Chapter 8: Kathmandu (Beehive):

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

  1. Name the two temples the author visited in Kathmandu.
  • Pashupatinath Temple and Baudhnath Stupa.
  1. The writer says, “All this I wash down with Coca Cola.” What does ‘all this’ refer to?
  • Marzipan, roasted corn, love story comics, Reader’s Digest.
  1. What does Vikram Seth compare to the quills of a porcupine?
  • The flutes protruding from the flute seller’s pole.
  1. Name five kinds of flutes.
  • The reed neh, the recorder, the Japanese shakuhachi, the Hindustani bansuri, and 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?
  • The author notes that the flute seller doesn’t shout or advertise his wares like the other hawkers. He plays his flute meditatively, as if selling flutes is incidental. He makes sales in a casual, offhand manner, focusing more on playing than on selling.
  1. What is the belief at Pashupatinath about the end of Kaliyug?
  • There is a belief that when a small shrine, half-submerged in the Bagmati River, emerges fully, the goddess inside will escape, signaling the end of the evil period of Kaliyug on Earth.
  1. 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.
  • People elbowing each other to get the priest’s attention.
  • Westerners in saffron struggling for permission to enter.
  • A fight breaking out between two monkeys. (ii) The things he sees.
  • Priests, hawkers, and tourists roaming the grounds.
  • A princess of the Nepalese royal house.
  • A corpse being cremated on the riverbanks. (iii) The sounds he hears.
  • Film songs blaring from radios.
  • Car horns and bicycle bells.
  • Vendors shouting their wares.

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.
  • The atmosphere around the Pashupatinath temple is chaotic, described as a “febrile confusion” with crowds of priests, hawkers, and worshippers all jostling for space. The scene is noisy, with people elbowing each other and monkeys fighting. In contrast, Baudhnath Stupa exudes a sense of calm and stillness. It is surrounded by small shops run by Tibetan immigrants, selling goods like felt bags and silver jewelry. Unlike the chaotic scene at Pashupatinath, the Baudhnath shrine is peaceful, offering a quiet haven amidst the bustling streets of Kathmandu.
  1. How does the author describe Kathmandu’s busiest streets?
  • The author describes Kathmandu’s busiest streets as vivid and full of life, with small shrines, fruit and flute sellers, hawkers, and shops selling everything from Western cosmetics to Nepalese antiques. The sounds of film songs, car horns, and vendors’ cries fill the air. Stray cows wander through the streets, and the narrow, bustling lanes are crowded with people and animals.
  1. “To hear any flute is to be drawn into the commonality of all mankind.” Why does the author say this?
  • The author feels that the flute is a universal instrument that connects people across cultures. Every culture has its version of the flute, whether it is the bansuri in India, the shakuhachi in Japan, or the reed neh in the Middle East. The sound of the flute, powered by the breath of the player, is similar to the human voice. It transcends cultural boundaries, making people feel a shared human experience through its music.

Thinking About language

  1. 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 neighbouring 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. 2024-25 2024-25 104 / Beehive
  2.  A                                               B  
  3. (i) break out                  (a) to come apart due to force
  4.  (ii) break off                   (b) end a relationship
  5.  (iii) break down            (c) break and enter illegally; unlawful trespassing
  6. (iv) break away (from     (d) of start suddenly, (usually a fight, someone) a war or a disease)
  7.  (v) break up                   (e) to escape from someone’s grip
  8.  (vi) break into                 (f) stop working

Answer-

A B
(i) break out – (d) 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 (from someone) – (e) to escape from someone’s grip
(v) break up – (b) end a relationship
(vi) break into – (c) break and enter illegally; unlawful

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. Noun Formation Using -ion or -tion:

  • 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. Fill in the blanks:

(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.

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 you O lion replied the tiger who is more fierce than a leopard asked the lion you sir replied the leopard he marched upto 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

 IV. Simple Present Tense

 Study these sentences from the lesson.

• A fight breaks out between two monkeys.

 • Film songs blare out from the radios.

• I wash it down with Coca-Cola.

 The italicised verbs are in the simple present tense. The writer is here describing what he saw and heard but he uses the present tense instead of the past tense. A narration or a story can be made more dramatic or immediate by using the present tense in this way. Now look at the following sentences.

 • A small shrine half protrudes from the stone platform on the riverbank

. • Small shops stand on the outer edge of the Stupa. We use the simple present tense to speak about what is usually or generally true. The sentences above describe facts. We also use the simple present tense in sentences depicting ‘universal truths’.

 For example: • The sun rises in the east.

 • The earth revolves round the sun.

 We can also refer to habitual actions using the simple present tense

• He usually takes a train instead of a bus to work.

 • We often get fine drizzles in winter.

 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.

(ii) The African lungfish can live without water for up to four years. During a 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.

 (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!