Kathmandu
By Vikram Seth
Page 131 – Thinking about the Text
Q1. On the basis of your reading of the text, answer the following questions.
(i) Name the two temples the author visited in Kathmandu.
The Pashupatinath temple (a Hindu temple) and the Baudhnath stupa (a Buddhist shrine).
(ii) The writer says, “All this I wash down with Coca Cola.” What does ‘all this’ refer to?
‘All this’ refers to the various eatables he enjoyed on the streets of Kathmandu, such as marzipan, roasted corn on the cob, and a bar of chocolate.
(iii) What does Vikram Seth compare to the quills of a porcupine?
The fifty or sixty bansuris (flutes) tied to the pole of the flute seller.
(iv) Name five kinds of flutes.
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The reed neh
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The recorder
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The Japanese shakuhachi
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The Hindustani bansuri
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The South Indian nadaswaram
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The Chinese flute (dizi)
Q2. Answer each of the questions in a short paragraph.
(i) What difference does the author note between the flute seller and the other hawkers?
Other hawkers shout to attract customers, but the flute seller plays his instrument softly and meditatively, never pushing sales. His calm presence contrasts with the noisy bazaar.
(ii) What is the belief at Pashupatinath about the end of Kaliyug?
It is believed that when the small shrine at Pashupatinath emerges fully from the river Bagmati, the goddess inside will escape, and the end of Kaliyug will come.
(iii) The author has drawn powerful images and pictures of the atmosphere in and around the Baudhnath stupa. Write them.
He describes an immense white dome surrounded by a road with small shops, busy with Tibetan traders and pilgrims. The stupa radiates stillness and serenity, in contrast to the noisy streets.
(iv) How does the author describe Kathmandu’s busiest streets?
The streets are crowded and noisy, filled with hawkers, fruit sellers, vendors of postcards, shops selling cosmetics, film rolls, copper utensils, and chocolates. There are barbershops, dairies, temples, and shrines everywhere.
(v) “To hear any flute is to be drawn into the commonality of all mankind.” What does the author mean?
He means that though flutes differ in shape and sound across cultures, they share the same principle of breath flowing through a hollow tube. This universality symbolises human unity beyond differences.
Extra Questions – Kathmandu
Short Answer
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What contrasts does the author observe between Pashupatinath temple and Baudhnath stupa?
Pashupatinath is crowded, noisy, and chaotic, while Baudhnath stupa is calm, serene, and meditative. -
What attracts the author most in Kathmandu?
The flute seller and his music fascinate the author the most, leaving him reflective about human unity. -
Why does Vikram Seth mention Coca Cola and chocolates?
To highlight the mixture of traditional spirituality with modern consumerism in Kathmandu.
Long Answer
Q. How does Vikram Seth capture the contrasts of Kathmandu in his travelogue?
In Kathmandu, Vikram Seth paints a vivid picture of the city through contrasts. At the Pashupatinath temple, he observes chaos — crowds jostling, animals roaming, and priests checking devotees. In contrast, the Baudhnath stupa offers calmness and stillness, with Tibetan traders and pilgrims silently circling the shrine. The streets of Kathmandu are bustling with vendors, shops, and noise, reflecting a mix of tradition and modernity — from fruit sellers and barbers to Coca Cola and film rolls. The flute seller, however, stands apart from the noise. His quiet music provides a moment of universality, as flutes across cultures share the same simple principle of breath and sound. Through these vivid descriptions, Seth captures Kathmandu as a place of contradictions — chaotic yet serene, modern yet traditional, noisy yet musical.
Summary of Kathmandu
Vikram Seth’s travelogue Kathmandu presents a lively description of Nepal’s capital, capturing its contrasts, energy, and spirituality.
The author visits two famous shrines: the Pashupatinath temple, sacred to Hindus, and the Baudhnath stupa, an important Buddhist site. At Pashupatinath, Seth notices a large crowd of worshippers, priests, saffron-clad ascetics, and tourists. There is chaos at the entrance as people push and jostle. Priests regulate who can enter, barring non-Hindus. The author also notes the belief that the end of Kaliyug will occur when a small shrine in the river Bagmati fully rises. The scene is noisy and crowded, reflecting religious fervour mixed with disorder.
In contrast, the Baudhnath stupa exudes calm. The massive white dome, encircled by a road lined with shops, is surrounded by Tibetan traders and pilgrims. The atmosphere is serene and still, a striking difference from the bustle of Pashupatinath.
Seth then describes the busy streets of Kathmandu. They are full of vendors selling fruit, cosmetics, film rolls, utensils, chocolates, and postcards. There are barbershops, dairies, and small shrines everywhere. The streets buzz with energy and noise. Amid this commercial scene, the author enjoys snacks like marzipan, corn on the cob, and Coca Cola.
Yet, what captures him most is the flute seller. Sitting quietly at a crossroads, surrounded by dozens of flutes tied to a pole, he does not shout for customers like other vendors. Instead, he plays the flute meditatively. The music, soft and universal, enchants the author. He reflects on the fact that flutes exist in many cultures — the Hindustani bansuri, the South Indian nadaswaram, the Japanese shakuhachi, and others. Though their forms differ, all operate on the same simple principle of breath passing through a hollow shaft. This commonality of flutes symbolises the unity of mankind beyond cultural differences.
Through these descriptions, Seth captures the spirit of Kathmandu — a city full of contradictions: noisy yet serene, spiritual yet commercial, chaotic yet musical. His travelogue blends observation with reflection, making it both vivid and thoughtful.
Biography – Vikram Seth
Vikram Seth (b. 1952) is one of India’s most acclaimed authors, known for his versatility across poetry, fiction, travel writing, and biography.
He was born on 20 June 1952 in Calcutta (now Kolkata) into a distinguished family. His father, Prem Nath Seth, worked in the footwear industry, and his mother, Leila Seth, became the first woman Chief Justice of a High Court in India.
Vikram Seth studied at Doon School, Dehradun, and later at Corpus Christi College, Oxford. He also studied economics at Stanford University. His education abroad exposed him to diverse cultures, which shaped his writing.
Seth’s literary career began with poetry collections like Mappings (1980). He gained international fame with his epic novel A Suitable Boy (1993), one of the longest novels ever published in English. The book captures post-independence India with humour and realism. Other works include The Golden Gate (1986), a novel in verse, An Equal Music (1999), and Two Lives (2005), a memoir of his great-uncle and aunt.
As a travel writer, Seth authored From Heaven Lake: Travels Through Sinkiang and Tibet (1983), which won the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award. An extract from this book, Kathmandu, is included in NCERT’s Beehive. His travel writing is praised for vivid description and reflective insights.
Vikram Seth’s style blends simplicity with depth. He writes about love, family, identity, and culture with sensitivity and humour. He has been honoured with awards like the Padma Shri, Sahitya Akademi Award, and Pravasi Bharatiya Samman.
Seth continues to be regarded as a global literary figure, admired for his wide-ranging works that cross genres and cultures.
A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal
By William Wordsworth
Page 135 – Thinking about the Poem
Q1. “A slumber did my spirit seal”—what does the poet mean by this?
It means the poet was in a state of deep sleep-like calm, unaware of the harsh reality of mortality. He felt that death could not touch his beloved.
Q2. “The slumber” refers to sleep or a deep sleep that is associated with death.
The poet is speaking about the death of his beloved, Lucy. She now lies motionless, beyond human experiences.
Q3. How does the poet imagine his beloved after death? Does he see her as a spirit, living force, or as a part of nature?
He imagines her as part of nature. She no longer feels human emotions or life but is merged with rocks, trees, and earth, sharing their stillness.
Extra Questions – A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal
Short Answer
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What is the central theme of the poem?
The inevitability of death and the merging of human life with nature. -
How does Wordsworth’s philosophy of nature appear in this poem?
He portrays death not as an end but as unity with nature, which is eternal. -
Why is the tone of the poem calm rather than mournful?
Because the poet accepts death as natural, finding peace in the thought that his beloved is now part of nature.
Long Answer
Q. How does Wordsworth treat the theme of death in this poem?
Wordsworth approaches death with serenity in A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal. At first, he recalls how he was in a state of illusion, believing that his beloved Lucy was free from death’s touch. But death came silently, sealing her forever in stillness. Instead of lamenting bitterly, Wordsworth finds comfort in imagining her as part of the natural world. She no longer experiences human fears or joys, but lies as calm and eternal as rocks, trees, and the earth itself. The poet thus views death not as destruction but as transformation — a merging of the individual with nature. The calm tone reflects his acceptance of death as a universal truth, consistent with his Romantic philosophy that human life is intertwined with nature’s eternal cycle.
✦ Summary of A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal
William Wordsworth’s short but profound poem A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal reflects on the theme of death and the connection between human life and nature.
The poet begins by saying that a “slumber” had sealed his spirit. This metaphor indicates that he had been in a state of peaceful unawareness. He believed that his beloved Lucy was untouched by death and would remain forever beyond its reach. This state of illusion or emotional numbness gave him comfort.
However, the reality of death shatters this illusion. Lucy is now gone. She no longer experiences the sensations and emotions of human life — no motion of the blood, no hearing, no seeing. Her life as a conscious human being has ended.
Yet, Wordsworth does not present death as tragedy alone. Instead, he imagines Lucy as united with nature. She has become part of the rocks, trees, and earth. She moves along with nature’s cycles, carried by time and the universe. In this vision, Lucy’s death is not destruction but a return to the eternal natural world.
The poem’s tone is calm, meditative, and accepting rather than mournful. It expresses Wordsworth’s Romantic belief that human life is inseparable from nature. Through death, Lucy achieves eternal existence in harmony with the natural world.
Thus, in just two stanzas, Wordsworth conveys a powerful philosophy of life, death, and nature. The poem comforts readers by suggesting that while human beings die, they remain forever a part of nature’s timeless beauty.
Biography – William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth (1770–1850) was one of the greatest English Romantic poets, celebrated for his deep love of nature and his belief in its spiritual power.
He was born on 7 April 1770 in Cockermouth, England. After studying at Cambridge, he travelled widely in Europe, where he was influenced by the French Revolution. His experiences shaped his poetry, which focused on ordinary people, rural life, and nature’s moral and spiritual influence.
In 1798, Wordsworth, along with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, published Lyrical Ballads, a collection that marked the beginning of the Romantic Age in English literature. Wordsworth’s poetry stood out for its simplicity, emotional depth, and focus on nature as a living force.
His most famous works include Tintern Abbey, Ode: Intimations of Immortality, The Prelude (an autobiographical epic), and the Lucy poems, to which A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal belongs. In these poems, Lucy is a symbol of innocence, mortality, and the blending of human life with nature.
Wordsworth believed that nature was a teacher, guiding human beings toward truth, peace, and morality. His philosophy was that through communion with nature, humans could find spiritual growth and harmony.
In 1843, he was appointed Poet Laureate of England, a position he held until his death. Wordsworth passed away on 23 April 1850.
He is remembered as a central figure of English Romanticism, whose poetry continues to inspire readers with its celebration of nature, simplicity, and the eternal cycle of life.