladakh prefer to call their religion ‘Lamaism’, which is same as Mahayana form of Buddhism. Dalai Lama of Tibet is their chief spiritual head.
• Historical Background : Ladakh is recognized as best trade route between Punjab and Central Asia. For centuries, caravans carried textiles, spices, raw silk and carpets.
• Kerala : Kerala is located in South-Western part of India. It is surrounded by sea on one side and hills on other.
• Unity in Diversity : India is a land of different religions and communities. There is a great diversity in our habits and customs and yet we all live together as Indians. “Unity in Diversity” has been distinctive feature of our country.
• Profession : Occupations such as law, medicine or engineering that require considerable training and specialised study are main professions.