Beehive Chapter 10 Kathmandu

(a) There is an atmosphere of utter confusion outside the Pashupatinath temple because there is a huge crowd.

(b) When a princess of the Nepalese royal house appears there, people bow and make way for her.

(c) (i) proclaim.

(ii) febrile confusion.

(i) Two monkeys fight at the temple. They chase one another, jump onto the Shivlinga, run around the temples and down to the river.

(ii) The people used the banks of the holy river Bagmati to cremate the dead bodies. Washerwomen wash the clothes here and children bathe. Old, dried flowers are also dropped into the river.

(iii) (a) dried — wilted.

(b) emerges — protrudes.

(a) There is a peaceful atmosphere inside the Buddhist shrine.

(b) The small shops stand on the outer edge of the road that encircles the white dome of the shrine.

(c) It means a safe place where one can find peace.

(a) According to the writer, Kathmandu is a vivid, mercenary and religious place.

(b) In Kathmandu bazar, one can buy postcards, cosmetics, film rolls, chocolates, copper utensils and Nepalese antiques.

(c) vivid.

(i) He would have taken up the long route to Delhi i.e. to travel by bus and train to Patna, to sail through Ganga from Benaras to Allahabad and then through Jamna from Agra to Delhi.

(ii) He decides to take up the direct route by air to reach Delhi.

(iii) (a) by itself — per se.

(b) thrill — enthusiasm.

(a) The writer is charmed by the flute music. So, he is unable to tear himself away from the square.

(b) Every culture has its flute. Therefore, the writer considers flute music ‘the most universal’.

(c) Commonality.

The narrator describes Kathmandu as vivid, mercenary, religious and crowded place. While the temples, bazars and streets are noisy and in chaos, the Buddhist shrine is comparatively peaceful. The hawkers and shops fill the streets. The rivers and temples have been described casually without attaching any religious reverence to these.

Vikram Seth describes the Hindu temple at Pashupatinath as a sacred place where non-Hindus are not allowed. It is crowded, noisy and is in complete chaos. It is surrounded by bazars. The stray animals roam here and there. The sacred rivers are more like the cremation grounds or bathing pools. The narrator does not find them sacred.

The narrator describes the Buddhist shrine of Kathmandu as peaceful and still. It is like a haven of quietness with the busy streets around. It is surrounded by many small Tibetan shops. It has an immense white dome that is encircled by a road. The narrator finds it impressive.

There is a belief associated with the half-immersed shrine in the banks of the river Bagmati. It says when the shrine will emerge fully, the Goddess inside will escape and the evil period on earth will end. It shows the superstitious nature of the local people.

Vikram Seth sees a flute-seller standing in a corner of the square. He has a pole with fifty or sixty flutes displayed on it. He plays on flute every now and then. He plays quite slowly, meditatively, without excessive display. He doesn’t shout. He sells in a disinterested manner. His flute music and his manner attract Vikram Seth’s attention.

The flute-seller plays on the flute slowly, meditatively and without any excessive display. He does not shout to attract others’ attention. He is devoted to the flute playing. He occasionally makes a sale but the disinterested manner shows that it is not his main motive. Thus, he differs from others in his approach and manner.

The flute music always attracts the narrator. He considers it to be the most universal and closest to the human voice. It reminds him of cultural association and commonality of the mankind. He gets lost in it and finds it hard to go away. Thus, the flute music leaves a strong impact on the narrator.

The flute reminds Vikram Seth that the flute music is the most universal. The music of various kinds of flutes has a definite similarity. Therefore, it reminds him of the commonality of the mankind. It also reminds him of the human voice as both use the living-breath as the motive force and has to pause and breathe at intervals.

Vikram Seth’s Kathmandu trip has taught him to notice and appreciate minute details and invest them with great significance. He has learnt to appreciate the flute music. It not only impresses Vikram but also reminds him of the commonality of the mankind. Thus, he has become more observing and patient now.

Visiting a Temple – Akshar Dham

Recently I visited the Akshar Dham temple. It is a new temple built and opened in 2005 for the public. I went there on a family trip. We all reached the temple at 6 a.m. by car. We parked the car in the park and went to the temple barefoot. We had the necessary things like lamp, vermilion, flowers coconut etc. decorated in a large plate. We entered the temple and were surprised to find people everywhere. There were countless heads as far as we could see. Surprisingly, there wasn’t any jostling up or elbowing aside taking place. Everyone was singing the holy mantras. We also followed them. It didn’t take us long to reach the idol of Shri Narayana Swami. We wondered about the temple to see the marvelous architecture and the great congregation of all religions. There wasn’t any confusion in or around the temple. Therefore the peace, the sacred feeling and the impressive idols together gave it a divine touch. I felt really great to be in such an environment.

(i) The author has drawn powerful images and pictures of the atmosphere of 'febrile confusion' outside the temple of Pashupatinath. These include the following: a group of saffron-clad Westerners struggling to enter the main gate as only Hindus were allowed to enter the temple; a fight that breaks out between two monkeys; and a royal Nepalese princess for whom everyone makes way.

(ii) The author sees the white dome of Baudhnath Stupa, which was ringed by a road; small shops selling felt bags, Tibetan prints and silver jewellery; and a flute seller holding a pole carrying 50-60 flutes.

(iii) The author hears film songs blaring out from the radios; car horns and bicycle bells; and hawkers' cries.

invention

direction

temptation

dedication

exhaustion

Though his loved one's death has left the poet numb and the 'common human fears' no longer affected him, his reaction cannot be labelled as 'bitter grief'. This is because by the end of the poem, we come to know that the poet imagines her to be a part of nature, rotating with the earth on its axis. He takes consolation from the fact that she is still alive in the nature and is beyond life's trials. This promotes the idea that he feels a 'great peace' of mind. Thus, we can conclude that the poet's feelings are ambiguous.

The poet's imagination does not allow him to think of his dead loved one as a person living in a very happy state or in heaven. Rather he imagines her to be a part of nature, being buried under the earth. She rotates with the earth, along with the stones, rocks and trees.

 The lines in the poem which show this are as follows:

'Rolled round in earth's diurnal course

With rocks and stones and trees.'