Kathmandu Question Answer Class 9 English

Today in this post, ‘Kathmandu Question Answer Class 9 English’, we’ll study the NCERT solutions of Class 9th English Beehive chapter ‘Kathmandu’. We’ll examine each question under the Thinking about the Text, Thinking about Language, Dictation, Speaking, and Writing sections, respectively. Let’s start class 9 English Kathmandu Question Answer NCERT Solutions with Thinking about the Text.

We’ve already read the Summary of Kathmandu; you can read that as well for better understainding about text.

Kathmandu Thinking About the Text

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

Q1. Name the two temples the author visited in Kathmandu.
Ans. Pashupatinath Temple and Baudhnath Stupa.

Q2. The writer says, “All this I wash down with Coca Cola.” What does ‘all this’ refer to?
Ans. Marzipan, roasted corn-on-the-cob, love story comics, Reader’s Digest, Coca Cola, and an orange drink.

Q3. What does Vikram Seth compare to the quills of a porcupine?
Ans. He compares the flutes to the quills of a porcupine.

Q4. Name five kinds of flutes.
Ans. The reed neh, the recorder, the Japanese shakuhachi, the Hindustani bansuri, and the South American flutes.

II. Answer each question in a short paragraph

Q1. What difference does the author note between the flute seller and the other hawkers?
Ans. The other hawkers in Kathmandu shout loudly to attract customers and advertise their goods, whereas the flute seller does not cry out his wares. He simply stands in a corner, occasionally plays the flute meditatively, and sells only when someone comes to him. His way is calm, casual, and artistic, unlike the noisy salesmanship of other vendors.

Q2. What is the belief at Pashupatinath about the end of Kaliyug?
Ans. At Pashupatinath, there is a small shrine partly submerged in the Bagmati river. People believe that when this shrine emerges fully, the goddess inside will come out and the present evil age of Kaliyug will come to an end.

Q3. The author has drawn powerful images and pictures.

(i) Atmosphere of ‘febrile confusion’ at Pashupatinath: Priests, hawkers, devotees, tourists, cows, monkeys, pigeons, and dogs roaming around. Worshippers elbowing each other to get the priest’s attention. Foreigners in saffron arguing with policemen for entry.

(ii) Things he sees: A princess of the Nepalese royal family. A fight between two monkeys. A corpse being cremated, washerwomen working, and children bathing in the river.

(iii) Sounds he hears: Film songs blaring from radios. Car horns, bicycle bells, vendors shouting. Flute music rising above the city’s noise.

III. Answer the following in 100–150 words

Q1. Compare and contrast the atmosphere in and around the Baudhnath shrine with the Pashupatinath temple.
Ans. The atmosphere at Pashupatinath temple is noisy, chaotic, and full of confusion. Priests, devotees, animals, and hawkers crowd the temple grounds, while worshippers push each other to reach the priest. The banks of the Bagmati river are equally busy with cremations, washerwomen, and bathers. In contrast, the Baudhnath stupa is calm, quiet, and peaceful. The immense white dome stands majestically, surrounded by a ring road and small shops run by Tibetan immigrants. There are no crowds or chaos here; instead, it feels like a haven of stillness amidst the bustle of the city. Thus, Pashupatinath represents disorderly devotion, while Baudhnath embodies serene spirituality.

Q2. How does the author describe Kathmandu’s busiest streets?
Ans. The author describes Kathmandu’s busiest streets as vivid, noisy, and full of life. Small shrines of deities line the narrow lanes, decorated with flowers. The streets are crowded with fruit sellers, hawkers of postcards, and vendors selling cosmetics, chocolates, film rolls, copper utensils, and antiques. The sounds of film songs, car horns, bicycle bells, and shouting vendors mix with the lowing of cows wandering about. The whole atmosphere is colourful, vibrant, and chaotic, showing the mercenary and religious nature of the city.

Q3. “To hear any flute is to be drawn into the commonality of all mankind.” Why does the author say this?
Ans. The author says this because flutes exist in almost every culture across the world. Whether it is the Indian bansuri, the reed flute of the Middle East, the shakuhachi of Japan, the recorder of Europe, or the flutes of South America, each one has a unique style, yet all are connected by the simple act of blowing air through a hollow tube. The sound of the flute resembles the human voice, as it too needs breath and pauses. Thus, flute music unites people emotionally and spiritually, creating a sense of universality and shared humanity.

Kathmandu Thinking about Language

I. 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.

Now, Let’s match them correctly:

Column A → Column B

(i) break out → (d) to 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 trespassing

II. 1. Form nouns using suffixes -ion / -tion

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

II. 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.

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 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

Corrected paragraph with proper punctuation:

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 correct verb forms:

(i)
The heart is a pump that sends (send) the blood circulating through our body. The pumping action takes place (take place) when the left ventricle of the heart contracts (contract). This forces (force) the blood out into the arteries, which expand (expand) to receive the oncoming blood.

(ii)
The African lungfish can live without water for up to four years. During a drought it digs (dig) a pit and encloses (enclose) itself in a capsule of slime and earth, leaving a tiny opening for air. The capsule dries (dry) and hardens (harden), but when rain comes (come), the mud dissolves (dissolve) and the lungfish swims (swim) away.

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

Speaking

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

“I once visited the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The shrine is surrounded by a large holy pond called the Sarovar. The entire temple is covered with gold plating, and when sunlight falls on it, the reflection looks magical. Pilgrims move in long queues to offer prayers. Priests continuously sing hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib, and the sound creates peace in the heart. Free food, called langar, is served to everyone without any discrimination. I felt calm, humble, and spiritually uplifted after visiting this shrine.”

2. Eyewitness account / running commentary

(i) A cricket match
“The bowler runs in quickly and bowls a short ball. The batsman pulls it hard, but the fielder at mid-wicket dives and stops it. The crowd claps loudly. Now the batsman takes guard again. The bowler bowls a fuller delivery, and this time the batsman drives it beautifully through covers. The ball races to the boundary, and the spectators cheer in excitement.”

(ii) Republic Day Parade
“The brave soldiers march past the saluting base. They hold the national flag high. A band plays patriotic tunes, and the crowd claps in rhythm. School children dance in colourful dresses, presenting the culture of different states. Tanks, missiles, and tableaux roll past majestically. Fighter jets fly above the Rajpath in perfect formation. The atmosphere is full of pride and joy.”

Writing

I. Diary Entry for a Travelogue (Visit to Pashupatinath Temple)

Points to include:

• Crowded, noisy atmosphere.
• Priests, devotees, hawkers, tourists, animals moving about.
• People elbowing one another to reach the priest.
• Offer flowers inside.
• Outside: monkeys fighting, Bagmati river with cremation, washerwomen, children bathing.
• Impression: chaotic but deeply spiritual.

Diary Entry (Travelogue Style):

Today I visited the Pashupatinath temple with Vikram Seth. As we reached, I saw hundreds of devotees, priests, hawkers, and even animals crowding the place. The atmosphere was full of noise and confusion. Inside, worshippers tried to get the priest’s attention, and some even pushed one another. I offered flowers at the shrine. Outside, I saw two monkeys fighting, people bathing in the Bagmati river, washerwomen at work, and even a funeral pyre burning. The scene was full of contradictions—chaos, devotion, and faith all at once. My impression of Pashupatinath is that it represents the energy and faith of Hindu worship, though it is very crowded and noisy.

II. Travelogue (Visit to Agra and Taj Mahal)

In January 2003, I rose before dawn and boarded the Shatabdi Express at 6:15 a.m. from Delhi. On the train, I met a newly married couple, and we had a pleasant chat about Himachal Pradesh. Soon, I reached Agra. The city welcomed me with dense traffic—rickshaws, cars, and crowds moving through twisted alleys. Vendors lined the streets selling religious artifacts, plastic toys, spices, and sweets. Finally, I reached the Taj Mahal. The sight was breathtaking. The monument, made entirely of white marble, had a magical quality, changing colours with the play of light and shadow. The marble was inlaid with precious gemstones, and the reflection of the Taj in the pond added to its charm. Tourists, school children, and guides filled the place, yet the beauty of the Taj Mahal made me forget everything else. It truly deserves its place as one of the wonders of the world.

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