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Q1 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.Ans: (I): 1.The two temples that were visited by the author in Kathmandu were the pashupatinath temple and the baudhnath stupa.
2. All this refers to eating a bar of marzipan. A corn-on-cob roasted in a charcoal stove (rubbed with salt, chilli power and lemon), and reading a couple of love story comics and a reader ‘s digest.
3. Vikram seth compares the fifty or sixty bansuris sticking out in all the directions from the pole of a flute seller to the porcupine's quills.
4. The five types of flutes are as follows: The Japanese shakuhachi, the reed neh, the deep bansuri of Hindustani classical music, the clear flutes of south America, and the high – pitched Chinese flutes.
Q2 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
(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 hearsAns: 1. The author observes that while all the other hawkers shouted out their wares, the flute seller was a little different from others and did not shout his ware. He simply played his flute slowly and meditatively without too much of show off.
2. At pashupatinath temple, there is a small shrine that protrudes from the some stone platform on the river bank of bagmati. It is trusted that when the shrine will emerge to fullest form,the goddess inside this will escape and the evil period of kalyug on the earth will come to an end.
3. (i) The author has drawn powerful images and pictures of the atmosphere of febrile confusion at the outside of pashupatinath's temple. These include the following: a group of saffron-clad westerners were facing difficulty to enter the main gate because only the hindus were allowed to enter into the temple; a fight that breaks out between two monkeys; and a royal nepalese princess for whom everyone makes a way.
(ii) He saw that the baudhnath strupa had an extreme white dome, which was ringed by a road. There were small shops on the outer edge where bags were of the Tibetan prints and silver jewellery could be purchased. That place was not so much crowded. On the busiest streets of Kathmandu, he saw fruits sellers, hawkers of postcards, shop selling western cosmetics, films rolls, chocolate, copper utensils and Nepalese antiques etc.
(iii) The sounds that he heard was of film songs which were screeching out from the radios car horns, bicycle bells, vendors shouting out their wares on the street. He also listened to flute music calling it the most universal and most particular of sounds.Q3 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 Pashupatinath temple.
2. How does the author describe Kathmandu’s busiest streets?
3. “To hear any flute is to be drawn into the commonality of all mankind.” Why does the author say this?Ans: 1. Pashupatinath temple's atmosphere was very noisy, full of chaos and confusion. Worshippers were fighting to get the priest’s attention; some people were publishing and elbowing their way to the front; saffron-clad westerners were trying their best to enter the temple but were struggling and fighting with the guards; monkeys were fighting who were adding to the overall noise; a corpse was being cremated on the banks of the river bagmati; washerwomen were at their work while children were taking a bath. In contract, the baudhnath stupa on the other hand was a heaven with no noise in the busy streets around. There was no crowd and thus it was relaxing. The silence helped to build the stillness and serenity at the Buddhist shrine.
2. Along Kathmandu’s narrow and busy streets there have small shrines and deities embellished with flowers. Apart from these, the streets are full of fruit sellers, flute sellers, hawkers of postcards, shops selling western cosmetics film rolls, chocolate, selling copper utensils and Nepalese antiques etc. The author listens film songs that were screeching out from the radios, sounds of car horns and bicycle bells, vendors shouting out their wares there. He also says that stray cows were roaming around on the roads. The author draws a vibrant picture of a flute seller with many bansuris seeking out from his pole. He explains that how the serene music produced by the flute seller is heard clearly above all the other noise around.
3. The author believes the flute’s music to be the most universal and most particular of all music patterns. This is one musical instrument that is common in all the cultures. We have the reedneh the recorder, the Japanese shakuhachi , the deep bansuri of Hindustani classical music, the flutes of south America, the high pitched Chinese flute etc. even though each of these flutes has its own unique fingering and compass yet the author feels that to hear any flute is ‘’ to be drawn into the commonality of all mankind. This is because the sound produced by the flute is very similar to the same living breath of human beings that runs through all of them. Similarly, despite the differences in our caste, culture, religion, region; all the human beings are same.