History and culture

• 2081 Chaitra · Bagmati · 10 marks

1.Read the text and do the tasks.

Pratap Malla was one of the most famous kings of Malla Dynasty. He constructed some magnificent and beautiful architectural structure around Kathmandu. The way he came to the throne is very interesting and controversial at the same time. He had the experience of administration even when his father was alive. When his father Laxmi Nara Singh's madness grew worse, he imprisoned his father and he himself ruled as a regent of his father in Kantipur.
He was an able administrator. Kantipur was highly developed during his reign. Trade with Lhasa (Tibet) was also going on well. By his tact he was making the kings of Lalitpur and Bhaktapur play against each other. Sometimes he sided with Bhaktapur and posed a threat to Lalitpur. On other occasions, he aligned with Lalitpur and fell upon Bhaktapur.
Pratap Malla was religious minded person. He built a beautiful temple at Guhyeshwari and fenced it. He renovated the temple of Pashupatinath and raised a pinnacle over it. At Swayambhu he built Pratappur, Kabeendrapur and many other temples and also set up a copper gilt 'Bajra'. He also renovated the temples and Basuki Bhimsen, Taleju and Degutale. With a view to warding off evils, he erected an image of Hanuman, the monkey god, by the side of his palace gate and called the palace Hanumandhoka. He erected the golden gate of the palace, set up an image of Nri Simha, Kal Bhairab and Vishwaroop at Layaku Bahi. Inside the palace, he also set up Sundari Chowk and Mohan Chowk. A pond was dug at Bhandarkhal and filled with water brought from Budhanilakantha. He installed an image of Narayan lying in the pond, an exact replica from Budhanilakantha Temple.

A. Fill in the blanks with the correct information from the text. (5×1=5)
(i) After sending his father to prison, Pratap Malla ruled in Kantipur as a .......... (ii) Pratap Malla made the kings of .......... fight with each other. (iii) Pratap Malla set up a ....... over the Pashupatinath Temple. (iv) An image of Hanuman was raised at Hanumandhoka to get rid of ........... (v) Sundari chowk and Mohan chowk were set up inside ..........
B. Answer the following questions. (5×1=5)
(i) Why is Pratap Malla popular as a king? Give a reason. (ii) Do you think Pratap Malla did a right job by imprisoning his father? Why/Why not? (iii) Write the names of two temples that Pratap Malla built at Swayambhu. (iv) Who is Hanuman? (v) What is common between Bhandarkhal and Budhanilakantha?

Similar questions: Pratap Malla: gaps and questions (Gandaki) (2081 Chaitra · Gandaki)

13:11Watch a short explainerPratap Malla Class 10 English Explanation | Unit 9 Reading IExcel with Roma

Answer checked by Claude Sonnet · Oct 21, 2026

• 2081 Chaitra · Gandaki · 10 marks

2.Read the text and do the tasks that follow.

Pratap Malla was one of the most famous kings of Malla Dynasty. He constructed some magnificent and beautiful architectural structure around Kathmandu. The way he came to the throne is very interesting and controversial at the same time. He had the experience of administration even when his father was alive. When his father Laxmi Nara Singh's madness grew worse, he imprisoned his father and he himself ruled as a regent of his father in Kantipur.
He was an able administrator. Kantipur was highly developed during his reign. Trade with Lhasa (Tibet) was also going on well. By his tact he was making the kings of Lalitpur and Bhaktapur play against each other. Sometimes he sided with Bhaktapur and posed a threat to Lalitpur. On other occasions, he aligned with Lalitpur and fell upon Bhaktapur.
Pratap Malla was a religious- minded person. He built a beautiful temple at Guhyeshwari and fenced it. He renovated the temple of Pashupatinath and raised a pinnacle over it. At Swayambhu he built Pratappur, Kabeendrapur and many other temples and also set up a copper gilt 'Bajra'. He also renovated the temples and Basuki Bhimsen, Taleju and Degutale. With a view to warding off evils, he erected an image of Hanuman, the monkey god, by the side of his palace gate and called the palace Hanumandhoka. He erected the golden gate of the palace, set up an image of Nri Simha, Kal Bhairab and Vishwaroop at Layaku Bahi. Inside the palace, he also set up Sundari Chowk and Mohan Chowk. A pond was dug at Bhandarkhal and filled with water brought from Budhanilkantha. He installed an image of Narayan lying in the pond, an exact replica from Budhanilkantha Temple.

A. Fill in the gaps with the correct information from the text. 5×1=5
(i) Pratap Malla constructed beautiful ........ in the Kathmandu Valley. (ii) Pratap Malla declared himself a regent of his father after he ....... his father. (iii) During Pratap Malla's reign, ........ was a highly developed state. (iv) On the top of Pashupatinath Temple Pratap Malla raised a/an ............ (v) The image of Hanuman at the side of the ......... was erected to ward off evils.
B. Answer the following questions. 5×1=5
(i) Why did Pratap Malla imprison his father? (ii) How can you say that Pratap Malla was a clever ruler? (iii) Why did Pratap Malla renovate mostly the religious sites? (iv) What did Pratap Malla build at Bhandarkhal? (v) Do you think people were happy with Pratap Malla's reign? Give a reason.

Similar questions: Pratap Malla: gaps and questions (Bagmati) (2081 Chaitra · Bagmati)

13:11Watch a short explainerPratap Malla Class 10 English Explanation | Unit 9 Reading IExcel with Roma

Answer checked by Claude Sonnet · Oct 21, 2026

• 2080 Grade increment · 5 marks

3.

In ancient Greece, there lived a man called Tantalus. He was half man and half god. His father was the great Greek god Zeus. One day Zeus invited him up to Mount Olympus, high above the clouds for dinner. When Tantalus received the invitation, he was very proud. "Dinner with the gods!" he thought. "What a grand honour!" said Tantalus and climbed up to the very top of Mount Olympus in his embroidered robes to dine with his father and the other gods. They had an exquisite dinner together. The next morning Tantalus lay in bed remembering the glorious evening. "I must return the invitation." "But what can I serve them? I must give them something I value more than anything." And then Tantalus had a terrible idea, a horrible one. He decided to take his son, Pelpos, and chop him up and serve him as a stew to the gods. The gods, who saw everything, were furious. "How could he do such a thing?" they asked. "He knows we hate human sacrifice. We will have to punish him." As a punishment they sent him down to the underworld where he had to stand in water up to his neck forever.

Read the text and answer the following questions. (5 x 1 = 5)
I. What was Tantalus like? II. What did Zeus invite Tantalus for? III. Why did Tantalus decide to kill his son to serve the gods? IV. Do you like Tantalus' idea of serving gods? Give a reason. V. How was Tantalus punished?

Similar questions: Tantalus: order sentences, questions (2082 Chaitra · Madhesh)

Answer checked by Claude Sonnet · Oct 21, 2026

• 2082 Chaitra · Madhesh · 10 marks

4.Read the text and do the tasks.

In ancient Greece, there lived a man called Tantalus. He was half man and half god. His father was the great Greek god Zeus. One day, Zeus invited him up to Mount Olympus, high above the clouds for dinner. When Tantalus received the invitation, he was very proud. "Dinner with gods!" he thought. "What a grand honour!" said Tantalus and climbed up to the very top of Mount Olympus in his embroidered robes to dine with his father and other gods. They had an exquisite dinner together. The next morning, Tantalus lay in bed remembering the glorious evening. "I must return the invitation." "But what can I serve them? I must give them something I value more than anything." And then, Tantalus had a terrible idea, a horrible one. He decided to take his son, Pelops, and chop him up and serve him as a stew to the gods. The gods, who saw everything, were furious. "How could he do such a thing?" they asked. "He knows we hate human sacrifice. We will have to punish him." As a punishment, they sent him down to the underworld, where he had to stand in water up to his neck forever.

A. Write the sentences in the correct order as they appear in the text. (5×1=5)
(a) The gods decided to punish Tantalus for his bad deed. (b) Tantalus's father invited him to have dinner with other gods. (c) Tantalus was overjoyed to have an invitation for the dinner. (d) Tantalus planned to kill his son and serve him as a stew to the gods. (e) Tantalus and the gods dined together.
B. Answer these questions. (5×1=5)
(a) Where did Zeus invite Tantalus for dinner? (b) What made Tantalus feel proud? (c) Who does 'I' in the line 'I must return the invitation' refer to? (d) Was Tantalus a cruel man? Why? (e) Write the punishment given to Tantalus.

Similar questions: Tantalus and the gods: questions (2080 Grade increment)

14:16Watch a short explainerWrite the Sentences in Correct Order | SEE English Class 10 | 5 Marks StrategyExcel with Roma

Answer checked by Claude Sonnet · Oct 21, 2026

• 2081 Chaitra · Koshi · 5 marks

5.Read the text and fill in the gaps with correct information from the text. (5×1=5)

Pratap Malla was one of the most famous kings of Malla Dynasty. He constructed some magnificent and beautiful architectural structure around Kathmandu. The way he came to the throne is very interesting and controversial at the same time. He had the experience of administration even when his father was alive. When his father Laxmi Nara Singh's madness grew worse, he imprisoned his father and he himself ruled as a regent of his father in Kantipur.
He was an able administrator. Kantipur was highly developed during his reign. Trade with Lhasa (Tibet) was also going on well. By his tact he was making the kings of Lalitpur and Bhaktapur play against each other. Sometimes he sided with Bhaktapur and posed a threat to Lalitpur. On other occasions, he aligned with Lalitpur and fell upon Bhaktapur.

(i) As a king of Kantipur, Pratap Malla built many artistic ........... in Kathmandu. (ii) Pratap Malla's entry into the throne is interesting as well as ......... (iii) His father's poor mental health made Pratap Malla rule as his ....... (iv) During Laxmi Nara Singh's reign, Pratap Malla became experienced ............. (v) Pratap Malla kept Lalitpur and Bhaktapur divided using his.............

13:11Watch a short explainerPratap Malla Class 10 English Explanation | Unit 9 Reading IExcel with Roma

Answer checked by Claude Sonnet · Oct 21, 2026

• 2080 Chaitra · Bagmati · 10 marks

6.Read the following text and do the tasks that follow.

Pratap Malla was vastly-learned king and a poet. He could compose poems in Sanskrit, Nepal Bhasa, Nepali, Bengali and Hindi. He also knew Arabic, Roman and English scripts. Because of his excellent poems, he conferred on himself the title of 'Kabeendra', a king of poets. Himself learned, Pratap Malla had a galaxy of learned men in his palace as the Mughal Emperor Akbar- had. Like Akbar, he also respected and patronised the scholars of his time.
Lambakarna Bhatta, who hailed from Maharastra, Nri Simha Thakur, from Bihar and Jamana Gurubhaju of Kantipur were some of the jewels in the galaxy of scholars in his palace. He was also very fond of music. So, musicians were welcomed and respected in his palace.
Pratap Malla had five sons Bhupendra, Chakrabartendra, Nripendra, Mahipatendra and Parthibendra. He wanted his sons to have experience in the administration of the country while he was still living. He made each of them rule over the country for one year in turn. But unfortunately, his second son Chakrabartendra Malla died the next day he took over the administration of the country. Both the king and queen were greatly grieved at his death. To console the grieving queen, he made a huge pond in front of the present Tri-Chandra College. The pond is known as Ranipokhari.
Pratap Malla had a sudden death while he was watching the religious dance of Harisiddhi.

2.1 Choose and copy the correct answer to answer the following questions. (5x1=5)
I. Which one of the following would prove that Pratap Malla was a learned King? (a) He composed poems in many languages. (b) He was conferred with the title "Kabeendra." (c) He had learned men in his palace. (d) He promoted scholars in his palace.
II. Which of the following is common between Pratap Malla and Akbar? (a) respect for the scholars (b) title of Kabeendra (c) galaxy of learned men (d) sudden death
III. Which of the following people was not among the group of scholars in Pratap Malla's palace? (a) Jamana Gurubhaju (b) Nripendra Malla (c) Lambarkarna Bhatta (d) Nrisimha Thakaur
IV. What was unfortunate to Pratap Malla? (a) having five sons (b) having many scholars in his palace (c) death of Chakrabartendra Malla (d) ability to compose poems
V. Why did Pratap Malla have his sons rule over the country in turn? (a) to help them learn administrative work. (b) to make them learned scholars. (c) to divide the country among them. (d) to get help for administrative work.
2.2 Put the following sentences in the correct order. (5x1=5)
I. Pratap Malla's son died on the second day of handling the administration. II. Pratap Malla was a knowledgeable king. III. Pratap Malla had five sons to succeed him. IV. Pratap Malla had a sudden death while watching religious dance. V. Pratap Malla was among the galaxy of scholars in the palace.

13:11Watch a short explainerPratap Malla Class 10 English Explanation | Unit 9 Reading IExcel with Roma

Answer checked by Claude Sonnet · Oct 21, 2026

• 2082 Chaitra · Sudurpashchim · 5+5 marks

7.Read the text and do the tasks.

The Russians are practically no different, and similarities exist regarding using flowers as a token of expressing love and affection. It is always heartwarming to receive flowers. However, flower-gifting in Russia has some unique traditions. Flower etiquette, in Russia is strictly guided by a range of rules depending on the setting. For instance, the kinds of flowers gifted in a romantic setting differ immensely from those gifted when visiting a Russian home. If flowers are gifted outside these rules, it is possible to offend the receiver.
Red carnations are filled with a deep sense of patriotism. The origins of this symbolism reside in the 1917 February Revolution. The Russian Social Democratic Worker's Party of Bolsheviks had produced masses of cardboard pins designed like red carnations. These badges gained widespread popularity and became a symbol of resistance against the Russian Provisional Government.
Contrasting to the victorious symbols of red carnations, white carnations represent bad omens. The washed-out petals are believed to strip holders off good luck and talent. Therefore, white carnations should not be given as gifts to performers. On the other hand, Russians believe that placing a white carnation under your pillow while you sleep leaves you inspired upon waking the next morning.

A. Fill in the blanks with the correct information from the text. (5×1=5)
a. Flowers are generally used to express..........in many cultures. b. Flower gifting outside the rules may..........the receiver. c. Red carnations reflect the sense of..........in the Russian culture. d. The Russian Revolution took place in.......... e. The white carnations signal..........in Russian culture.
B. Answer these questions. (5×1=5)
a. How do people feel to receive flowers? b. What guides flower etiquette in Russia? c. What did the badges of cardboard pins symbolize in Russia? d. Why should white carnations NOT be given to performers in Russia? e. How would the Russians make positive use of white carnations?

8:50Watch a short explainerFlowers in Russian Culture Explanation | Unit 9 Reading II | Class 10 English | SEEExcel with Roma

Answer checked by Claude Sonnet · Oct 21, 2026

• 2082 Chaitra · Koshi · 5 marks

8.Write a news story in about 100 words using the clues given below.
Artists and Journalists Honoured in Sunsari
..... Inaruwa, January 4 ..... a folk-art talent honour programme ... five journalists and more than a dozen artists ..... for the contribution in the fields ..... organized by Appan Biratgadh Paropakar Samaj ..... a variety of cultural performances ..... chief guest; chairperson of Dewanganj Rural Municipality .....

Answer checked by Claude Sonnet · Oct 21, 2026

• 2075 · Set AP · 5+5 marks

9.Read the text and do the tasks.

I entered the building, and as instructed by the curator, I bought a ticket and hired a special hand machine that will play the recorded voice to explain to me everything in English. As I passed the administrative building, I came across a beautiful garden; it was full of pointed shapes of fir and pine trees, giving the best proof of French topiary. Far away stood other trees like walnut, juniper and yew, birds chirruped from the top. Among the topiary art stood a huge black bust, on top of which lay a drooping figure of Rodin. Not Rodin himself but a magnificent sculpture of him. It is commonly known as Rodin's Thinking Man. The Thinking Man squatted on a large and tall marble slab, in half bent posture and pensive mood. This is one of the masterpieces in modern art, an incomparable work. Rodin's pensive mood is remarkable.
Three years ago I had visited a smaller museum in Baltimore; Sewa had joined me from Illinois. In that very small museum, Rodin's copy too was quite small. Rodin's little thinker in Baltimore was a black metal work, just a replica. I remember writing an article which reminds us of our visit to Baltimore, and van Gogh's Irises. It got published in Antarderisti edited by Jyoti Ghimire of the USA.

A. Match the words/phrases in column 'A' with the appropriate information in column 'B'. (5x1=5)

Column 'A'	Column 'B'
a. special hand machine	i. edited by Jyoti Ghimire
b. beautiful garden	ii. is in Baltimore
c. replica of Rodin	iii. pointed shapes of fir and pines
d. magnificent sculpture	iv. known as Rodin's Thinking man
e. Antarderisti	v. explained everything in English
	vi. the masterpiece.

B. Answer the following questions. (5x1=5)
a. How did the writer get into the museum? b. How was the garden of the museum? c. What is known as 'Rodin's Thinking Man'? d. What is remarkable about 'Rodin's Thinking Man'? e. What is the difference between Rodin in Paris and Rodin in Baltimore?

Answer checked by Claude Sonnet · Oct 21, 2026

• 2075 · Set BP · 7+8 marks

10.Read the text and do the tasks.

India's white-marble Taj Mahal is turning yellow and green as the 17th century mausoleum weathers filthy air in the world's eighth-most polluted city.
One of the seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal flanks a garbage-strewn river and is often enveloped by dust and smog from belching smokestacks and vehicles in the northern city of Agra.
Tiny insects from the drying Yamuna River into which the city pours its sewage crawl into the Taj Mahal, their excrement further staining the marble, an environmental lawyer told India's Supreme Court.
The court slammed the government for not doing enough to preserve the monument, which was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz Mahal.
"If the Indian scientists and the (conservationists) can't do the things, they should be able to contact foreign experts or conservationists, those who can come and they will be readily happy to help," said lawyer MC Mehta, who has been fighting to save the Taj Mahal from pollution for three decades.
Restorers have been using a paste of a clay mineral to clean the marble. It pulls away impurities from the surface and can then be washed off with water.
Activists are also concerned that the falling water table in Agra may be weakening the wooden foundations. Other worries include roads clogged with polluting vehicles and rampant construction around the mausoleum.
Behind Taj's back, plastic bags and garbage pile up by the river as smoke billows from a chimney in the distance. Outside the Taj complex, a group of people gathered near a funeral pyre.
The change in colour has not come out of the blue. Environmentalists and historians have long warned about the risk of soot and fumes from factories and tanneries dulling the ivory monument.

A. Match the words in column 'A' with their meanings in column 'B'. (7x1=7)

Column 'A'	Column 'B'
a. mausoleum	i. a person whose job is to repair old building
b. flanks	ii. a place where animal skins are made into leather.
c. smokestack	iii. blocked something
d. excrement	iv. a tall chimney
e. restorer	v. a large pile of wood on which a dead body is placed
f. clogged	vi. stays at the side of something
g. tannery	vii. solid waste discharged from the body
	viii. a special building made to hold the dead body

B. Answer the following questions. (8x1=8)
a. Write any two factors that are destroying the beauty of Taj Mahal. b. Why is Yamuna River being polluted? c. Why did the court slam the government? d. How are the restorers repairing Taj Mahal? e. What are the worries of the activists? f. What did a group of people do outside Taj Mahal? g. What according to environmentalists and historians are the factors that are decreasing the beauty of Taj Mahal?

Answer checked by Claude Sonnet · Oct 21, 2026

• 2074 · Set AC · 5+5+5 marks

11.Read the text and do the tasks.

Once the Pandava brothers were in the exile. The eldest brother was Yudhishthira. The other brothers were Bhima, Arjuna, Sahadeva and Nahakula. One day, they saw a deer in the forest. They decided to hunt it. So they started to chase it. They reached very far from their place. They got very thirsty and tired. Therefore, they stopped for a rest. They sat under a tree. Meanwhile, Yudhishtira sent Sahadeva to search for water. But Sahadeva didn't get back. So, he sent other brothers one by one. Hours passed but they didn't come back.
Yudhishthira was worried about his brothers. So, he decided to look for them himself. He began to follow their footsteps. Finally, he came to a magical pool. There was clean and fresh water in the pool. Then he saw his four brothers lying beside the pool. They were either senseless or dead. He was greatly shocked. He couldn't control himself and began to weep. Anyway he went near the pool to drink some water. Suddenly he heard a warning voice. The voice said that one must answer his questions before drinking water. The unseen speaker said that he was Yaksha. He said that his four brothers had ignored his warning. So, he had punished them.
Yudhisthira stopped and got ready to answer his questions. He answered all the questions wisely. At last, Yaksha announced that he was impressed with his answers. So, he wanted to reward Yudhishthira. He said that he would recover only one of his brothers. He asked Yudhisthira to choose any one brother. In reply, Yudhishthira said that he wanted to save Nahakul. Yaksha was surprised. He asked Yudhisthira why. Yudhishthira stated that Nahakula was the son of his step-mother, Madri. So, he wanted to save the lineage of his step-mother. Then, Yaksha was deeply impressed. He appeared before Yudhishthira. He was Yama, the god of justice and death. He said that he wanted to help them, so, he had tested their intelligence. At last, he revived all the brothers of Yudhishthira. He promised to help them in future too.

A. Put the following sentences in the correct order. (5x1=5)
a. Yuddhisthira wanted to save Nahakula to continue the lineage of Madri. b. Five Pandava brothers decided to hunt a deer. c. Firstly, Sahadeva went to bring water. d. Yudhishthira found all his four brothers lying unconscious. e. Yaksha was pleased and wanted to reward Yudhishthira.
B. Complete the following sentences using the correct words/phrases from the text. (5x1=5)
a. The five pandava brothers were Yudhishthira, ......... , Arjuna, Sahadeva and Nahakula. b. Yudhishthira was worried about ...... . c. The unseen speaker said that he was ...... . d. Nahakula was the son of ...... . e. Yama is the god of ...... .
C. Answer the following questions. (5x1=5)
a. Why did Pandava brothers stop for a rest? b. What were the four pandava brothers doing when Yudhishtira reached near the pool? c. Who was the unknown speaker? d. What impressed Yaksha about Yudhishthira? e. Why had Yama tested the Pandava brothers?

Answer checked by Claude Sonnet · Oct 21, 2026

• 2074 · Old course · 4+6 marks

12.Read the following text and do the tasks.

Falling in Love with Hagen's Nepal
Kathmandu: Toni Hagen, the late geologist from Switzerland, first visited Nepal in 1950 with a Swiss Development Assistance Mission to Nepal. Hagen, who was employed by Nepal Government in 1952, travelled around 14000 km across the nation, and during that time he captured the country in his many photographs.
At an exhibition of Hagen's photos going on the Nepal Art Council, Babar Mahal, one will get to see how Nepal looked in 1950s. Organized by the Nepal Heritage Society (NHS) on the occasion of the 38th World Tourism day, the exhibition has pictures taken by Hagen in 1950s, maps drawn by him, and also a few of his personal photographs - at work, with family and at other function.
The photo exhibition was jointly inaugurated by Swiss Ambassador Jorg Frieden and NHS President Ambika Shrestha. One will be amazed to see the Nepal of 1950s. People have become so used to the crowd and pollution, it is amazing to see a Capital with very less people and no concrete buildings in the photos. There are a few photos of Bagmati River at Sankhamul. The river is much bigger than with clean water. Boudha, which is crowded place with restaurants and shops, is just a few huts surrounding the main Boudha Stupa in Hagen's photos; there is only farming land surrounding the Stupa.
An aerial photo of Kathmandu Valley today would show concrete buildings, but Hagen's photo show sparse settlement and barren farming land.
Not just the Capital, Hagen has captured place from the mountains to Terai, and lifestyles of ethnic communities there. Hagen has also captured Nepal's geography, natural beauty together with socio-economic, cultural and religious aspects of people of that time.
A total of 127 pictures taken by Hagen have been put up on display, and also nine maps drawn by him which include sites needing suspension bridges, trade trails, sites for hydroelectric plants and others.

A. Match the expressions in column 'A' with their right continuation in column 'B'. (4x1=4)

Column 'A'	Column 'B'
a. Toni Hagen	i. was organized by Nepal Heritages Society.
b. The Photo exhibition	ii. had gone on a trip of 14000 km.
c. In a photo, the Bagmati	iii. was surrounded by farming land.
d. Boudha Stupa	iv. looked much bigger with clean water.

C. Answer the following questions. (3x2=6)
a. Who inaugurated Hagen's photo exhibition? b. How would aerial photo of modern Kathmandu differ from Hagen's Kathmandu? c. Write any four aspects of the then Nepalese society that were captured by Hagen.

Answer checked by Claude Sonnet · Oct 21, 2026

• CDC Class 10 Compulsory English model paper · 15 marks

13.

Seto Dharti
Amar Neupane's Seto Dharti is a fantastic piece of artwork. Tara, Pabitra, and other child widows are central characters in this book.
The main plot revolves around Tara's life. She married when she was seven years old. She had no idea what love was then. Her own parents lied to her and forced her to remain in the Jaggya (wedding pavilion) claiming that they were worshipping God at home. She was taken to her home and told that she needed to go to the temple. She didn't find out until the day after her wedding that she was marrying to someone she had never met before. She was sound asleep when it came time to execute the marriage rites. It was as if she were in a dream. She cried a lot as she thought of her mother. Her mother advised her on the dos and don'ts of becoming a daughter-in-law. She had to stay in her husband's house for a year. It was very painful for her to stay there. After a year, she moved into her maternal home. She lost her husband when she was nine years old. She was invited to her home without being informed of her husband's demise. She learned that her husband had died as soon as she arrived home. Despite the fact that he was a stranger in her life, she had to observe all the funeral rites. That was the first time she'd seen her husband's face on his deathbed. Then she was taken to the ghat that was on fire. Her jewelry as well as her clothing was taken away. Her head was shaved and she had to remain in mourning for thirteen days.
Towards the end of her life, she arrived in Devghat where she dedicated her life to God. She saw Govind's image in the Swamiji there. Gobind was one of her childhood friends. He had taught her how to read and write.
Once a lady called Gangeswari visited Devghat Ashram. She became popular as a result of her experience and the wealth she took with her. Gangeswari visited Tara's hut one night and unveiled her identity. She was Pabitra, Tara's childhood friend. Pabitra told her how she went through various stages of life before becoming Gangeswari.
The novel depicts the difficulties Tara faced in her life. The novel tells her life from the time she was born till she turned 87. My throat choked several times while reading this book. It portrays an image of social evil and its negative effects on the lives of many Taras and Pabitras in Nepali society.

A. Match the words from the text in Column A with their meanings in Column B. (5×1 = 5)

Column A	Column B
a. execute	i. a person's death
b. demise	ii. reveal or uncover something
c. rites	iii. put completely into effect
d. mourning	iv. the feeling or expression of reverence for a deity
e. unveil	v. social customs or conventional acts
	vi. the expression of sorrow for someone's death

B. Write 'True' for the true statements and 'False' for the false ones. (5×1 = 5)
a. Tara is a main character in the novel Seto Dharti. b. Tara had learnt that she was married when Tara went to her husband's home. c. Tara first saw her husband a year after her marriage. d. Tara started teaching people the meaning of life in Debghat. e. Gangeswori was the false name of Pabitra.
C. Answer the following questions. (5×1 = 5)
a. Write the names of characters in Seto Dharti as mentioned in the review. b. How long did Tara have to stay in her husband's house? c. What rituals did Tara have to follow after her husband's death? d. Why do you think Tara saw the image of Gobind in Swamiji? e. Why did the writer feel choked while reading the novel?

Answer checked by Claude Sonnet · Oct 21, 2026