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Table of Contents
Short summary of the chapter: Kathmandu
Vikram Seth visits Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. He stays in a cheap hotel and visits two famous temples — Pashupatinath (a Hindu temple) and Baudhnath Stupa (a Buddhist shrine).
At Pashupatinath, there is a lot of noise and confusion. Priests, tourists, cows, monkeys, and people are everywhere. Some people push others to reach the priest. A princess comes, and everyone bows. Two monkeys even fight there. The holy Bagmati river flows nearby. A body is being cremated. A small shrine is partly underwater in the river. People believe that when it comes out fully, the Kaliyuga will end.
At Boudhanath Stupa, the scene is very calm. The white dome is peaceful. There are small shops owned by Tibetans around the stupa.
The writer describes Kathmandu as full of life. There are narrow streets with shrines, fruit sellers, flute sellers, people selling postcards, chocolates, and antiques. Songs play loudly, and cows roam freely.
He buys marzipan, corn on the cob, comics, a Reader’s Digest, and drinks Coca-Cola and an orange drink. He feels better after eating.
He then decides not to travel by train or boat through Patna, Benaras, and Agra because he is tired. He books a plane ticket to Delhi.
Before leaving, he watches a flute seller. The man quietly plays the flute but does not shout to sell. His music touches the writer’s heart. Vikram Seth says that flute music is special. Every culture has its own flute, and it sounds close to a human voice. It connects all people.
The chapter shows the noisy and peaceful sides of Kathmandu and how small things like flute music can bring deep feelings.
Detailed summary of the chapter: Kathmandu
1. A Day in Kathmandu: The writer Vikram Seth reaches Kathmandu and gets a cheap room in the middle of the city. He sleeps for many hours because he is tired. The next day, he visits two important temples — one Hindu and one Buddhist. He is joined by Mr. Shah’s son and nephew.
2. Crowded Pashupatinath Temple: The first temple he visits is the Pashupatinath Temple, which is sacred to Hindus. Outside the temple, there is a signboard that says, “Entrance for the Hindus only.” The place is full of confusion and noise. There are priests, devotees, monkeys, cows, dogs, pigeons, tourists, and hawkers all over. People push each other to reach the priest. A Nepalese princess arrives and everyone gives her way. Some foreigners in saffron clothes try to enter, saying they are Hindus, but the guard doesn’t believe them.
3. A Monkey Fight and the River Scene: Suddenly, two monkeys fight. One monkey jumps on a shivalinga and then runs around, creating more confusion. The Bagmati river, which flows next to the temple, has many scenes. A corpse is being cremated, washerwomen are working, and children are bathing. Someone drops a basket of old flowers into the river. There is also a half-submerged shrine, and people believe that when it comes out fully, the Kaliyuga will end.
4. Calm Baudhnath Stupa: The writer next visits the Baudhnath Stupa, a sacred place for Buddhists. This place is very calm and peaceful. The stupa has a huge white dome, and around it are small shops mostly run by Tibetan people. They sell felt bags, prints, and silver jewellery.
5. Kathmandu’s Busy Streets: Kathmandu is full of life. It has narrow streets with small temples, flower sellers, postcard sellers, cosmetic shops, chocolates, film rolls, fruit sellers, and even Nepalese antiques. There is loud music, horns, bicycle bells, cows, and shouting vendors.
6. Enjoying the Street Food: The writer buys marzipan, a roasted corn with salt, chilli, and lemon, comics, and even a Reader’s Digest. He drinks Coca-Cola and a bad orange drink but feels good after eating all this.
7. Planning the Journey Back: He thinks about going home through Patna, Benaras, and Agra by boat and train. But he is too tired and homesick, and the date is August 31. So, he goes to the Nepal Airlines office and buys a ticket to Delhi for the next day.
8. The Flute Seller: Before leaving, he watches a flute seller in a corner of the square. The man holds a pole full of flutes that look like a porcupine. He plays different flutes softly. He does not shout or call people. He sells flutes in a calm and casual way, sometimes stopping to talk to a fruit seller.
9. Flute Music and Feelings: The writer feels deeply touched by the flute music. He says that all cultures in the world have some kind of flute — Indian bansuri, Japanese shakuhachi, Chinese flutes, and many more. He feels that flute music connects all people. It is very close to the human voice and needs breath to play, just like we need breath to talk.
10. A Special Experience: The writer is surprised that he is noticing such small things this time. In his past trips, he had not paid attention to these details. But now, the flute’s sound, the peace, and the feel of Kathmandu stay in his heart.
Pointwise summary of the chapter: Kathmandu
1. Vikram Seth stays in a cheap hotel in Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital.
2. He visits two famous temples — Pashupatinath (Hindu) and Baudhnath Stupa (Buddhist).
3. Pashupatinath is very crowded with priests, devotees, monkeys, cows, and tourists.
4. A monkey fight and a half-submerged shrine near the Bagmati river catch his attention.
5. At Boudhanath Stupa, he finds peace and silence, with Tibetan shops around.
6. Kathmandu’s streets are noisy and colourful, full of sellers, music, and crowds.
7. He eats street food like marzipan and corn, and drinks Coca-Cola and orange soda.
8. He decides not to travel by road and boat and buys a plane ticket to Delhi on 31st August.
9. A flute seller playing softly in a square deeply touches him.
10. He says that flute music connects all people, as it sounds like the human voice.