Kathmandu & A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal

1. On the following map mark out the route, which the author thought of but did not take, to Delhi.

The author considered a route from Kathmandu to Patna by bus and train, then sailing up the Ganges to Varanasi, Allahabad, up the Yamuna past Agra to Delhi.

2. Find out the possible routes (by rail, road or air) from Kathmandu to New Delhi/Mumbai/Kolkata/Chennai.

New Delhi: Direct flights from Kathmandu's Tribhuvan Airport (1.5 hours); by road via Gorakhpur (approx. 24 hours); no direct rail.
Mumbai: Flights with layovers in Delhi (4-6 hours); by road via Delhi (approx. 40 hours); no direct rail.
Kolkata: Flights with layovers (4-5 hours); by road via Siliguri (approx. 30 hours); no direct rail.
Chennai: Flights with layovers in Delhi or Mumbai (6-8 hours); by road via Kolkata (approx. 50 hours); no direct rail.

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

1. Name the two temples the author visited in Kathmandu.

Pashupatinath, Baudhnath

2. The writer says, "All this I wash down with Coca Cola." What does 'all this' refer to?

Marzipan, corn-on-the-cob, love story comics, Reader's Digest

3. What does Vikram Seth compare to the quills of a porcupine?

Bansuris on the flute seller's pole

4. Name five kinds of flutes.

Reed neh, recorder, shakuhachi, bansuri, South American flutes

II. Answer each question in a short paragraph.

1. What difference does the author note between the flute seller and the other hawkers?

Unlike other hawkers who shout their wares, the flute seller plays his bansuris meditatively without excessive display, selling casually as if it's incidental to his purpose.

2. What is the belief at Pashupatinath about the end of Kaliyug?

At Pashupatinath, it's believed that when a small shrine fully emerges from the riverbank platform, the goddess inside will escape, ending the evil Kaliyug era.

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 (ii) the things he sees (iii) the sounds he hears

(i) Febrile confusion: Worshippers elbowed aside to reach the priest, saffron-clad Westerners struggle for entry, a fight breaks out between monkeys.
(ii) Things seen: A corpse cremated on the Bagmati, washerwomen working, children bathing in the river.
(iii) Sounds heard: Film songs blaring from radios, car horns sounding, 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 Pashupatinath temple buzzes with febrile confusion, crowded with priests, devotees, tourists, and animals like cows and monkeys. Worshippers push for the priest's attention, and a royal princess's arrival causes a stir, while monkeys fight and a corpse is cremated by the Bagmati. In contrast, the Baudhnath stupa offers a haven of stillness, with its serene white dome and quiet surroundings. Small shops run by Tibetan immigrants sell crafts, but there are no crowds, creating a peaceful retreat from Kathmandu's chaos. While Pashupatinath is chaotic and ritual-heavy, Baudhnath exudes calm and simplicity, reflecting their distinct religious and cultural vibes.

2. How does the author describe Kathmandu's busiest streets?

Vikram Seth describes Kathmandu's busiest streets as vivid, mercenary, and religious. They teem with small shrines to flower-adorned deities, fruit sellers, flute sellers, and postcard hawkers. Shops sell Western cosmetics, film rolls, chocolates, copper utensils, and Nepalese antiques. The streets are noisy with film songs blaring from radios, car horns, bicycle bells, and vendors shouting. Stray cows low at motorcycles, adding to the chaotic energy. Seth indulges in marzipan, roasted corn, comics, and drinks, capturing the streets' vibrant, sensory overload where commerce, faith, and daily life intertwine.

3. "To hear any flute is to be drawn into the commonality of all mankind." Why does the author say this?

Vikram Seth says this because flute music, found in every culture—whether the bansuri, shakuhachi, or South American flutes—connects people through its universal sound, resembling the human voice. Its living breath and familiar phrases evoke shared emotions, weaving associations across cultures. Seth feels this deeply, moved by the flute seller's bansuri in Kathmandu, which stirs a sense of human unity despite his homesickness. This realization surprises him, as he hadn't noticed such details in past returns home, highlighting the flute's power to bridge mankind's common experiences.

I. Match the phrasal verbs in Column A with their meanings in Column B.

Column A	Column B
1. Broke out	Began suddenly
2. Broke off	Detached
3. Broke down	Stopped functioning
4. Broke away	Escaped
5. Broke up	Ended a relationship
6. Broke into	Entered forcibly

II. 1. Use the suffixes -ion or -tion to form nouns from the following verbs.

Verb	Noun
Invent	Invention
Intend	Intention
Exhaust	Exhaustion
Prevent	Prevention
Devote	Devotion

II. 2. 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.

Invention

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

Intention

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

Temptation

(iv) Hardwork and ___ are the main keys to success.

Devotion

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

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?" "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."

IV. Simple Present Tense

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.

sends, takes place, contracts, forces, expand

(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.

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!

Does, plays, Does, composes

1. Discuss in class the shrines you have visited or know about. Speak about one of them.

I visited the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu. It's nestled in the Trikuta Mountains, with a serene yet vibrant atmosphere. Pilgrims chant "Jai Mata Di," and the cave shrine feels divine.

2. Imagine you are giving an eyewitness account or a running commentary of a Republic Day parade.

The parade begins! Soldiers march in perfect sync, displaying discipline. Tanks roll forward, showcasing strength. Colourful floats pass by, celebrating India's diversity. The crowd cheers as fighter jets soar overhead!

I. Diary entry for a travelogue

Record in point form what you see and do at Pashupatinath temple.

Reach Pashupatinath: Crowds of devotees, tourists, cows, monkeys; saffron-clad Westerners argue for entry.
Inside the temple: Worshippers push to reach priests; offer flowers amidst chaos.
What I do: Offer flowers, observe rituals, get elbowed in the crowd.
Outside the temple: Corpse cremated by Bagmati, washerwomen work, children bathe, wilted offerings float.
Impressions: Chaotic yet sacred; a blend of devotion, life, and death; overwhelming but spiritually vibrant.

II. Write a travelogue describing your visit to Agra and the Taj Mahal.

A Journey to Agra and the Taj Mahal

In January 2003, I woke before dawn to catch the Shatabdi Express from Delhi at 6:15 a.m. On the train, I met a newly-married couple from Himachal Pradesh, their excitement infectious as we chatted about their honeymoon. Arriving in Agra, I stepped into a once-grand city now bustling with dense traffic—rickshaws, cars, and people weaving through twisted alleys. Vendors shouted, selling religious artifacts, plastic toys, spices, and sweets, their voices mingling with the city's chaotic pulse.

At the Taj Mahal, I was spellbound. Constructed entirely of white marble, it shimmered with a magical quality, its colour shifting with light and shadow. Gemstones embedded in the marble sparkled subtly, and the monument's reflection danced in the pond. Schoolchildren and tourists thronged the grounds, followed by guides reciting history. The Taj's timeless beauty felt like a dream, a testament to love amidst Agra's lively chaos.