Kathmandu

Summary:  Vikram Seth describes his visit to the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu through this excerpt from his book ‘Heaven Lake’. During his trip, he visits two temples where notice stark differences between them. One temple was a pilgrimage for Hindus, the Pashupatinath temple.

After that, there was the Baudhnath temple which is for the Buddhists. He notices that they restricted the entry at the Pashupatinath temple to only Hindus. Thus, there was quite a chaos amongst the tourists, priests and the pilgrims. To top it all, people were polluting the River Bagmati by washing clothes in it, bathing in it and throwing away dry flowers in it.

After that, he went to Baudhnath temple. He saw that the scenario here was completely different from what he saw at the Pashupatinath temple. This Buddhist temple had a huge dome which is white in colour. The place was very calm and serene. Outside the temple, there was a Tibetan market and people were selling bags, clothes, ornaments and more.

He notices the numerous things Kathmandu offers from religious places to many tourist destinations. Moreover, it also has various shops of antiques, cameras, cosmetics, chocolates and more. Nonetheless, it is also a very noisy city from the car horns to the music and vendors. He enjoyed having a marzipan bar, corn, coca-cola in the city. After that, he also read love stories, comics and Reader’s Digest books.

On returning to Delhi, he thought of taking an adventurous route which comprises of a bus or train journey and then a boat ride, but he dropped the idea for that would have been too tiring. Thus, he booked a flight back. He saw an interesting flute seller outside his hotel. He had a pole with a lot of flutes on it and seemed like a porcupine body.

The flute seller kept playing his flutes and also did so in different tunes. But, what set him apart from the other flute sellers was that he played the flute thoughtfully. He did not scream to attract customers, he played it. This attracted the author and he wondered that flute is so common all over. Then, he compares it to the human voice and says how he is noticing even the little things now.

Question and Answers:

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

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

A. The author visited the pashupatinath and the Baudhnath temples in Kathmandu.

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

A. ‘All this’ refers to all the food items – the marzipan bar and the corn on the cob that the author ate.

3. What does Vikram Seth compare to the quills of a porcupine?

A. Vikram Seth compares the flutes protruding out of the flute-seller’s pole to the quills of a porcupine.

4. Name five kinds of flutes.

A. Five kinds of flutes are the reed neh, the recorder, the Japanese shakuhachi, the deep bansuri of Hindustani classical music and the clear or breathy flutes of South America.

Answer each question in a short paragraph.

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

A. The author noticed that the flute seller was calm and quiet. He did not scream to sell his wares like other hawkers did.

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

A. The belief at the Pashupatinath temple about the end of Kaliyug is that when the small shrine will protrude completely, then the goddess will emerge out of it. The goddess will bring an end to the evil period of Kaliyug.

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

A. (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…)

a) There are so many worshippers that some people trying to get the priest’s attention are elbowed aside by others

b) By the main gate, a party of saffron-clad Westerners struggle for permission to enter.

c) A fight breaks out between two monkeys.

(ii) the things he sees

a) fruit sellers

b) flute sellers

c) hawkers of postcards

(iii) the sounds he hears

a) Film songs blare out from the radios

b) car horns sound

c) vendors shout out their wares.

 

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

A. The author says this because the sound produced by the flute is the closest to human voice. It is an extension of human voice as it is produced by exhaling into it.