📖 Chapter 8: Kathmandu

Answer: The route the author thought of but did not take was: Kathmandu → Patna (by bus and train) → sail up the Ganges past Benaras to Allahabad → up the Yamuna, past Agra to Delhi.

Answer:
Kathmandu to New Delhi: By air (direct flights available), by road (via Nepalgunj, Sunauli border, then to Delhi), by rail (via Raxaul or Sunauli border to Delhi).

Kathmandu to Mumbai: By air (direct flights), by road and rail (via Delhi then Mumbai).

Kathmandu to Kolkata: By air (direct flights), by road (via Birgunj, Raxaul border), by rail (via Raxaul to Kolkata).

Kathmandu to Chennai: By air (connecting flights), by rail (via Raxaul/Delhi then Chennai).

Answer: Pashupatinath and Baudhnath Stupa.

Answer: 'All this' refers to the marzipan, a corn-on-the-cob roasted in a charcoal brazier on the pavement, and the delicious food he ate in Kathmandu.

Answer: Vikram Seth compares the fifty or sixty bansuris protruding in all directions from a pole to the quills of a porcupine.

Answer: The reed neh, the recorder, the Japanese shakuhachi, the deep bansuri of Hindustani classical music, and the high-pitched Chinese flutes.

Answer: The flute seller is different from other hawkers because he does not shout out his wares. He stands quietly in a corner, plays the flute slowly and meditatively, and makes sales in a curiously offhanded way. He is not aggressive or pushy like other hawkers.

Answer: At Pashupatinath, there is a belief that a small shrine half protrudes from the stone platform on the river bank. When it emerges fully, the goddess inside will escape, and the evil period of the Kaliyug will end on earth.

(i) Atmosphere of 'febrile confusion':

• Some people trying to get the priest's attention are elbowed aside by others pushing their way to the front.
• A party of saffron-clad Westerners struggle for permission to enter.
• A fight breaks out between two monkeys.

(ii) Things he sees:

• Priests, hawkers, devotees, tourists, cows, monkeys, pigeons and dogs roaming through the grounds.
• A corpse being cremated on the banks of the Bagmati river.
• Washerwomen at their work and children bathing.

(iii) Sounds he hears:

• Film songs blaring out from the radios.
• Car horns sounding and bicycle bells ringing.
• Vendors shouting out their wares.

Answer: The atmosphere at Pashupatinath temple is one of "febrile confusion." There is complete chaos with priests, hawkers, devotees, tourists, cows, monkeys, pigeons and dogs roaming through the grounds. People push and elbow each other to get the priest's attention. A fight breaks out between two monkeys. There is noise, activity and restlessness everywhere.

In contrast, the Baudhnath Stupa has a sense of stillness. Its immense white dome is ringed by a road. Small shops stand on its outer edge, many owned by Tibetan immigrants. There are no crowds. It is a haven of quietness in the busy streets around. While Pashupatinath is chaotic and full of activity, Baudhnath is calm, peaceful and serene.

Answer: The author describes Kathmandu's busiest streets as vivid, mercenary and religious. There are small shrines to flower-adorned deities along the narrowest and busiest streets. There are fruit sellers, flute sellers, hawkers of postcards, and shops selling Western cosmetics, film rolls, chocolate, copper utensils and Nepalese antiques. Film songs blare out from radios, car horns sound, bicycle bells ring, stray cows low questioningly at motorcycles, and vendors shout out their wares. The streets are full of life, noise, colour and activity.

Answer: The author says this because the flute is the most universal and most particular of sounds. Every culture has its own flute — the reed neh, the recorder, the Japanese shakuhachi, the deep bansuri of Hindustani classical music, and the high-pitched Chinese flutes. Each has its specific fingering and compass and weaves its own associations. Yet, to hear any flute is to be drawn into the commonality of all mankind because its motive force is living breath. Like the human voice, it needs to pause and breathe before it can go on. The flute connects all human beings across cultures and boundaries.

Column A (Phrasal Verb)	Column B (Meaning)
broke out	began suddenly
broke off	separated
broke down	stopped working
broke away	escaped
broke up	separated (a relationship)
broke into	entered by force

Verb	Noun
proclaim	proclamation
cremate	cremation
act	action
exhaust	exhaustion
invent	invention
tempt	temptation
immigrate	immigration
direct	direction
meditate	meditation
imagine	imagination
dislocate	dislocation
associate	association
dedicate	dedication

(i) Mass literacy was possible only after the invention of the printing machine.

(ii) Ramesh is unable to tackle the situation as he lacks direction.

(iii) I could not resist the temptation to open the letter.

(iv) Hard work and dedication are the main keys to success.

(v) The children were almost fainting with exhaustion after being made to stand in the sun.

Answer:
An arrogant lion was wandering through the jungle one day. He asked the tiger, "Who is stronger than you?" "You, O lion!" replied the tiger. "Who is more fierce than a leopard?" asked the lion. "You, sir," replied the leopard. He marched up to an elephant and asked the same question. The elephant picked him up in his trunk, swung him in the air and threw him down. "Look," said the lion, "there is no need to get mad just because you don't know the answer."

(i) The heart is a pump that sends the blood circulating through our body. The pumping action takes place when the left ventricle of the heart contracts. This forces the blood out into the arteries, which expand to receive the oncoming blood.

(ii) The African lungfish can live without water for up to four years. During a drought it digs a pit and encloses itself in a capsule of slime and earth, leaving a tiny opening for air. The capsule dries and hardens, but when rain comes, the mud dissolves and the lungfish swims away.

(iii) MAHESH: We have to organise a class party for our teacher. Does anyone play an instrument?

This is a discussion activity. Talk about shrines you have visited, describing what you saw, heard, and felt there. Use the simple present and present continuous tenses.

Answer:

What I see when I reach Pashupatinath temple:

• A sign proclaiming 'Entrance for the Hindus only'
• An atmosphere of febrile confusion
• Priests, hawkers, devotees, tourists, cows, monkeys, pigeons and dogs
• A princess of the Nepalese royal house appearing

What I see happening inside the temple:

• Worshippers pushing and elbowing to get the priest's attention
• Saffron-clad Westerners struggling for permission to enter
• A fight between two monkeys
• A monkey jumping onto a shivalinga and running around

What I do when inside the temple:

• Offer a few flowers
• Watch the activities around me

What I see outside the temple:

• A corpse being cremated on the banks of the Bagmati river
• Washerwomen at their work
• Children bathing in the river
• A small shrine half protruding from the stone platform

My impressions about the place:

• It is a place of great religious significance
• The atmosphere is chaotic yet deeply spiritual
• Life and death coexist here
• It is a vivid and unforgettable experience

Sample Travelogue:

A Visit to Agra and the Taj Mahal

In January 2003, I rose before dawn and took the Shatabdi Express at 6.15 a.m. from Delhi. On the train, I met a newly-married couple, and we talked about Himachal Pradesh. When we got off the train, we entered the once-grand city of Agra through twisted alleys and dense traffic. Rickshaws, cars and people filled the streets. Vendors were selling religious artifacts, plastic toys, spices and sweets.

Then I went to the Taj Mahal. Constructed entirely of white marble, it has a magical quality. The colour changes with the varying light and shadow. The marble has gemstones inside. I saw the reflection of the Taj Mahal in the pond. School-children and tourists were everywhere. Tourist guides were following people around, offering their services.

The Taj Mahal is truly a wonder of the world. Its beauty is beyond words. Standing before it, I felt a sense of peace and awe. It was an experience I will never forget.