NCERT Textbook: A Shelter So High | EVS Class 5 PDF Download

 Page 1


120 120 120 120 120 Looking Around
A traveller’s tale
I am Gaurav Jani and
this is ‘Loner’ – my
partner – my motorcycle.
But, Loner is never lonely.
We are together all the
time.
I and my motorcycle
wait for a chance to get
away from the busy,
crowded and noisy city of
Mumbai. We like to travel
to different parts of this wonderful country. Let me tell you
about our amazing journey on the highest roads in India.
Getting ready
This journey took about two months. I had to carry everything
on my motorcycle. I had to plan and collect all the things I
needed. I packed a small tent, sleeping bag, plastic sheet, warm
clothes and food that would remain fresh for some days. I also
took my camera and extra cans for petrol. Loner and I left
Mumbai, passing through small villages and towns of
Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan to reach Delhi.
It took me three days to cover 1400 kilometers from Mumbai
to Delhi. I was hoping to see something new and different in
Delhi. But Delhi looked just like Mumbai! I am tired of looking
at the same kinds of houses, made of cement, bricks, glass
and steel. I was looking forward to my journey ahead.  I was
13. A Shelter so High!
Gaurav Jani
2024-25
Page 2


120 120 120 120 120 Looking Around
A traveller’s tale
I am Gaurav Jani and
this is ‘Loner’ – my
partner – my motorcycle.
But, Loner is never lonely.
We are together all the
time.
I and my motorcycle
wait for a chance to get
away from the busy,
crowded and noisy city of
Mumbai. We like to travel
to different parts of this wonderful country. Let me tell you
about our amazing journey on the highest roads in India.
Getting ready
This journey took about two months. I had to carry everything
on my motorcycle. I had to plan and collect all the things I
needed. I packed a small tent, sleeping bag, plastic sheet, warm
clothes and food that would remain fresh for some days. I also
took my camera and extra cans for petrol. Loner and I left
Mumbai, passing through small villages and towns of
Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan to reach Delhi.
It took me three days to cover 1400 kilometers from Mumbai
to Delhi. I was hoping to see something new and different in
Delhi. But Delhi looked just like Mumbai! I am tired of looking
at the same kinds of houses, made of cement, bricks, glass
and steel. I was looking forward to my journey ahead.  I was
13. A Shelter so High!
Gaurav Jani
2024-25
A Shelter so High! 121
Find out
w Check in your map. Which states would one pass through
while travelling from Mumbai to Kashmir?
w Gaurav Jani passed through several states while going
from Mumbai to Delhi. Find the capital cities of these
states. Was there any other big town on his way?
w Is Manali a plain or a hilly area? In which state is it?
excited that I would be able to see wooden houses, houses
with sloping roofs and those covered with snow. I had seen
pictures of such houses in many books.
I packed more things in Delhi and continued. In two days
we were in Manali. It was so refreshing to be in the mountains
and breathe the clean air! Now the real journey was to begin.
We had to travel through difficult roads of the state of Jammu
and Kashmir to reach Leh in Ladakh.
New home
Loner and I were covering
long distances each day.
All I needed was food and
a tent to protect myself
from the cold night air.
My nylon tent was  so
small that I could  just
about fit in it to sleep.
Loner stood guard
outside the tent. The breeze and the sound of the birds woke
me up to see the sunrise.
Gaurav Jani
2024-25
Page 3


120 120 120 120 120 Looking Around
A traveller’s tale
I am Gaurav Jani and
this is ‘Loner’ – my
partner – my motorcycle.
But, Loner is never lonely.
We are together all the
time.
I and my motorcycle
wait for a chance to get
away from the busy,
crowded and noisy city of
Mumbai. We like to travel
to different parts of this wonderful country. Let me tell you
about our amazing journey on the highest roads in India.
Getting ready
This journey took about two months. I had to carry everything
on my motorcycle. I had to plan and collect all the things I
needed. I packed a small tent, sleeping bag, plastic sheet, warm
clothes and food that would remain fresh for some days. I also
took my camera and extra cans for petrol. Loner and I left
Mumbai, passing through small villages and towns of
Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan to reach Delhi.
It took me three days to cover 1400 kilometers from Mumbai
to Delhi. I was hoping to see something new and different in
Delhi. But Delhi looked just like Mumbai! I am tired of looking
at the same kinds of houses, made of cement, bricks, glass
and steel. I was looking forward to my journey ahead.  I was
13. A Shelter so High!
Gaurav Jani
2024-25
A Shelter so High! 121
Find out
w Check in your map. Which states would one pass through
while travelling from Mumbai to Kashmir?
w Gaurav Jani passed through several states while going
from Mumbai to Delhi. Find the capital cities of these
states. Was there any other big town on his way?
w Is Manali a plain or a hilly area? In which state is it?
excited that I would be able to see wooden houses, houses
with sloping roofs and those covered with snow. I had seen
pictures of such houses in many books.
I packed more things in Delhi and continued. In two days
we were in Manali. It was so refreshing to be in the mountains
and breathe the clean air! Now the real journey was to begin.
We had to travel through difficult roads of the state of Jammu
and Kashmir to reach Leh in Ladakh.
New home
Loner and I were covering
long distances each day.
All I needed was food and
a tent to protect myself
from the cold night air.
My nylon tent was  so
small that I could  just
about fit in it to sleep.
Loner stood guard
outside the tent. The breeze and the sound of the birds woke
me up to see the sunrise.
Gaurav Jani
2024-25
122 Looking Around
Teacher’s Note : Discuss with children that all the deserts are not hot and
sandy. Encourage students to look at the map and find all the states mentioned
in the chapter.
Tell
w Have you ever stayed in a tent? Where? What was it like?
w Imagine that you were to stay alone in a small tent for two
days and could take with you only ten things. Make a list
of those ten things.
w What are the different types of houses that you have seen?
Tell your friends about it. Make drawings too.
Cold desert
At last Loner and I reached Leh.
For the first time I saw such an
area – high, dry and flat called a
cold desert.  Ladakh gets very little
rainfall. Here there are high
snowcapped mountains and a
cold, flat ground.
In Leh, I found myself in a quiet
street with beautiful white houses. As I rode slowly, I
found that I was being followed by a group of children. They called out
‘jule, jule’,  meaning ‘welcome, welcome’. They were all amazed to see
my ‘Loner’. Everyone wanted me to come to their home.
At home with Tashi
Tashi dragged me to his home. It was a building with two floors.
The house was made of stones which were kept one over the
other. The walls were coated with a thick layer of mud and lime.
The house looked like a shed from inside with a lot of hay
Gaurav Jani
2024-25
Page 4


120 120 120 120 120 Looking Around
A traveller’s tale
I am Gaurav Jani and
this is ‘Loner’ – my
partner – my motorcycle.
But, Loner is never lonely.
We are together all the
time.
I and my motorcycle
wait for a chance to get
away from the busy,
crowded and noisy city of
Mumbai. We like to travel
to different parts of this wonderful country. Let me tell you
about our amazing journey on the highest roads in India.
Getting ready
This journey took about two months. I had to carry everything
on my motorcycle. I had to plan and collect all the things I
needed. I packed a small tent, sleeping bag, plastic sheet, warm
clothes and food that would remain fresh for some days. I also
took my camera and extra cans for petrol. Loner and I left
Mumbai, passing through small villages and towns of
Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan to reach Delhi.
It took me three days to cover 1400 kilometers from Mumbai
to Delhi. I was hoping to see something new and different in
Delhi. But Delhi looked just like Mumbai! I am tired of looking
at the same kinds of houses, made of cement, bricks, glass
and steel. I was looking forward to my journey ahead.  I was
13. A Shelter so High!
Gaurav Jani
2024-25
A Shelter so High! 121
Find out
w Check in your map. Which states would one pass through
while travelling from Mumbai to Kashmir?
w Gaurav Jani passed through several states while going
from Mumbai to Delhi. Find the capital cities of these
states. Was there any other big town on his way?
w Is Manali a plain or a hilly area? In which state is it?
excited that I would be able to see wooden houses, houses
with sloping roofs and those covered with snow. I had seen
pictures of such houses in many books.
I packed more things in Delhi and continued. In two days
we were in Manali. It was so refreshing to be in the mountains
and breathe the clean air! Now the real journey was to begin.
We had to travel through difficult roads of the state of Jammu
and Kashmir to reach Leh in Ladakh.
New home
Loner and I were covering
long distances each day.
All I needed was food and
a tent to protect myself
from the cold night air.
My nylon tent was  so
small that I could  just
about fit in it to sleep.
Loner stood guard
outside the tent. The breeze and the sound of the birds woke
me up to see the sunrise.
Gaurav Jani
2024-25
122 Looking Around
Teacher’s Note : Discuss with children that all the deserts are not hot and
sandy. Encourage students to look at the map and find all the states mentioned
in the chapter.
Tell
w Have you ever stayed in a tent? Where? What was it like?
w Imagine that you were to stay alone in a small tent for two
days and could take with you only ten things. Make a list
of those ten things.
w What are the different types of houses that you have seen?
Tell your friends about it. Make drawings too.
Cold desert
At last Loner and I reached Leh.
For the first time I saw such an
area – high, dry and flat called a
cold desert.  Ladakh gets very little
rainfall. Here there are high
snowcapped mountains and a
cold, flat ground.
In Leh, I found myself in a quiet
street with beautiful white houses. As I rode slowly, I
found that I was being followed by a group of children. They called out
‘jule, jule’,  meaning ‘welcome, welcome’. They were all amazed to see
my ‘Loner’. Everyone wanted me to come to their home.
At home with Tashi
Tashi dragged me to his home. It was a building with two floors.
The house was made of stones which were kept one over the
other. The walls were coated with a thick layer of mud and lime.
The house looked like a shed from inside with a lot of hay
Gaurav Jani
2024-25
A Shelter so High! 123
stored there. We took the wooden steps and reached the first
floor. “This is where we stay,” explained Tashi. “The ground
floor is for our animals and for storing necessary things.
Sometimes when it gets too
cold, we also move downstairs.”
I noticed that the ground floor
had no windows. Thick tree
trunks were used to make the
roof strong.
Tashi then took me to the roof
of his house. What a view! I could
see the same flat roofs all around.
On some red chillies were, laid
out to dry and on some there were
orange pumpkins and golden yellow corn. Some had stacks of
paddy and on some cow dung cakes were laid out to dry.
“This is the most important part of our house,” said Tashi.
“During summer season we dry many fruits and vegetables.
We store them for winters when we do not get fresh fruits and
vegetables.”
As I stood there with Tashi I could see how every part of the
house was built specially to suit the needs of his people. I
could understand how the thick walls, a wooden floor and a
wooden ceiling protected them from the cold.
Write
w During winters, Tashi and his family live on the
ground floor. Why would they be doing so?
w What is the roof of your house like? What all is the
roof used for?
Gaurav Jani
2024-25
Page 5


120 120 120 120 120 Looking Around
A traveller’s tale
I am Gaurav Jani and
this is ‘Loner’ – my
partner – my motorcycle.
But, Loner is never lonely.
We are together all the
time.
I and my motorcycle
wait for a chance to get
away from the busy,
crowded and noisy city of
Mumbai. We like to travel
to different parts of this wonderful country. Let me tell you
about our amazing journey on the highest roads in India.
Getting ready
This journey took about two months. I had to carry everything
on my motorcycle. I had to plan and collect all the things I
needed. I packed a small tent, sleeping bag, plastic sheet, warm
clothes and food that would remain fresh for some days. I also
took my camera and extra cans for petrol. Loner and I left
Mumbai, passing through small villages and towns of
Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan to reach Delhi.
It took me three days to cover 1400 kilometers from Mumbai
to Delhi. I was hoping to see something new and different in
Delhi. But Delhi looked just like Mumbai! I am tired of looking
at the same kinds of houses, made of cement, bricks, glass
and steel. I was looking forward to my journey ahead.  I was
13. A Shelter so High!
Gaurav Jani
2024-25
A Shelter so High! 121
Find out
w Check in your map. Which states would one pass through
while travelling from Mumbai to Kashmir?
w Gaurav Jani passed through several states while going
from Mumbai to Delhi. Find the capital cities of these
states. Was there any other big town on his way?
w Is Manali a plain or a hilly area? In which state is it?
excited that I would be able to see wooden houses, houses
with sloping roofs and those covered with snow. I had seen
pictures of such houses in many books.
I packed more things in Delhi and continued. In two days
we were in Manali. It was so refreshing to be in the mountains
and breathe the clean air! Now the real journey was to begin.
We had to travel through difficult roads of the state of Jammu
and Kashmir to reach Leh in Ladakh.
New home
Loner and I were covering
long distances each day.
All I needed was food and
a tent to protect myself
from the cold night air.
My nylon tent was  so
small that I could  just
about fit in it to sleep.
Loner stood guard
outside the tent. The breeze and the sound of the birds woke
me up to see the sunrise.
Gaurav Jani
2024-25
122 Looking Around
Teacher’s Note : Discuss with children that all the deserts are not hot and
sandy. Encourage students to look at the map and find all the states mentioned
in the chapter.
Tell
w Have you ever stayed in a tent? Where? What was it like?
w Imagine that you were to stay alone in a small tent for two
days and could take with you only ten things. Make a list
of those ten things.
w What are the different types of houses that you have seen?
Tell your friends about it. Make drawings too.
Cold desert
At last Loner and I reached Leh.
For the first time I saw such an
area – high, dry and flat called a
cold desert.  Ladakh gets very little
rainfall. Here there are high
snowcapped mountains and a
cold, flat ground.
In Leh, I found myself in a quiet
street with beautiful white houses. As I rode slowly, I
found that I was being followed by a group of children. They called out
‘jule, jule’,  meaning ‘welcome, welcome’. They were all amazed to see
my ‘Loner’. Everyone wanted me to come to their home.
At home with Tashi
Tashi dragged me to his home. It was a building with two floors.
The house was made of stones which were kept one over the
other. The walls were coated with a thick layer of mud and lime.
The house looked like a shed from inside with a lot of hay
Gaurav Jani
2024-25
A Shelter so High! 123
stored there. We took the wooden steps and reached the first
floor. “This is where we stay,” explained Tashi. “The ground
floor is for our animals and for storing necessary things.
Sometimes when it gets too
cold, we also move downstairs.”
I noticed that the ground floor
had no windows. Thick tree
trunks were used to make the
roof strong.
Tashi then took me to the roof
of his house. What a view! I could
see the same flat roofs all around.
On some red chillies were, laid
out to dry and on some there were
orange pumpkins and golden yellow corn. Some had stacks of
paddy and on some cow dung cakes were laid out to dry.
“This is the most important part of our house,” said Tashi.
“During summer season we dry many fruits and vegetables.
We store them for winters when we do not get fresh fruits and
vegetables.”
As I stood there with Tashi I could see how every part of the
house was built specially to suit the needs of his people. I
could understand how the thick walls, a wooden floor and a
wooden ceiling protected them from the cold.
Write
w During winters, Tashi and his family live on the
ground floor. Why would they be doing so?
w What is the roof of your house like? What all is the
roof used for?
Gaurav Jani
2024-25
124 Looking Around
People living on top of the world
Now was the time to climb higher.  Loner had a tough time
zigzagging along narrow, rocky mountain roads. At many
places there were no roads at all.
I was moving towards the rocky plains of ‘Changthang’.
This place is at a height of almost 5000 metres. It is so high
that it is difficult to breathe normally. I had a headache and
felt weak. Then I slowly got used to breathing in such air.
For many days we kept wandering in this area with not a
single human being in sight. No petrol pumps, no
mechanics! Only clear blue sky and many beautiful lakes
around.
Many days and nights passed. Loner and I kept moving
ahead. Suddenly one morning I saw before me flat grassy land.
Many sheep and goats were grazing there. Far in the distance
I saw some tents. I wondered who lived there and what they
were doing in this far out place.
Find out
w At what height is the place where you live?
w Why did Gaurav Jani say - “This place is so high that it is
difficult to breathe normally?”
w Have you ever been to a hilly place? Where?
w At what height was it? Did you have any difficulty in
breathing there?
w Which is the highest place you have been to?
The Changpa
There I met Namgyal and came to know about the Changpa – a tribe
living on the mountains. The Changpa tribe has only about 5000
people. The Changpas are always on the move with their goats and
2024-25