The author of the passage is Vikram Seth, an Indian novelist and poet. He was born in Calcutta, India in 1952 and grew up in India, London, and California. He studied at Oxford University and worked as an economics teacher and freelance writer before becoming a full-time author. Some of his notable works include the novels "A Suitable Boy" and "An Equal Music," and the poetry collection "Mappings." In this excerpt from his book "Heaven Lake," Seth writes about his experiences visiting Kathmandu, Nepal, including his observations of the city's religious and cultural diversity.

The chapter "Kathmandu" is an extract from Vikram Seth's novel "Heaven Lake" and describes the author's experiences in the Nepalese city of Kathmandu. The author stays in a cheap hotel in the city centre and visits two of the most sacred temples in the city: Pashupatinath, a Hindu temple, and Baudhnath, a Buddhist shrine. Pashupatinath is bustling with activity, with priests, devotees, tourists, and animals like cows, monkeys, and dogs roaming around. The author witnesses a fight between two monkeys and sees a corpse being cremated on the banks of the Bagmati river. In contrast, Baudhnath is a peaceful haven, with a white dome and small shops owned by Tibetan immigrants.

The chapter also describes Kathmandu as a vivid and religious city, with small shrines to deities along busy streets, fruit sellers, flute sellers, and vendors of postcards and Western goods. The author indulges in mindless purchases like marzipan, corn on the cob, love story comics, and Coca-Cola, feeling much better for it.

The author considers his route back home, but he is too exhausted and homesick to take a long bus and train journey. Instead, he buys a ticket for a flight home the next day. While in the city, the author is drawn to a flute seller in a square near his hotel. He is struck by the universality of flute music and how it can draw people together across cultures. The author reflects on how he has become more attuned to such details on his travels and invested them with greater significance than on previous trips.

Cultural Diversity and Tension

The chapter highlights the clash of cultures and traditions in Kathmandu, as seen at the Pashupatinath temple, where only Hindus are allowed to enter, and the Baudhnath stupa, which is a Buddhist shrine. The presence of saffron-clad Westerners trying to enter the temple also adds to the cultural tension.

Religion and Spirituality

Religion plays a central role in the chapter, as the protagonist visits two of the most sacred temples in Kathmandu, Pashupatinath ..

There are several lines in the chapter that are important for different reasons:

"I get a cheap room in the centre of town and sleep for hours." 

This line sets the tone for the chapter and establishes the narrator's exhaustion and need for rest.

"There are so many worshippers that some people trying to get the priest’s attention are elbowed aside by others pushing their way .....

1. Sacred: considered holy and deserving of respect and reverence
2. Febrile: marked by intense emotion or activity
3. shrine: a place of worship 
4. haven: a safe place 
5. marzipan: a sweet made with grated almond 
6. brazier: open ...