A prose called Kathmandu, which is an excerpt from Vikram Seth’s book “Heaven Lake,” is found in Chapter 10 of the Beehive textbook for Class 9 English. Vikram Seth recounts his travel to Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, in the prose. So, how is the author finding his trip to this location? Let’s explore this
Kathmandu Class 9 Summary
The Kathmandu summary highlights specifics from the narrative of Vikram Seth’s book, “Heaven Lake.” The author’s emotions and the capital city of Nepal have both been vividly portrayed in the description. The author was planned to stop in at neighbouring Nepal and Tibet on his hitchhiking journey from China to India. He then travelled to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. He went to the Boudhanath Stupa and the Pashupatinath Temple, and he saw many variations between the locations and their surroundings. He observed that the Boudhanath Temple was for Buddhists and the Pashupatinath Temple was a Hindu pilgrimage site. The author noted that only Hindus were permitted entry into the Pashupatinath Temple.Between the tourists, pilgrims, and priests, this caused havoc. There were instances of individuals swimming in the river’s waters, tossing rubbish and dry flowers into it, and washing their clothes in the River Bagmati. Later, he visited the Boudhanath Temple and discovered that the situation had changed. The Buddhist temple had a sizable dome that was white in colour. The atmosphere was one of tranquilly throughout the entire area. Outside the temple, there was a Tibetan market where individuals were selling clothing, accessories, bags, and other similar items. The author learned that Kathmandu is a city with a variety of tourist attractions in addition to religious landmarks. There were various stores selling cosmetics, photography, jewellery, chocolates, and other items. The city was very noisy due to the cacophony of traffic horns, music at bars, and sellers shouting for their wares. During this visit, the author ate maize, drank Coca-Cola, and enjoyed a marzipan bar. He spent time reading Reader’s Digest books, comic books, and love stories there. He made the decision to take an exciting trip to Delhi by bus, boat, or train. Later, he abandoned his concept because he thought it would be exhausting. He purchased a flight as a result.Near his hotel, the author came across a flute vendor who seemed interesting and had a pole made up of numerous flutes that made him look like a porcupine. This flute vendor performed a variety of songs on his instruments. The salesperson, in the author’s opinion, stood out from other individuals selling flutes solely because he was playing his tunes carefully. Without yelling for customers, he continued playing his instruments. The author was drawn in by this and was inspired to consider how widespread flutes are. Vikram Seth began contrasting human voices with the flutes’ musical output. He became aware of the fact that he could now appreciate the little things in life as a result of this. The Kathmandu chapter Class 9 summary concludes with this.
Kathmandu Class 9 Notes
Introduction
Nepal’s capital is Kathmandu. Vikram Seth is taken from the author’s book, Heaven Lake. Vikram Seth recalls his experiences during his trip to Kathmandu in this chapter. The author had been traveling from China to India, intending to pass through Nepal and Tibet in between. During this era, he visited Kathmandu, Nepal, and a story about that trip was published. In it, he describes his impressions of the city. He portrays the environment surrounding Kathmandu’s numerous little shrines. Even the smallest elements, like the monkeys fighting in the temple, are noticed by him. Below is a summary in both short and lengthy form for Class 9 English Kathmandu.
Explanation ( story )
In this excerpt from his book “Heaven Lake,” Vikram Seth discusses his trip to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. He sees two temples while on his journey and is astounded by the dramatic disparities between them. Hindus made a pilgrimage to the Pashupatinath temple, one of several temples.
Following that, there existed the Buddhist temple of Baudhnath. He observes that only Hindus are permitted admission to the Pashupatinath temple. As a result, there was considerable pandemonium among the pilgrims, visitors, and priests. To top it all off, people were bathing in, dumping dry flowers into, and washing clothing in the River Bagmati, which was being contaminated.
He then proceeded to the Baudhnath temple. He realised that this situation was entirely distinct from what he had witnessed in the Pashupatinath temple. This Buddhist temple features a huge white dome. The environment was serene and tranquil. There was a Tibetan market outside the temple where people were selling bags, clothing, jewellery, and other items.
He observes the wide range of offerings Kathmandu has, from holy sites to popular tourist attractions. Additionally, it offers a variety of businesses selling things like chocolates, cameras, cosmetics, and more. However, the city is quite noisy, from the music and merchants to the car horns. In the metropolis, he relished a marzipan bar, some maize, and a Coca-Cola. After that, he read romance novels, comic books, and Reader’s Digest books.
He considered returning to Delhi through an exciting route that involves riding a bus or train and then a boat excursion, but he decided against it since it would have been too taxing. He then scheduled a flight home. Outside his hotel, he noticed a fascinating flute vendor. He resembled a porcupine and had a pole with numerous flutes on it.
The flute vendor continued to play his instruments while switching between different tunes. But his intelligent flute playing was what distinguished him from the other flute vendors. He played it rather than screaming to draw customers. The author was drawn to this and wondered why flutes are so prevalent everywhere. Then he states that he is now noticing even the smallest details, likening it to the human voice.
Author
In the travelogue you just read, Vikram Seth describes his visits to two holy sites in Kathmandu. Kathmandu by Vikram Seth is taken from the author’s book, Heaven Lake. The narrative describes the author’s trip to Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital. The author had been travelling from China to India, intending to pass through Nepal and Tibet in between.
Word Meaning
| Sl. No. | Words | Meanings |
| 1 | Sacred | Regarded with great respect and reverence by a particular religion, group, or individual |
| 2 | Proclaim | To announce officially or publicly |
| 3 | Entrance | An opening, such as a door, passage, or gate, that allows access to a place |
| 4 | Febrile | Extremely active, or too excited, imaginative, or emotional |
| 5 | Hawker | A person who travels about selling goods, typically advertising them by shouting |
| 6 | Devotee | A strong believer in a particular religion or god |
| 7 | Saffron | Having a dark yellow colour |
| 8 | Clad | Covered with clothes |
| 9 | Cremate | Dispose of a dead person’s body by burning it to ashes, typically after a funeral ceremony |
| 10 | Wilt | To lose its presence, strength, and prominence; dying |
| 11 | Protrude | To have something extend above its surface |
| 12 | Kaliyug (Sanskrit) | The age of darkness and misery; Kali is a demon and ‘yuga’ means ‘era’ or age’ |
| 13 | Shrine | A holy place where a sacred relic or idol is placed and worshipped |
| 14 | In Contrast | To be opposite to an idea o a sentence previously presented. |
| 15 | Dome | A rounded vault forming the roof of a building or structure |
| 16 | Ring(ed) | To surround someone or something |
| 17 | Immigrant | A person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country |
| 18 | Haven | A safe or peaceful place |
| 19 | Mercenary | Interested in making money from a situation |
| 20 | Adorn | To add something decorative to a person or thing |
| 21 | Deity | A god or goddess |
| 21 | Antique | Something made in an earlier period that is collected and considered to have value because it is beautiful, rare, old, or of high quality |
| 22 | Stray | (Of an animal) having no home, or lost |
| 23 | Indulge | To allow yourself or someone else to have something enjoyable |
| 24 | Corn-on-the-cob | The tube-shaped part of maize (corn) that is cooked (whole corn) |
| 25 | Brazier | A metal container for burning coal, wood, etc., used to give warmth or to cook on |
| 26 | Wash down | To drink something after putting food or medicine in your mouth, especially so that you can swallow more easily |
| 27 | Nauseating | Making you feel as if you are going to vomit |
| 28 | Propel | Drive or push something forwards |
| 29 | Per se | A Latin phrase – by or of itself |
| 30 | Homesick | Experiencing a longing for one’s home during a period of absence from it |
| 31 | Square | An open, typically four-sided, area surrounded by buildings in a village, town, or city |
| 32 | Pole | A long, thin stick of wood or metal, often used standing straight up in the ground to support things |
| 33 | Quill | The hollow sharp spines of a porcupine, hedgehog, or other spiny mammals |
| 34 | Porcupine | A large rodent with defensive spines or quills on the body and tail |
| 35 | Meditatively | Doing something seriously, and yet in a relaxed manner |
| 36 | Wares | Articles offered for sale |
| 37 | Incidental | Happening as a minor accompaniment to something else |
| 38 | Tear away | Leave despite a strong desire to stay |
| 39 | Enterprise | Business or trade |
| 40 | Universal | Relating to or done by all people or things in the world or in a particular group; applicable to all cases |
| 41 | Fingering | A manner or technique of using the fingers, especially to play a musical instrument |
| 42 | Drawn into | To involve somebody or make somebody take part in something |
| 43 | Commonality | The fact of sharing interests, experiences, or other characteristics with someone or something |
Notes
- In Kathmandu, the author stopped at two temples. He visited “Pashupatinath,” a well-known Hindu temple in Nepal, as well as “The Boudhanath Stupa,” a well-known Buddhist shrine.
- There was a sign outside the Pashupatinath shrine reading, “For only Hindus.” The area around the shrine was rather disorderly.
- Priests, merchants, and worshippers were many. The worshippers travelled from various parts of the nation.
- Everyone salutes and makes room for a princess from the Nepalese royal family as she enters the area. The majority of the priests wore saffron clothing.
- There was a monkey fight. During their battle, one of the monkeys climbed up the Shivling. Nearby, the Bagmati River runs. While the clothing were being washed, cremation was taking place. A few of the boys were taking baths in the river as well. For the worship of God, there were modest platforms close to the river beaches.
- According to myth, goddess Durga would appear and put an end to the evil era when a little shrine fully rises.
- The Boddhnath Stupa, a place of Buddhist pilgrimage, contrasts it with its mood.
- A sizable white dome is present. A road circled the dome as well. Along its periphery, there were a lot of little shops as well. Most of their store proprietors were Tibetan immigrants.
- No one was in a crowd. The stores sold belt bags and clothing in Tibetan fashion. There was an entire object.
- The author depicts Kathmandu as having a large population of monks and mercenaries.
- The roads were incredibly busy and congested. There were a lot of fruit hawkers and vendors. Various forms of art and antiques from Nepal were available at stores. Additionally, others were selling cosmetics, copper kitchenware, and film rolls.
- Car horns were making a lot of noise, and stray cows were also meowing. The author also discusses the novels he has read, as well as the delectable Marzipan.
- The author also details his trip back. He noticed a seller of flutes close to the hotel where he was staying. He had between fifty and sixty flutes with him. He was meditatively and gently playing his flute.
- The author also thought discussing flutes might be fascinating. He talks about the many flutes used in various nations. However, to play each of them, a particular skill is needed.
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Kathmandu Class 9 Question and Answers
1. On the following map mark out the route, which the author thought of but did not take, to Delhi.
Ans: The author considered travelling by bus or train from Kathmandu to Patna, then stopping in Benares, Allahabad, and Agra before continuing on to Delhi.
I. Answer these questions in one or two words or in short phrases.
1. Name the two temples the author visited in Kathmandu.
2. The writer says, “All this I wash down with Coca Cola.” What does ‘all this’ refer to?
3. What does Vikram Seth compare to the quills of a porcupine?
4. Name five kinds of flutes.
> 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 question in a short paragraph.
1. What difference does the author note between the flute seller and the other hawkers?
2. What is the belief at Pashupatinath about the end of Kaliyug?
3. The author has drawn powerful images and pictures. Pick out three examples each of
1. The atmosphere of ‘febrile confusion outside the temple of Pashupatinath (for example some people trying to get the priest’s attention are elbowed aside…)
2. The things he sees
3. The sounds he hears
Ans2: The author has captured what he sees in really beautiful and dramatic drawings. These include the hawkers selling flutes, fruits, postcards, and numerous stores selling chocolate, Nepalese antiquities, copper kitchenware, and other items at the Boudhanath stupa and Pashupatinath temple.
Ans3: He hears a variety of hawkers and merchants yelling their wares, movie songs playing on the radio, the sound of car horns and bicycle bells, among other sounds.
III. Answer the following questions in not more than 100 − 150 words each.
1. Compare and contrast the atmosphere in and around the Baudhnath shrine with the Pashupathinath temple.
There were numerous activities going on at once in the Pashupatinath temple, adding to the confusion. People were attempting to enter the shrine while, for instance, the monkeys were fighting. To obtain the priest’s attention, the crowd was jostling one another to move to the front. While a body was being burnt, washerwomen were washing their clothing along the banks of the Bagmati River.
The Baudhnath shrine, on the other hand, was very peaceful. No one was in a crowd.
Although there were busy streets nearby, the author thought it was a tranquil heaven.
2. How does the author describe Kathmandu’s busiest streets?
Additionally, he hears some sounds on these streets, like the sound of radios blasting movie music, the sound of cars honking, and the sound of bicycle bells.
The author also paints a lovely picture of the flute vendor, who instead of shouting, uses his flutes to create peaceful music that can be heard over the horns of passing cars and the cries of other vendors.
3. “To hear any flute is to be drawn into the commonality of all mankind.” Why does the author say this?
Thinking About Language
I. Read the following sentences carefully to understand the meaning of the italicised phrases. Then match the phrasal verbs in Column A with their meanings in Column B.
1. A communal war broke out when the princess was abducted by the neighboring prince.
2. The cockpit broke off from the plane during the plane crash.
3. The car broke down on the way and we were left stranded in the jungle.
4. The dacoit broke away from the police as they took him to court.
5. The brothers broke up after the death of the father.
6. The thief broke into our house when we were away.
| A | B |
| i. Break out | a. To come apart due to force |
| ii. Break off | b. End a relationship |
| iii. Break down | c. Break and enter illegally, unlawful trespassing |
| iv. Break away | d. Of start suddenly, (usually a fight, a war or a disease) |
| v. Break up | e. To escape from someone’s grip |
| vi. Break into | f. Stop working |
Ans:
| A | B |
| i. Break out | d. Of start suddenly, (usually a fight, a war or a disease) |
| ii. Break off | a. to come apart due to force |
| iii. Break down | f. Stop working |
| iv. Break away | e. To escape from someone’s grip |
| v. Break up | b. end a relationship |
| vi. Break into | c. break and enter illegally; unlawful trespassing |
II.
1. Use the suffixes −ion or −tion to form nouns from the following verbs. Make the necessary changes in the spellings of the words.
Example: proclaim − proclamation
| Cremate___ | Act___ | Exhaust___ |
| Invent___ | Tempt___ | Immigrate___ |
| Direct___ | Meditate___ | Imagine___ |
| Dislocate___ | Associate___ | Dedicate___ |
Ans:
| Cremate- cremation | Act-action | Exhaust-exhaustion |
| Invent- invention | Tempt- temptation | Immigrate-immigration |
| Direct- direction | Meditate- meditation | Imagine- imagination |
| Dislocate- dislocation | Associate- association | Dedicate- dedication |
2. Now fill in the blanks with suitable words from the ones that you have formed.
I. Mass literacy was possible only after the ___ of the printing machine.
II. Ramesh is unable to tackle the situation as he lacks ___.
III. I could not resist the ___ to open the letter.
IV. Hard work and ___are the main keys to success.
V. The children were almost fainting with ___after being made to stand in the sun.
Ans:
I. invention
II. direction
III. temptation
IV. dedication
V. exhaustion
III. Punctuation
Use capital letters, full stops, question marks, commas, and inverted commas wherever necessary in the following paragraph.
an arrogant lion was wandering through the jungle one day he asked the tiger who is stronger than 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.
Ans: A haughty lion was prowling across the forest. Who is stronger than you, he once questioned the tiger? The tiger answered, “You, O lion. The lion questioned, “Who is more fierce than a leopard?” You sir,” the leopard affirmed. He approached an elephant and posed the same inquiry. He was lifted by the elephant and thrown to the ground after being swinging in the air. There’s no need to get angry just because you don’t know the solution, the lion said.
IV. Simple Present Tense
In these sentences words like everyday, often, seldom, never, every
month, generally, usually, etc. may be used.
1. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in brackets.
I. The heart is a pump that ___(send) the blood circulating through our body. The pumping action ___(take place) when the left ventricle of the heart ___(contract). This ___(force) the blood out into the arteries, which ___(expand) to receive the oncoming blood.
Ans: sends, takes place, contracts, forces, expands
II. The African lungfish can live without water for up to four years. During drought, it ___(dig) a pit and ___(enclose) itself in a capsule of slime and earth, leaving a tiny opening for air. The capsule ___(dry) and ___(harden), but when rain ___(come), the mud ___(dissolve) and the lungfish ___(swim) away.
Ans: digs, encloses, dries, hardens, comes, dissolves, swims
III. Mahesh: We have to organise a class party for our teacher. ___(Do) anyone play an instrument?
Vipul: Rohit ___(play) the flute.
Mahesh: ___(Do) he also act?
Vipul: No, he ___(compose) music.
Mahesh: That’s wonderful!
Ans:
Does
plays
Does
composes
Kathmandu Class 9 Conclusion
The chapter on Kathmandu teaches students that when visiting holy sites, we should keep calm and have a pure mind so that we can have serious thoughts and act properly. We have provided you with the Kathmandu Beehive Prose Summary for CBSE Class 9 English. We hope that this helped students understand the chapter completely.