Jharkhand Board Class 9TH English Notes | KATHMANDU
JAC Board Solution For Class 9TH English Prose Chapter 12
COMPREHENSION
■ Read the following passage and answer the questions that
follow―
1. At Pashupatinath (outside which a sing proclaims 'Entrance
for the Hindus only there is an atmosphere of 'febrile confusion'.
Priest, hawkers, devotees, tourists, cows, monkeys. pigeons and
dogs roam through the grounds. We offer a few flowers. There are
so many worshippers that some people trying to get the priest's
attention are elbowed aside by others pushing their way to the
front. A princess of the Nepalese royal house appears, everyone
bows and makes way. By the main gate, a party of saffron clad
westerners struggle for permission to enter. The policeman is not
convinced that they are the Hindus'.
Q. (a) What happens when a Princess of royal family appears
there?
(b) Why does the policeman not allow the westerners to
enter the temple of Pashupatinath?
(c) Why is there an atmosphere of confusion outside the
temple of Pashupatinath?
(d) What happens when a princess of the Nepalese royal
house appears there?
(e) Give the opposites of 'appear' and 'convinced'.
Ans.(a) When a princess of the Nepalese royal family appears
there, people bow and make way for her.
(b) Because only Hindus were allowed in temple.
(c) There is an atmosphere of confusion outside the temple
of Pashupatinath because there is a huge crowd.
(d) When a princess of the Nepalese royal house appears
there, people bow and make way for her.
(e) appear- disappear, convince- unconvinced.
2. At the Baudhnath stupa, the Buddhist shrine of Kathmandu,
there is, in contrast, a sense of stillness. Its immense white dome is
ringed by a road. Small shops stand on its outer edge: many of
these are owned by Tibetan immigrants; felt bags, Tibetan prints
and silver jewellery can be bought here. There are no crowds: this
is a haven of quietness in the busy street around.
Q. (a) Where are the small shops situated?
(b) Who are the owners of these shops?
(c) How is the atmosphere around the Buddist temple
different from the Hindu temple?
(d) What rings the temple of Baudhnath?
(e) Give the synonym of "stillness".
Ans. (a) The small shops are situated on the outer edge of the
road.
(b) The owners of these shops are owned by Tibetan
immigrants.
(c) The atmosphere at the Hindu temple is full of chaos
while a sense of stillness prevails around the Buddhist
temple.
(d) A road rings the temple of Budhanath.
(e) Quietness.
3. I look at the flute seller standing in a corner of the square
near the hotel. In his hand is a pole with an attachment at the top
from which fifty or sixty bansuris protrude in all directions, like
the quills of a porcupine. They are of bamboo: there are cross-
flutes and recorders. From time to time he stands the pole on the
ground, selects a flute and plays for a few minutes. The sound rises
clearly above the noise of the traffic and the hawkers cries. He
plays slowly, meditatively, without excessive display. He does
not shout out his wares. Occasionally he makes a sale, but in a
curiously ofthanded way as if this were incidental to his enterprise.
Sometimes he breaks off playing to talk to the fruit seller. I imagine
that this has been the pattern of his life for years.
Q. (a) Which sound is the Speaker talking of?
(b) What difference does the author find between flute
sellers and other vendors?
(c) Where is the flute seller standing? How are his flutes
looking?
(d) How effective is the sound of the flute's music?
(e) Find the word which means same as 'cry out'.
Ans. (a) The Speaker is talking about flute music and flute sound.
(b) Other vendors shout out for their wares whereas the flute
sellers do not shout out for his wares.
(c) The flute seller is standing in a corner of the square near
the hotel.
(d) The flute's music rises above the noise of the traffic and
the hawker's cries and is heard distinctively.
(e) 'Shout out'.
Long Answer Type Quesions
■ Answer these questions in about 80-100 words each:―
Q.1. Compare and contrast the atmosphere in and around
the Baudhnath shrine with the Pashupatinath temple.
Ans. There is a marked difference between the atmosphere in
and around Baudhnath Shrine and that of the Pashupatinath
Temple.In and around the Pashupatinath Temple, there is an
atmosphere of confusion. There are large crowds of devotees. They
are pushing and albowing each other trying to get the priest's
attention or to make their way to the front. Then there are the
policemen to check the Westerners and other because only the
Hindus are allowed to enter the temple. On the other hand, the
atmosphere in and around Baudhnath Shrine is that of peace and
tranquility. There is a sense of stillness. There are no crowds. There
are busy streets around the shrine, but inside the shrine there is
quietness. Small shops stand on its outer edge. Many of them are
owned by Tibetians and they sell their items.
2. How does the author describe Kathmandu's busiest
streets?
Ans. The author gives a vivid description of Kathmandu
streets. There are huge crowds of sell and buyers. Everyone
seems to be concerned with making money or spending money
There are fruit sellers, flute sellers and hawkers of postcards. Then,
there are shop selling Western Cosmetics, film rolls and chocolate.
There are also shop selling copper utensils and Nepalese antiques:
There is noise and din everywhere.
Film songs blare out from the radios. Car horns honk. Bicycle
bells ring. Stray cows low. Vendors sell out their wares. It looks
like a fish-market. The flute seller is a source of great attraction. He
sells different types of flutes but he does not shout his wares. In
reality Kathmandu Bazaar is a place of attraction with sale of
varied items.
Q. 3. Narrate the experiences the author has at both the
temples in Kathmandu.
Or, Write about the narrator's impression/view of the two
temples of Kathmandu.
Ans. The narrator, Vikram Seth is going to Delhi from journeys
China, via Tibet and Nepal. During these he stops at Kathmandu
to visit the two famous temples here. He first goes to visit
pashupatinath Temple of Hindus. He finds it extremely crowded,
noisy and unkempt. People jostle up each other, monkeys fight,
and people bathe near the temple. It makes the atmosphere
confused.
On the other hand, the Baudhnath temple of the Buddhists is
in the open space surrounded by a road with few shops. There is no
crowd and hustle-bustle a around it. Peace and calmness prevail
all over the Baudhnath temple giving it a sacred and divine
atmosphere.
Q.4. "To hear any flute is to be drawn into the commonalty
of all mankind." Why does the author say that?
Ans. Here the author wants to specify that flute is a musical
instrument of the masses. When we hear a flute we feel as if it were
linked with the common people of all mankind. In reality the
music of a flute is the most universal and the most particular of
sounds. There is no culture that does not have its flute. The various
countries of the world have their own flutes. The Japanese call it
Shakuhachi which is quite similar to our Indian classical Bansuri.
In South America, people have breathy flutes while the Chinese
have high pitched flutes. All weave their own associations. To the
author it looks to be drawn into the commonalty of all mankind. It
has the closest association with the human voice and soul. The
author is much devoted to hear the tunes on the flute.
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