English(Beehive) Class 9 : Lesson 10 - Kathmandu

In this page you get NCERT Solution Class 9 English Beehive Lesson 10 Kathmandu being given. English have two parts. English Beehive Class 9th has been set by the CBSE Board. The speciality of this page is that here you can download pdf of NCERT Solution Class 9 English Beehive. I expect that the given Class 9 English Beehive solution Lesson 10 Kathmandu will be immensely useful to you.


NCERT Solution Class 9 English Beehive Lesson 10 Kathmandu
NCERT Solution Class 9 English Beehive



Chapter 10
Kathmandu
Vikram Seth


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

Q.1. Name the two temples the author visited in Kathmandu.
Ans: The two temples the author visited in Kathmandu were the Pashupatinath temple and the Baudhnath Stupa temple.


Q.2. The writer says, "All this I wash down with Coca Cola." What does all this refer to?
Ans: "All this" refers to eating a bar of marzipan, a com-on-the-cob roasted in a charcoal brazier (rubbed with salt, chilli powder, and lemon); and reading a couple of love story comics, and a Reader's Digest.


Q.3. What does Vikram Seth compare to the quills of a porcupine?
Ans: Vikram Seth's compares the fifty or sixty bansuris protruding in all directions from the pole of a flute seller to the quills of porcupine.


Q.4. Name the five kinds of flutes.
Ans: The reed neh, the Japanese shakuhachi, the deep bansuri of Hindustani classical music, the clear or breathy flutes of South America, the high pitched Chinese flutes.

II. Answer each questions in a short paragraph.

Q.1. What difference does the author note between the flute seller and the other hawkers ?
Ans: The flute seller is different from other hawkers. He moves to different places, playing the flute slowly and meditatively. He does not shout like other hawkers to sell his flute. The author found the music captivating.


Q.2. What is the belief of at Pashupatinath about the end of Kaliyug?
Ans: A small shrine protrudes from the stone platform on the river Bagwati. It is believed that when it emerges fully, the goddess inside will escape, and the evil period of Kaliyug will end on earth.


Q.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 (for example: some people trying to get the priest’s attention are elbowed aside...)
(ii) the things he sees
(iii) the sounds he hears

Ans: (i) The atmosphere of 'febrile confusion' outside the temple of Pashupatinath (for example, some people trying to get the priest's attention are elbowed aside...). The author has drawn powerful images of the atmosphere of febrile confusion outside the temple of Pashupatinath. These include the following: a group of saffron-clad westerners struggling to enter the main gate as only Hindus were allowed to enter the temple. A fight that breaks out between two monkeys and a royal Nepalese princess, from whom everyone makes way.
(ii) He saw the Baudhanath Stupa had an immense dome that was ringed by a road. Small shops where there on the outer edge were felt bags with Tibetan prints and silver jewellery could be bought. There were no crowds there. On the busiest street of Kathmandu, he saw fruit sellers, flute sellers, hawkers, or postcard shops selling Western cosmetics, film rolls, chocolate, copper utensils, and Nepalese antiques.
(iii) The sound he heard where film songs were blaring out from the radios, car horns, bicycle bells, and vonders shouting out their wares. He also listened to the flute music, calling it the most universal and particular sound.

III. Answer the following questions in not more than 100–150 words each.

Q.1. Compare and contrast the atmosphere in and around the Baudhnath shrine with the Pashupatinath temple.
Ans: The atmosphere around the holy places is in contrast to each other. At Pashupatinath, there is an atmosphere of ‘febrile confusion' and chaos. The priest, hawkers, devotees, tourists, birds, and animals roam freely throughout the grounds. There is a large gathering of worshippers who are jostling with one another to get the attention of the priest. Some tourists from the west also try to get entry in Wain. There is a fight between two monkeys. The atmosphere is extremely noisy. In the Baudhnath shrine, there is, in contrast, a sense of stillness. Beggars and the self-proclaimed messengers of God irritate me the most at any religious place. In the name of God, they bother not only the locals but the foreigners too. Extortion of money in the name of donation is another thing that distributes the tourists and such places.


Q.2. How does the author describe Kathmandu's busiest streets?
Ans: Along Kathmandu's narrowest and busiests streets there are small shrines and flower-adorned deities; apart from these, there are fruit sellers, flute sellers, hawkers of postcards, shops selling western cosmetics, film rolls, chocolate, copper utensils, and Nepalese antiques. The author hears film songs that were blaring out from the radios, the sounds of car horns and bicycle bells, and vendors shouting out their wares. He says that stray cows roam about on the roads. He also draws a vivid picture of a flute seller with many bansuris protruding from his pole. He describes how the serene music produced by the flute seller is heard clearly above all other noise.


Q.3. "To hear any flute is to be drawn into the communality of all mankind." Why does the author say this ?
Ans: The author considers flute music to be the most universal and most particular of all sounds. This is a musical instrument that is common to all cultures. We have the reed neh, the recorder, the Japanese shakuhachi, the deep bansuri of Hindustani classical music, and the clear or breathy flutes of South America. The high-pitched Chinese flutes, etc. Even though each of these has its own specific fingwang and compass. For the author, to hear any flute is to be drawn into the commonality of all mankind. This is because, in spite of their differences, every flute produces music with the help of human voice. Similarly, despite the differences in caste, culture, religion, and faith, all human beings are the same, with the same living breath running through all of them.

Extra Questions

Q.1. How does the author describe Kathmandu’s busiest streets?
Ans: The author describes the atmosphere of Kathmandu’s narrowest and busiest streets, which were filled with small shrines and flower-adorned deities. In addition to the religious elements, there were also various vendors selling a wide range of products, including fruit, postcards, cosmetics, film rolls, chocolate, copper utensils, and Nepalese antiques. The streets were filled with the sounds of blaring radios playing film songs, vendors shouting out their wares, and the constant noise of car horns and bicycle bells. It was total crowdy and chaotic situation.


Q.2. What is the belief at Pashupatinath about the end of Kaliyug?
Ans: The author mentions a small shrine located on the river bank of Bagmati at Pashupatinath. According to local beliefs, this shrine contains a goddess who will escape when the shrine emerges fully. It is believed that when the goddess escapes, the evil period of Kaliyug on earth will come to an end.


Q.3. How was the atmosphere at Pashupatinath?
Ans: Atmosphere around Pashupatinath area was of full of crowd, hurried and chaotic activity. The area was bustling with various individuals including priests, hawkers, devotees, tourists, cows, monkeys, pigeons, and dogs all roaming through the grounds.The crowds were so dense that some individuals were attempting to get the priest’s attention were pushed aside by others attempting to get to the front.


Q.4. Why did the policeman stop the party of Westerners in the temple?
Ans: The policeman stopped the Westerners group because, aside from Hindus, no other non-Hindus were permitted inside the Pashupatinath Temple.


Q.5. What were the activities which one can notice at the Bagmati river?
Ans: On the banks of the Bagmati River, one can notice pollution-producing activities. On the banks of this holy river,some washerwomen were doing laundry, kids were bathing, just on the bank a body was being cremated residues of which would be thrown away to the river, people were dumping basket ful of withered flowers and leaves into the river.


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