Chapter 10 Kathmandu | Class 9th Beehive Most Important Questions english

Kathmandu Class 9 Important Questions

Short Answer Type Questions

1. Where did the writer stay in Kathmandu? Which two different places of worship did he visit and with whom?

Answer: The writer, Vikram Seth, stayed in a cheap room in the centre of Kathmandu town. He visited the Pashupatinath temple, sacred to Hindus, and the Baudhnath stupa, the holy shrine of the Buddhists. He went with his acquaintances Mr. Shah’s son and nephew.

2. What is written on the signboard outside the Pashupatinath temple? What does the proclamation signify?

Answer: Outside the Pashupatinath temple, the signboard announces: “Entrance for the Hindus only”. It signifies the rigid sanctity that this place of worship associates with and the dogmatic discrimination practiced saving this place from being treated like a tourist destination.

3. What does the author imply by ‘febrile confusion’ in the Pashupatinath temple?
Or
What made the atmosphere in and around the Pashupatinath temple full of ‘febrile confusion’?

Answer: The author makes this remark to show the hectic and feverish activity that causes utter chaos. Around the temple, there is a huge crowd of priests, hawkers, tourists, and even cows, monkeys and pigeons. Inside the temple, there are a large number of worshippers who elbow others aside to move closer to the priest. Together, they create utter confusion.

4. Why did the policeman stop the Westerners wearing saffron-coloured clothes from entering the Pashupatinath temple?

Answer: The policeman stopped the saffron-clad Westerners from entering the Pashupatinath temple as the entry of non- Hindus is banned in this temple and he didn’t believe that they were Hindus, despite their saffron clothes.

5. How does the author describe the fight that breaks out between the two monkeys around the temple of Pashupatinath?

Answer: The author describes the fight that breaks out between two monkeys in which one chases the other. The monkey being chased jumps onto a shivalitiga, then runs screaming around the temples and finally goes down to the holy river, Bagmati.

6. What activities are observed by the writer on the banks of the Bagmati river?

Answer: The writer observes some polluting activities on the banks of river Bagmati. He notices some washerwomen washing clothes, some children taking a bath and a dead body being cremated on the banks of this sacred river. He also observes someone throwing a basketful of wilted flowers and leaves into the river.

7. What is the belief at Pashupatinath about the end of Kaliyug? 

Answer: There is a small shrine on the banks of the holy Bagmati in the Pashupatinath temple. Half of this shrine protrudes from a stone platform. It is believed that when the shrine will emerge completely from the platform, the goddess in the shrine will escape and that will mark the end of the Kaliyug.

8. What are the author’s observations about the streets in Kathmandu?

Answer: The author finds the streets in Kathmandu ‘vivid, mercenary and religious’. Extremely narrow and busy, these streets have many small shrines and some images clad in flowers. Stray cows roam about mooing at the sound of the motorcycles. Vendors sell their wares shouting loudly and radios are played at a loud pitch. In addition, the horns of the cars and the ringing of the bicycle bells increase this din.

9. What picture of the Boudhanath stupa does the author portray?

Answer: The author gives a brief but vivid picture of the Boudhanath stupa. He admires the serenity and calmness of this shrine. There are no crowds even on the road surrounding the stupa which has some shops run by the Tibetan immigrants. The stupa has an immense white dome with silence and stillness as its distinctive features.

10. Describing the streets around the Boudhanath stupa, why does the narrator say this is a haven of quietness in the busy streets around?

Answer: The narrator observes a sense of stillness at the Buddhist shrine, the Boudhanath stupa. Its immense white dome is ringed by a road with small shops selling items like felt bags, Tibetan prints, and silver jewellry. The quietness of the stupa stands out amidst the busy business activities that go around it. Thus, the narrator regards this place as a haven of quietness in the busy streets around.

11. The writer says, “All this I wash down with Coca-Cola”. What does all this’ refer to?

Answer: All this’ refers to the eatables that the writer enjoys on the road surrounding the Boudhanath stupa. It includes a bar of marzipan and a roasted corn-cob that he enjoys along with the fizzy, carbonated drink, Coca-Cola. Besides, he also gets some comics with love-stories and a copy of the Reader’s Digest magazine to indulge himself mindlessly.

12.Which is the longer route from Kathmandu to Delhi? Which route does the author opt for?

Answer: The longer route from Kathmandu to Delhi is to first reach Patna by bus and train. Then go past Benaras, sail on the Ganges and reach Allahabad. Then cross the Yamuna and finally reach Delhi via Agra. The shorter option taken by the author is to fly via air, straight from Kathmandu to Delhi.

13. Why does Vikram Seth decide to buy a ticket directly for the homeward journey?

Answer: Vikram Seth has been away from home since quite some time. He is feeling very exhausted and homesick. Though his enthusiasm for travelling tempts him to take a longer route to reach back home, his exhaustion and homesickness impel him to buy an air-ticket directly for the homeward journey to Delhi.

14. What difference does the author note between the flute seller and the other hawkers? 
Or 
How is the flute player’s way of selling flutes different from that of the other hawkers around?

Answer: The author points out that while other hawkers shout loudly to attract the customers for their wares, the flute seller plays upon his flute slowly and meditatively. He does not indulge in excessive display nor does he show any desperation to sell his flutes. Although the flute player does not shout, the sound of the flute is distinctly heard above the noise of the traffic and of the hawkers.

15. What does Vikram Seth compare to the quills of a porcupine?
Or
Where did Vikram Seth find the flute seller? What did he compare his flutes to?

Answer: Vikram Seth found a flute seller in Kathmandu standing in a corner of the square near his hotel. He held a pole in his hand which had an attachment at the top. In this attachment, around fifty to sixty flutes were stuck that bulged out in all directions. The author compares these protruding flutes to the sharp, stiff and standing quills of a porcupine.

16. Name five kinds of flutes.
Or
Listening to the music of the flute in the square, the author is reminded of various kinds of flutes. Which kinds does he describe?

Answer: As the author listens to the music of the flute being played by the flute seller, he is reminded of different kinds of flutes. He mentions certain kinds of them like the ‘cross-flutes’, the ‘reed new’, the recorder, the Japanese ‘shakuhachi’ and the Hindustani ‘bansuri’. Other flutes are distinguished by their tonal quality like ‘the clear or breathy flutes’ of South America and the ‘high-pitched’ flutes of China.

17. What is the impact of the music of the flute on Vikram Seth?

Answer: The music of the flute has a hypnotic effect on Vikram Seth. He finds it difficult to ‘tear’ himself away from the square where this music is being played by the flute seller. It has the power to draw him into the commonality of all mankind and he is moved by its closeness to the human voice.

18. Why does the author describe the music of the flute as “the most universal and most particular of sounds”?

Answer: The music of the flute, according to the author, is the most ‘universal’ because this musical instrument, made of hollow bamboo is found in every culture in the world. But at the same time, its sound is the most ‘particular’ because each flute, though played in almost similar manner, emits a distinct, unique, and individual kind of music.

19. What did the saffron-clad Westerners want?

Answer: The saffron-clad Westerners wanted to go inside the temple of Pashupatinath. But the policeman stopped them. He did not let them go inside the temple because they were not Hindus. The entrance was only for Hindus in the temple.

20. How did the author want to return to Delhi? What made him change his mind?

Answer: From Kathmandu, the author wanted to go Patna by bus or train. Then he would sail the Ganga though Benaras to Allahabad. Then he would sail the Yamuna through Agra to Delhi. But the author was already very tired. So he decided to return to Delhi by air.

21. Describe how the flute seller sells his wares?

Answer: The flute seller has tied fifty or sixty flutes on a pole. He does not shout out his wares. From time to time, he selects a flute and plays on it. He plays slowly and thoughtfully. Sometimes, he makes a sale. But his attitude is carefree.

22. To hear any ‘flute is to be drawn into the commonality of all mankind.’ Explain.

Answer: The flute is found in each culture in one form or the other. Thus the sound of the flute draws a person into the commonality of mankind.

23. What is the belief of the people at Pashupatinath temple?

Answer: It is the belief of the people at Pashupatinath temple that when a small shrine emerges fully on the river Bagwati, the goddess inside will escape and the evil period of the Kalyug will come to an end on the earth.

24. What activities did the author see going on at the bank of the river Bagmati?

Answer: The author saw two monkeys fighting and chasing each other, a corpse was being cremated, washerwomen at work, children bathing on the bank and he even saw withered flowers being dropped from a balcony in the river Bagmati.

25. How is the temple of Pashupatinath different from Baudhnath Stupa?

Answer: At Pashupatinath Temple there was an atmosphere of feverish activities, i.e., there was disorder and chaos all around whereas the atmosphere at Baudhnath Stupa was calm, peaceful and quiet with no crowd jostling around.

26. Give a brief description of Kathmandu Bazaar.

Answer: Kathmandu Bazaar has narrow and busy streets, shops selling cosmetics, film rolls, chocolate, utensils, postcards, etc. It was a vivid, religious and mercenary city, where hawkers, cows, flute sellers, fruit sellers, every colour was present.

27. How does the writer pass his time in Kathmandu Bazaar?

Answer: The author buys a bar of Marzipan, eats a corn-on-the-cob roasted in charcoal, buys a couple of love story comics, a Readers’ Digest, and then has Coca-Cola and orange drink and watches the flute seller playing his flute, for long.

Long Answer Type Questions

1. What observations does the author make about the Kathmandu Bazaar?

Answer: Kathmandu Bazaar had narrow and busy streets. The author saw chaos, confusion and disorder everywhere in the bazaar. There were fruit sellers, flute sellers, hawkers selling postcards, shops selling western cosmetics, film rolls and chocolates. Copper utensils and Nepalese antiques were also being sold. There was noise of film songs, car horns, cycle bells, stray cows and vendors shouting out their wares. The author made a very detailed and vivid observation of the Kathmandu Bazaar.

2. ‘To hear any flute is to be drawn into commonality of all mankind.’ Why does the author say this?

Answer: Music appeals to all mankind and gives pleasure to them. The flute seller had many kinds of flutes belonging to various cultures and different customs. In order to attract prospective buyers, the flute seller plays melodious tunes on his flutes. Music is universal and soothes everyone’s heart, no matter which part of the world one belongs to. There is no culture that flute does not have. We have bansuri in Hindustani classical music. The flutes of South America are clear and breathy. The flutes are high pitched. The music of flute is universal. That is why the author says that hearing a flute is to be drawn into the commonality of all mankind.

3. How does the author describe the flute seller? What does he say about the flute music?

Answer: The author finds a flute seller in a corner of the square near his hotel. There is a pole in his hand. There is an attachment at the top of the pole. Fifty or sixty flutes are stuck on it. These flutes protrude in all directions. The author compares these flutes to the quills of a porcupine. These flutes are made-of bamboo: From time to time, he stands the pole on the ground. Then he selects a flute and plays on it for a few minutes. The sound rises clearly above the noise of the traffic and the hawkers’ cries. He plays the flute slowly and thoughtfully. He does not shout out his wares. Occasionally someone buys a flute from him. But the flute seller’s attitude is carefree. The author likes his attitude. He imagines that this has been his pattern of life for years. The author finds it difficult to come away from there. He has always been attracted by the flute music: He says that the flute is a very common musical instrument. It is found in almost all cultures. It is the common link of all mankind.

4. Compare and contrast the atmosphere in and around the Baudhnath shrine with that in the Pashupatinath Temple.

Answer: The Pashupatinath Temple, sacred to what idea do y Hindus, and the Baudhnath shrine of the Buddhists stand in contrast with regard to their ambiance.
The noisy confusion of the Hindu Temple is opposite to the tranquillity that reigns supreme in the Baudhnath shrine. In the Pashupatinath temple, utter chaos is created by a large number of unorganized worshippers who try to push each other to reach closer to the priest and the deity. At Baudhnath stupa, there aren’t many people inside the structure.

The atmosphere at Pashupatinath Temple is made noisy by the heterogeneous crowd consisting of priests, hawkers, devotees, and tourists. The animals like cows and dogs freely move around and the pigeons to contribute to the confusion. Even monkeys play about and fight in the premises of the temple. Confusion is also created by some Westerners who wish to enter the temple.

The Boudhanath stupa, on the contrary, gives a feeling of stillness and silence. Although there are small shops on the road around the temple, run by Tibetan immigrants, there is neither noise nor chaos. The author is so fascinated by the serenity in and around the temple that he calls it ‘a haven of stillness’ standing quietly amidst the busy streets.

5. How does the author describe Kathmandu’s busiest streets?

Answer: The author presents the busiest streets of Kathmandu as ‘vivid, mercenary and religious’. It is a place with the beautiful, vivid, landscape, and a lot of religious activity goes on all the time. Besides the famous places like the Pashupatinath temple and the Boudhanath stupa, Kathmandu also has small shrines and deities-It is ‘mercenary’ as it is a tourist place and a lot of business – flourishes in the narrow streets. One can find fruit sellers, flute sellers, and hawkers selling postcard photographs. As in any other tourist place, there are shops selling various things like cosmetics from western countries, rolls of film, chocolates, antique things of Nepal, and copper pots and pans.

There is a bedlam of noises created by radios playing film songs, sounds of car-horns, bells of bicycles and vendors shouting to invite the customers. There are also the cows bellowing as they hear the sounds of motorcycles. Thus, the streets of Kathmandu are full of noise and din.

6. “To hear any flute is to be drawn into the commonality of all mankind.” Why does the author say this?

Answer: The author hears the music of a flute played by a flute seller in a square near his hotel in Kathmandu and is reminded of the various kinds of music produced by various types of flutes found in various cultures. However, the flute is universal because almost every culture has flutes, though each has a different tone and pitch.

The author further describes the variety of flutes named differently as the shakuhachi in Japan and the bansuri in India. They have different fingering methods and ranges of sound. The Indian bansuri has a deep sound, the South American flute emits clear, breathy sound and the Chinese flute gives out loud, high-pitched melodies.

Despite the variety of flutes and the variations in their music, the author emphasizes that the music of all the flutes closely resembles the human voice. To produce music, every flute needs pauses and breaths in the same manner in which phrases and sentences are uttered in the human voice. These pauses and breaths are generated through fingering of the holes of a flute. This characteristic feature of the flutes gives the author a feeling of being “drawn into the commonality of mankind”, which gives him a sense of universality and harmony.

7. What ideas do you get about the author from the extract “Kathmandu”?

Answer: The extract “Kathmandu” taken from Vikram Seth’s travelogue, ‘Heavenly Lake’, brings forth certain traits of his personality. As a traveller, Seth displays a keen sense of observation, and as a person with a fine aesthetic sense, his ability to capture the vivid details comes to the fore.

The pictures of the temples of Kathmandu and its crowded streets become alive with his vivid descriptions. Though indirectly, he also appears to be a lover of serenity and tranquillity when he terms the stupa as a ‘haven of quietness’. He also shows his concern as an environmentalist who does not approve of the polluting activities carried on the banks of the Bagmati river. Vikram Seth’s fondness for travelling is obvious by the fact that although tired, he still contemplates taking a longer route back home to Delhi.

His fondness for music is brought forth when we find him so enchanted by the music of the flute that he has to force himself to leave the square where the flute is being played by the seller.

His choice of reading reveals that when tired, he prefers to read light and popular stuff. Like a typical traveller, he indulges himself with the eatables he finds available in the bazaar of Kathmandu.

Thus, the author emerges as a man with a profound fondness for travelling, love for music, a keen sense of observation, reflective mind, and an ability to portray places and people minutely and realistically.

8. Where does the author find the flute seller and what are his observations about him? What draws the author to the music of the flute?

Answer: The author finds a flute seller along with many other hawkers in a corner of the square near his hotel in Kathmandu. But the flute seller’s style of selling his ware differs absolutely from that of the other vendors. He does not shout to attract the customers nor does he show any kind of desperation to sell.

He carries a pole with about fifty to sixty flutes attached at the top. The author compares these flutes protruding in all directions to the sharp quills of a porcupine. Most of the flutes on the poles are of the varieties of ‘recorders’ and ‘cross-flutes’. The flute seller, instead of hawking loudly, places the pole on the ground every now and then, selects a flute and plays upon it slowly and in a meditative manner without ever resorting to excessive display.

The sound of the flute is distinct and clear and can be heard even above the noise created by the traffic horns and the shouts of the hawkers. He does not seem to run a very brisk business and it appears as if playing the flute is his chief activity and selling of flutes is incidental to it.

The mesmerizing music of the flute draws the author to it. He is left spell-bound by its hypnotic notations. The impact is so deep that he has to force himself to leave the square where the flute is being played. This music is etched in his memory and he carries it with him to his home in India.