Short Answer Type Questions:- Kathmandu

Q.1. Which two temples did the author visit in Kathmandu?
Ans. The author visited the Pashupatinath Temple, which is sacred to Hindus, and the Baudhnath Stupa, an important Buddhist shrine in Kathmandu.

Q.2. What signboard is there outside the Pashupatinath temple?
Ans. The signboard outside Pashupatinath Temple reads: "Entrance for Hindus only". It indicates that entry is restricted to Hindus and reflects the temple's strict rules about who may enter.

Q.3. What does everyone do to the Nepalese Princess in the temple?
Ans. Everyone bows to the Nepalese princess and makes way for her, showing respect as she passes through the temple precincts.

Q.4. Which river flows through Kathmandu?
Ans. The Bagmati River flows through Kathmandu. 

Q.5. How is the atmosphere at the Pashupatinath temple?
Ans. The atmosphere at Pashupatinath Temple is full of confusion - hectic, noisy and crowded. Priests, worshippers, hawkers, animals and tourists all jostle about, creating an intense, chaotic scene.

Q.6. How is the atmosphere at the Baudhnath Stupa?
Ans. At the Baudhnath Stupa there is an atmosphere of stillness and calm. The shrine and its white dome convey serenity, and the surroundings feel quiet compared with the busy streets elsewhere.

Q.7. Who owned most of the shops in Kathmandu?
Ans. Tibetan immigrants owned most of the small shops, especially those around the Baudhnath Stupa, selling Tibetan crafts and other wares.

Q.8. Flow does the author decide to take his return journey to Delhi?
Ans.  He decides to return to Delhi by plane, flying with Nepal Airlines and taking the shorter, direct route home.

Q.9. Who does the writer see in at square of Kathmandu?
Ans. He sees a flute seller in the square near his hotel, a man who sells and plays a variety of flutes.

Q.10. Who is the writer of the lesson Kathmandu?
Ans. The author of the lesson "Kathmandu" is Vikram Seth.

Q.11. Where did the writer stay in Kathmandu? Which two different places of worship did he visit and with whom?
Ans. 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, an important Buddhist shrine. He went with acquaintances - Mr Shah's son and Mr Shah's nephew.

Q.12. What is written on the signboard outside the Pashupatinath temple? What does the proclamation signify?
Ans. Outside Pashupatinath Temple the signboard reads "Entrance for Hindus only". This proclamation signifies that the temple enforces strict rules about entry: only Hindus are permitted inside, and the place is treated primarily as a sacred site rather than a general tourist attraction.

Q.13. 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'?
Ans. By 'febrile confusion' the author means a feverish, hectic chaos. The crowd around the temple includes priests, hawkers, tourists and animals (cows, monkeys, pigeons). Inside, worshippers jostle and push to reach the priest. All these elements together create a noisy, disorderly and intense atmosphere.

Q.14. Why did the policeman stop the Westerners wearing saffron-colored clothes from entering the Pashupatinath temple?
Ans. The policeman stopped the saffron-clad Westerners because non-Hindus were not allowed entry. Although they wore saffron robes, he did not accept that they were Hindus and therefore refused them admission.

Q.15. How does the author describe the fight that breaks out between the two monkeys around the temple of Pashupatinath?
Ans. The author describes one monkey chasing another; the pursued monkey jumps onto a shivalinga, runs screaming around the temples and eventually rushes down to the holy Bagmati River. The scene adds to the general commotion around the temple.

Q.16. What activities are observed by the writer on the banks of the Bagmati river?
Ans. On the banks of the Bagmati River the writer sees washerwomen washing clothes, children bathing, and a dead body being cremated. He also notices people throwing wilted flowers and leaves into the river, activities that contribute to pollution of the sacred water.

Q.17. What is the belief at Pashupatinath about the end of Kaliyug?
Ans. At Pashupatinath there is a small shrine set into a stone platform, half of which is visible. It is believed that when the shrine comes fully out of the platform and the goddess inside escapes, that event will mark the end of the Kaliyug.

Q.18. What are the author's observations about the streets in Kathmandu?
Ans. The author finds Kathmandu's streets "vivid, mercenary and religious". They are narrow and busy, lined with small shrines and images decorated with flowers. Stray cows move about mooing at the sound of the motorcycles, vendors shout to sell their goods, radios blare, and the combined noise of horns and bicycle bells creates a constant din.

Q.19. What picture of the Baudhnath stupa does the author portray?
Ans. 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.

Q.20. Describing the streets around the Baudhnath stupa, why does the narrator say this is a haven of quietness in the busy streets around?
Ans. The narrator calls it a haven of quietness because, despite the busy commercial activity in the nearby streets, the stupa itself remains peaceful and still. Its white dome and the slow, measured movement of people and shops selling items like felt bags, Tibetan prints, and silver jewellery around it create a tranquil space amid the surrounding bustle.

Q.21. The writer says, "All this I wash down with Coca-Cola". What does all this' refer to?
Ans. "All this" refers to the food and small purchases the writer enjoys near the stupa - for example a bar of marzipan, a roasted corn-cob, and the light reading he buys such as romance comics and a copy of Reader's Digest. He washes these refreshments down with a Coca-Cola.

Q.22. Which is the longer route from Kathmandu to Delhi? Which route does the author opt for?
Ans. The longer route described would take him via Patna by bus and train, then past Benaras with travel on the Ganges to Allahabad, crossing the Yamuna and passing Agra to reach Delhi. The author opts for the shorter and quicker route: a direct flight from Kathmandu to Delhi.

Q.23. Why does Vikram Seth decide to buy a ticket directly for the homeward journey?
Ans. Vikram Seth has been travelling for some time and feels tired and homesick.Though his enthusiasm for travelling tempts him to take a longer route to reach back home, his
exhaustion and longing for home lead him to buy an air ticket for a direct journey back to Delhi.

Q.24. 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?
Ans. The author notes that other hawkers shout loudly to attract customers, whereas the flute seller does not shout. He plays his flute slowly and meditatively, without show or urgency. He does not indulge in excessive display nor does he show any desperation to sell his flutes.His calm music rises above the general noise and attracts listeners in a quieter, more compelling way.

Q.25. 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?
Ans. Vikram Seth found the flute seller in a corner of the square near his hotel. The seller had fifty to sixty flutes stuck into an attachment at the top of a pole so that they bulged out in all directions. Seth compared those protruding flutes to the sharp, stiff quills of a porcupine.

Q.26. 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?
Ans. The author mentions several kinds of flutes, including the cross-flute, the reed flute, the recorder, the Japanese shakuhachi, and the Hindustani bansuri. He also refers to other regional varieties distinguished by their tone, such as the breathy flutes of South America and the high-pitched flutes of China.

Q.27. What is the impact of the music of the flute on Vikram Seth?
Ans. The flute music has a hypnotic effect on Vikram Seth. He finds it difficult to tear himself away from the square. The sound draws him in, it has the power to draw him into the commonality of all mankind and he is moved by its closeness to the human voice.

Q.28. Why does the author describe the music of the flute as "the most universal and most particular of sounds"?
Ans. The music of the flute is "universal" because this musical instrument, made of hollow bamboo versions of it exist in nearly every culture around the world. It is "particular" because each flute, even when played in similar ways, produces its own distinct, individual sound. Thus the instrument is both widely shared and uniquely expressive.

Q.29. What did the saffron-clad Westerners want?
Ans. The saffron-clad Westerners wanted to enter the Pashupatinath Temple. The policeman stopped them because the temple permitted only Hindus to enter, and he did not accept that they were Hindus despite their saffron clothing.

Q.30. How did the author want to return to Delhi? What made him change his mind?
Ans. The author originally thought of taking a longer overland and river route to Delhi via Patna, Benaras and 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.

Q.31. Describe how the flute seller sells his wares?
Ans. The flute seller has about fifty or sixty flutes bound to a pole. He does not shout out his wares to sell them. Instead, he occasionally selects a flute and plays it slowly and thoughtfully. He sometimes makes a sale, but his manner is relaxed and unhurried.

Q.32. To hear any 'flute is to be drawn into the commonality of all mankind.' Explain.
Ans. The flute exists in one form or another in nearly every culture, so its sound evokes a shared human experience. Hearing a flute therefore connects listeners to a common human feeling of music and expression, drawing them into a sense of shared humanity.