Kathmandu

NCERT Solution

Part 1

Answer these questions in one or two words or in short phrases

Question 1: Name the two temples the author visited in Kathmandu.

Answer: The author visited the Pashupati Nath Temple and the Budhnath Stupa.

Question 2: What does Vikram Seth compare to the quills of a porcupine?

Answer: The flute seller’s stock of flutes was looking like the quills of a porcupine.

Question 3: Name five kinds of flutes.

Answer: Bansuri, Reed, Murli, Shakuhachi, and Neh.

Answer each question in a short paragraph

Question 1: What difference does the author note between the flute seller and the other hawkers?

Answer: The author notes that the flute seller was not at all bothered about selling his wares. He was more engrossed in playing his flutes and sometimes talking to fellow vendors. The sale was incidental for him.

Question 2: What is the belief at Pashupatinath about the end of Kaliyug?

Answer: There is a small temple near the banks of the river Baghmati, which is partly submerged. The age old belief is if the water recedes enough to expose the goddess then the Goddess will leave that place and that will herald the end of the Kaliyug. Kaliyug is the era of all sins as per Hindu mythology.

Question 3: The author has drawn powerful images and pictures. Pick out three examples each of

(i) the atmosphere of ‘febrile confusion’ outside the temple of Pashupatinath
(ii) the things he sees
(iii) the sounds he hears

Answer: Febrile confusion means a situation of complete chaos or confusion. Like most of the Hindu pilgrimage centres Pashupathinath temple is also buzzing with people and mindless activity. The crowd, monkeys, devotees attempt to get preferential treatment, calls of hawkers all of these cerate a completely noisy situation.