Class 9 English Chapter 10—Kathmandu| Textbook

 

Kathmandu — Class 9 English Chapter 10 Notes & Solutions

Complete Summary, Word Meanings, and SCERT Textbook Solutions

---

✅ Summary (Assamese / সাৰাংশ)

'Kathmandu' (কাঠমাণ্ডু) পাঠটি বিখ্যাত লেখক বিক্ৰম শেঠৰ ভ্ৰমণ কাহিনী 'Heaven Lake' ৰ পৰা লোৱা এটা অংশ। ইয়াত লেখকে নেপালৰ ৰাজধানী কাঠমাণ্ডু ভ্ৰমণৰ এক জীৱন্ত অভিজ্ঞতা বৰ্ণনা কৰিছে। তেওঁ চহৰখনৰ দুটা বিখ্যাত ধৰ্মীয় স্থান ভ্ৰমণ কৰে— হিন্দু ধৰ্মৰ পবিত্ৰ পশুপতিনাথ মন্দিৰ আৰু বৌদ্ধ ধৰ্মৰ বাউদ্ধনাথ স্তূপ (Baudhnath Stupa)।

লেখকে এই দুয়োটা স্থানৰ মাজত থকা আকাশ-পাতাল পাৰ্থক্য দেখুৱাইছে। পশুপতিনাথ মন্দিৰৰ পৰিৱেশ অত্যন্ত কোলাহলপূৰ্ণ, বিশৃংখল আৰু ব্যস্ত (febrile confusion)। তাত পুৰোহিত, ভক্ত, বান্দৰ, গৰু আৰু পৰ্যটকৰ ভিৰ থাকে। আনহাতে, বাউদ্ধনাথ স্তূপৰ পৰিৱেশ একেবাৰে শান্ত, সুস্থিৰ আৰু প্ৰশান্তিময়। ইয়াৰ উপৰিও লেখকে কাঠমাণ্ডুৰ ব্যস্ত ৰাস্তাবোৰ, যিবোৰ সংকীৰ্ণ আৰু বিভিন্ন ব্যৱসায়ী, হকাৰ আদিৰে ভৰি থাকে, তাৰ সুন্দৰ চিত্ৰ অংকন কৰিছে। শেষত, এজন বাঁহী বিক্ৰেতাৰ বাঁহীৰ সুৰে লেখকক গভীৰভাৱে আকৰ্ষিত কৰে আৰু তেওঁ অনুভৱ কৰে যে বাঁহীৰ সুৰেই হৈছে সমগ্ৰ মানৱজাতিক একতাৰ সূতাৰে বান্ধি ৰখা এক সৰ্বজনীন মাধ্যম।

✅ Word Meaning (English → Assamese)

English Word	Assamese Meaning
Protrudes	উলাই থকা / ওলাই থকা অংশ
Febrile	উত্তেজনাপূৰ্ণ / খেলিমেলিযুক্ত
Shrine	পবিত্ৰ উপাসনা থলী / মন্দিৰ
Haven	নিৰাপদ আশ্ৰয়স্থল / শান্ত স্থান
Quills	হেজাৰ নোম বা কাইট (কেটেলা পহুৰ দৰে)
Commonality	সাধাৰণতা / উমৈহতীয়া ভাব
Blare	উচ্চ শব্দেৰে বাজি উঠা

✅ Exact NCERT Textbook Questions & Answers

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

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

Answer: Pashupatinath temple and Baudhnath stupa.

2. The writer says, “All this I wash down with Coca Cola.” What does ‘all this’ refer to?

Answer: 'All this' refers to a bar of marzipan, a corn-on-the-cob roasted on a charcoal brazier (rubbed with salt, chilli powder, and lemon), and a couple of love story comics.

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

Answer: He compares the fifty or sixty flutes protruding in all directions from the bamboo pole of a flute seller to the quills of a porcupine.

4. Name five kinds of flutes.

Answer: The reed flute, the recorder, the Japanese shakuhachi, the deep bansuri of Indian classical music, and the breathy flutes of South America.

II. Answer each question in a short paragraph.

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

Answer: The author notices that unlike other hawkers who cry out loudly to sell their wares, the flute seller stands quietly. Occasionally, he selects a flute and plays it slowly, meditatively, and without excessive display. His music is calm and he doesn't shout to attract customers.

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

Answer: There is a small shrine that half protrudes from the stone platform on the banks of the Bagmati river. People believe that when this shrine emerges fully, the goddess inside will escape, and the evil period of Kaliyug will finally come to an end on earth.

3. The author has drawn powerful images and pictures. Pick out three examples each of:

Answer:
(i) The atmosphere of 'febrile confusion' outside Pashupatinath:

• Priests, hawkers, devotees, tourists, cows, monkeys, and pigeons roaming around.
• Devotees elbowing each other aside to get closer to the priest.
• A group of Westerners struggling to enter, as only Hindus are allowed inside.

(ii) The things he sees:

• Small shops selling Tibetan prints, bone ornaments, and postcards.
• A flute seller carrying a bamboo pole with dozens of flutes attached.
• Fruit sellers, copper utensil shops, and colorful deities adorned with flowers.

(iii) The sounds he hears:

• Film songs blaring out from the radios of street shops.
• Car horns honking and bicycle bells ringing continuously in the traffic.
• The beautiful, haunting music produced by the flute seller.

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.

Answer: The author presents a stark contrast between the atmospheres of Pashupatinath temple and the Baudhnath stupa. Pashupatinath temple, a holy place for Hindus, is characterized by absolute chaos or 'febrile confusion'. The area is heavily crowded with priests, hawkers, devotees, tourists, cows, and monkeys. Worshippers push each other to get ahead, and continuous rituals like cremations take place on the riverbanks. It is noisy, bustling, and full of restless energy.

In contrast, the Baudhnath stupa, a Buddhist shrine, is an oasis of peace and deep serenity. There is a sense of still calm. Although there are small Tibetan shops around its outer ring, there are no chaotic crowds or loud noises. The massive white dome stands as a symbol of tranquility, making it a peaceful haven away from the busy streets of Kathmandu.

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

Answer: The author describes Kathmandu’s busiest streets as narrow, highly vivid, and commercially active. The streets are lined with a mixture of small shrines, colorful deities decorated with flowers, and various shops. Hawkers sell fruits, copper utensils, postcards, and authentic Tibetan prints.

The streets are filled with sensory overload—film music blares out loudly from the radios of various shops, car horns honk, bicycle bells ring, and vendors shout to advertise their goods. Stray cows wander freely through the traffic, looking for space, and tourists walk among them. It is a highly energetic, colorful, and lively scene that encapsulates the typical atmosphere of a bustling market town.

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

Answer: The author makes this statement because the flute is a universal instrument present across almost all cultures globally, though it is known by various names like the Indian bansuri, the Japanese shakuhachi, or the South American reed flute. Despite variations in design and specific pitch, the core operation of any flute remains identical—it requires human breath to come alive.

The music demands a continuous cycle of breathing and pausing, which closely mirrors the universal pattern of human life itself. The sweet, melodic sound produced by a flute instantly cuts through cultural, geographical, and linguistic differences, connecting directly with human emotions. Therefore, listening to it unites the listener with the collective feeling of all humanity.

✅ Thinking about Language

I. Phrasal Verbs Matching

Answer:

(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 (from)	(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. Noun Formation (Suffixes -ion / -tion)

Answer:

• cremate – cremation
• act – action
• exhaust – exhaustion
• invent – invention
• tempt – temptation
• immigrate – immigration
• direct – direction
• meditate – meditation
• imagine – imagination
• dislocate – dislocation
• associate – association
• dedicate – dedication

II. 2. Fill in the Blanks

Answer:
(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) Hardwork and dedication are the main keys to success.
(v) The children were almost fainting with exhaustion after being made to stand in the sun.

III. Punctuation Paragraph

Answer:
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 Exercises

Answer:

(i) The heart is a pump that sends the blood circulating through our body. The pumping action takes place when the left ventricle of the heart contracts. This forces 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 digs a pit and encloses itself in a capsule of slime and earth, leaving a tiny opening for air. The capsule dries and hardens, but when rain comes, the mud dissolves and the lungfish swims away.

(iii)
MANASI: We have to organise a class party for our teacher. Does anyone play an instrument?
VIPUL: Rohit plays the flute.
MAHESH: Does he also act?
VIPUL: No, he composes music.
MAHESH: That’s wonderful!