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Amarnath: WBCHSE Class 11 English MCQs
Get summaries, questions, answers, solutions, extra MCQs, PDF for Sister Nivedita’s Amarnath: WBCHSE Class 11 English Literature textbook A Realm of English (B) Selection, which is part of the Semester I syllabus for students studying under WBBSE (West Bengal Board-Uccha Madhyamik). These solutions, however, should only be treated as references and can be modified/changed.
If you notice any errors in the notes, please mention them in the comments
Summary
During a meal in the Mogul Gardens, Swami Vivekananda announced he would join the pilgrimage to Amarnath and take the author with him. Preparations were made, and they joined the large, orderly groups of pilgrims traveling through Kashmir. The pilgrims would set up camp quickly each evening, creating a temporary town with a street where people could buy food. Swami Vivekananda’s tent became a center of activity, attracting hundreds of monks who would gather to speak with him all day.
The monks often had discussions with Swami Vivekananda. They were focused on spiritual matters and did not understand his interest in worldly affairs or his sympathy for Muslims. They argued that the soil of Punjab was “drenched with the blood of those who had died for the faith.” This was their way of saying that many Hindus had died there in religious conflicts. Swami Vivekananda, however, was a man ahead of his time. He pointed out that the main official of the pilgrimage was a Muslim, and no one objected to him or other Muslim staff entering the holy cave.
The final part of the journey was through beautiful but difficult mountain paths. The pilgrims walked through pine forests and then past the snow line to reach a steep gorge. Inside this gorge was the Cave of Amarnath. Within the cave, in a spot where sunlight never reaches, was a great pillar of ice. This ice pillar is a sacred symbol of the god Siva. Swami Vivekananda had followed all the rituals of the pilgrimage, and when he entered the cave, he felt he was seeing Siva himself.
Overcome with emotion, he knelt for a few moments and then quietly left. He later said that in the cave, he received the gift of Amar, which meant he would not die until he chose to. The pilgrimage ended on the day of a special festival. Swami Vivekananda was deeply moved by the experience. He often thought about how shepherds must have first found the cave by accident. For the rest of his life, he treasured the memory of entering the mountain cave and feeling he had come face to face with God
Textbook MCQ solutions
1. The soil of Punjab was flooded with the blood of the people who died for
a) Love
b) The land
c) The faith
d) Other people
Answer: c) The faith
2. The word ” other worldliness ” means
a) Animal world
b) An other world
c) Relating to a world other than the actual world
d) A new world
Answer: c) Relating to a world other than the actual world
Additional MCQs
1. The Swami’s sudden announcement that he would go to Amarnath was made during a meal at:
A. Islamabad
B. The Mogul Gardens at Achhabal
C. Pahlgam
D. The banks of a frozen river
Answer: B. The Mogul Gardens at Achhabal
2. What was the only trace left behind by the thousands of pilgrims after they broke camp before dawn?
A. Discarded belongings
B. The remains of their tents
C. Footprints in the field
D. The ashes of their cooking-fires
Answer: D. The ashes of their cooking-fires
3. In the bazaar that traveled with the pilgrims, what could one buy?
A. Dried fruits, milk, dahls, and rice
B. Woven cloths and religious icons
C. Tents and camping equipment
D. Spices, vegetables, and meat
Answer: A. Dried fruits, milk, dahls, and rice
4. The Swami’s influence among the hundreds of monks was described as being:
A. Minimal
B. Authoritative
C. Magnetic
D. Controversial
Answer: C. Magnetic
5. According to some monks, the soil of the Punjaub was drenched with the blood of those who had died for:
A. The land
B. Their families
C. The faith
D. The king
Answer: C. The faith
6. The Tehsildar, who was an officer of the pilgrimage, was a:
A. Hindu priest
B. Mussulman
C. Foreign dignitary
D. Buddhist monk
Answer: B. Mussulman
7. The pilgrimage camp halted for a day at Pahlgam in order to:
A. Keep ekadasi
B. Wait for more pilgrims to arrive
C. Trade with the local shepherds
D. Resupply on food and water
Answer: A. Keep ekadasi
8. Pahlgam, where the camp halted for a day, is described as:
A. A bustling city
B. A dense jungle
C. A barren desert
D. The village of the shepherds
Answer: D. The village of the shepherds
9. On the second night of the final march towards the cave, the great camp-fire was made of:
A. Pine wood
B. Juniper
C. Dried animal dung
D. Peat moss
Answer: B. Juniper
10. What was seen shining in a niche inside the Cave of Amarnath?
A. A golden statue
B. A sacred flame
C. A great ice-lingam
D. An ancient manuscript
Answer: C. A great ice-lingam
11. What gift did the Swami feel he received from Siva inside the cave?
A. The gift of Amar, not to die until he willed it
B. The ability to see the future
C. A promise of immense wealth
D. The power to heal the sick
Answer: A. The gift of Amar, not to die until he willed it
12. The pilgrimage culminates on the great day of:
A. Diwali
B. Holi
C. Ekadasi
D. Rakhibandhan
Answer: D. Rakhibandhan
13. In the Swami’s imaginative telling, who did he suppose first discovered the Amarnath Cave?
A. A wandering monk
B. A party of shepherds
C. A royal hunting party
D. A group of soldiers
Answer: B. A party of shepherds
14. The Swami felt that the purity and whiteness of the ice-pillar had revealed the cavern to him as:
A. The secret of Kailas
B. The gateway to heaven
C. The heart of the mountain
D. The origin of the river
Answer: A. The secret of Kailas
15. What color were the monks’ tents?
A. Blue
B. White
C. Saffron/Ochre
D. Green
Answer: C. Saffron/Ochre
16. What did the Tehsildar and a group of his friends later ask of the Swami?
A. For a private blessing
B. To lead the next pilgrimage
C. For a donation to their community
D. To be formally accepted as his disciples
Answer: D. To be formally accepted as his disciples
17. During the final sacrament of the pilgrimage, what was tied to the wrists of the participants?
A. White silk ribbons
B. Red and yellow threads
C. Braided leather cords
D. A single black string
Answer: B. Red and yellow threads
18. The word “other worldliness” means:
A. Animal world
B. An other world
C. Relating to a world other than the actual world
D. A new world
Answer: C. Relating to a world other than the actual world
19. Which of the following statements about the pilgrimage camp is NOT true?
A. A bazaar was set up at each halting place with incredible rapidity.
B. The Tehsildar’s tent was often a social centre.
C. A broad street would form where one could buy food like dried fruits and rice.
D. The camp was disorganized and chaotic.
Answer: D. The camp was disorganized and chaotic.
20. Which of the following was NOT a part of the Swami’s experience on the pilgrimage?
A. He bathed in the ice-cold waters of five streams.
B. He argued with the State officer about the route.
C. He was surrounded by learned monks at every halting place.
D. He felt he received the gift of Amar from Siva.
Answer: B. He argued with the State officer about the route.
21. Which of the following statements about the monks’ discussions with the Swami is NOT accurate?
A. They argued that the soil of Punjaub was drenched with the blood of martyrs.
B. They struggled to understand the Swami’s sympathy for Mohammedanism.
C. They believed that even foreigners were men and all were of Siva.
D. They readily agreed with the Swami on making distinctions between Swadesh and bidesh.
Answer: D. They readily agreed with the Swami on making distinctions between Swadesh and bidesh.
22. Which of the following descriptions of the journey to the Amarnath Cave is NOT correct?
A. The path was a well-maintained, regular pathway all the way to the cave.
B. The great camp-fire was made of juniper wood.
C. The pilgrims camped in a pine-wood on the first day of the final march.
D. The cave itself is situated in a boulder-strewn gorge.
Answer: A. The path was a well-maintained, regular pathway all the way to the cave.
23. Which of the following statements about the people on the pilgrimage is NOT true?
A. The Tehsildar in charge of arrangements was a Mussulman.
B. The Swami was accompanied by his “daughter”.
C. The pilgrims objected to the Mussulman officers entering the holy cave.
D. The Tehsildar later asked to become a disciple of the Swami.
Answer: C. The pilgrims objected to the Mussulman officers entering the holy cave.
24. Which of the following events did NOT occur during the pilgrimage?
A. The camp halted at Pahlgam for a day to keep ekadasi.
B. The pilgrims’ wrists were tied with red and yellow threads on Rakhibandhan.
C. The Swami delivered a long sermon to the pilgrims inside the cave.
D. The pilgrims saw the last of human dwellings at Pahlgam.
Answer: C. The Swami delivered a long sermon to the pilgrims inside the cave.
25. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as being available for purchase in the camp bazaar?
A. Milk
B. Dried fruits
C. Fresh vegetables
D. Dahls and rice
Answer: C. Fresh vegetables
26. Which of the following statements about the Swami’s experience is NOT true?
A. He believed the cavern revealed to him the secret of Kailas.
B. The decision to go on the pilgrimage was made suddenly at Islamabad.
C. He cherished the memory of coming face to face with the Lord Himself.
D. He felt that the purity of the ice-pillar had startled and enwrapt him.
Answer: B. The decision to go on the pilgrimage was made suddenly at Islamabad.
27. The sudden announcement to go on the pilgrimage was made in the Mogul Gardens at __________.
A. Islamabad
B. Pahlgam
C. Achhabal
D. Pawan
Answer: C. Achhabal
28. The camp halted for a day at Pahlgam to keep __________.
A. Rakhibandhan
B. ekadasi
C. a special fast
D. a local festival
Answer: B. ekadasi
29. The great camp-fire, made at a high altitude, used __________ for fuel.
A. pine wood
B. dried leaves
C. juniper
D. collected twigs
Answer: C. juniper
30. The official who was a Mussulman and later asked to be a disciple was the __________.
A. State officer
B. Tehsildar
C. Head Monk
D. Camp organizer
Answer: B. Tehsildar
31. The Swami said that in the cave he had received from Siva the gift of __________, meaning not to die until he willed it.
A. Kailas
B. Moksha
C. Amar
D. Bidesh
Answer: C. Amar
32. The only trace the thousands of pilgrims left of their occupation in a field was the __________.
A. flattened grass
B. leftover food
C. ashes of their cooking-fires
D. discarded belongings
Answer: C. ashes of their cooking-fires
33. Some monks argued with the Swami because they could not understand his warmth and sympathy for __________.
A. foreigners
B. the State officer
C. Mohammedanism
D. the other pilgrims
Answer: C. Mohammedanism
34. The pilgrimage culminates on the great day of __________, when threads are tied on wrists.
A. Ekadasi
B. Amarnath Jayanti
C. Mahadev Puja
D. Rakhibandhan
Answer: D. Rakhibandhan
35. The monks’ tents, some no larger than a good-sized umbrella, were of __________ color.
A. Gerrua
B. White
C. Blue
D. Black
Answer: A. Gerrua
36. The place described as the “village of the shepherds” was __________.
A. Islamabad
B. Achhabal
C. Pawan
D. Pahlgam
Answer: D. Pahlgam
37. The Swami imagined that the Amarnath Cave was first discovered by __________.
A. a group of monks
B. a party of shepherds
C. a lone State officer
D. an ancient pilgrim
Answer: B. a party of shepherds
38. The great ice-lingam was situated in a niche that was never reached by __________.
A. pilgrims
B. sunlight
C. animals
D. moonlight
Answer: B. sunlight
39. The Swami was described as ‘an anachronism of the __________’ for his forward-thinking views.
A. past
B. present
C. future
D. moment
Answer: C. future
40. Before reaching the cave, the Swami bathed in the ice-cold waters of __________ streams in succession.
A. two
B. three
C. four
D. five
Answer: D. five
41. (I) The Swami’s influence appeared to be magnetic.
(II) Learned monks swarmed about him at every halting place, filling his tent.
A. I is a contradiction of II.
B. I is independent of II.
C. II is an example of I.
D. II is the cause of I.
Answer: C. II is an example of I.
42. (I) Some monks argued that the soil of the Punjaub was drenched with the blood of those who had died for the faith.
(II) They urged the Swami to practise a narrow orthodoxy in that region.
A. I is the reason for II.
B. II is a contradiction of I.
C. I is an effect of II.
D. I and II are independent statements.
Answer: A. I is the reason for II.
43. (I) The Swami received the gift of Amar, meaning he would not die until he willed it.
(II) This fulfilled a childhood presentiment that he would meet death in a Siva temple amongst the mountains.
A. I is a contradiction of II.
B. I is independent of II.
C. II is the cause of I.
D. I is the cause of II.
Answer: D. I is the cause of II.
44. (I) The Tehsildar’s tent was placed near an advantageous spot for lighting the evening fire.
(II) His neighbourhood tended to form a social centre.
A. I is the result of II.
B. I is a contradiction of II.
C. I is the cause for II.
D. I is independent of II.
Answer: C. I is the cause for II.
45. (I) The monks urged the Swami not to make distinctions between Swadesh (one’s own country) and bidesh (a foreign country).
(II) The same monks urged him to maintain a distinction between Hindus and Mohammedans.
A. I is an example of II.
B. II is a contradiction of the principle in I.
C. I is the cause of II.
D. II is an explanation for I.
Answer: B. II is a contradiction of the principle in I.
46. (I) As the Swami entered the cave, it seemed to him as if he saw Siva made visible.
(II) He was afraid that emotion might overcome him, so he quickly and silently withdrew.
A. I is independent of II.
B. I is the cause for II.
C. II is the cause for I.
D. I is a contradiction of II.
Answer: B. I is the cause for II.
47. Statement 1: The pilgrimage camp was described as very quiet and orderly.
Statement 2: The pitching of tents and opening of shops took place with incredible rapidity, and organization appeared to be instinctive.
A. Statement 1 is false, but Statement 2 is true.
B. Statement 2 provides an explanation for Statement 1.
C. Both statements are false.
D. Statement 1 is a contradiction of Statement 2.
Answer: B. Statement 2 provides an explanation for Statement 1.
48. (I) The Swami suddenly announced that he would go to Amarnath with the pilgrims.
(II) Preparations went forward for this unique experience.
A. I is the result of II.
B. I is independent of II.
C. I is a contradiction of II.
D. I is the cause for II.
Answer: D. I is the cause for II.
