Rishika S.

The author considers flute music to be "the most universal and most particular“ of all music. This is a musical instrument that is common to all cultures. We have read aboput, the recorder, the japanese shakuhachi, the deep bansun’ of Hindustani classical music, the clear or breathy flutes of South America, the high-pitched Chinese flutes, etc. Even though each of these has its specific fingering and compass yet, for the author, to hear any flute is "to be drawn into the commonality of all mankind". This is because in spite of their differences, every flute produces music with the help of the human breath. Similarly, despite the differences in caste, culture, religion, region, all human beings are the same, with the same living breath running through all of them.

• The atmosphere in and around Baudhnath shrine offers a contrast’to that of the Pashupatinath temple. At Pashupatinath, the atmosphere is of febrile confusion. But at Baudhnath stupa there is stillness. At the road outside the Pashupatinath temple, it is all disorder and disquiet.