The Garden of Solitude MCQs

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Author: Nasir Iqbal | Assistant Professor of English Literature


Updated on: November 26, 2025
Estimated Reading Time: 16 min

The Garden of Solitude MCQs

1. What was Mahanandju’s cherished grooming item?

A. Ancestral mirror
B. Shaving kit
C. Wooden chest
D. Four shirts

B. Shaving kit.
The shaving kit was a cherished item gifted by his father and was described as Made In England.

2. Why did Mahanandju stop smoking the hookah?

A. Persistent cough
B. Habib asked him
C. Cold winter days
D. Religious observance

A. Persistent cough.
Mahanandju gave up smoking his hookah some years before, after suffering a bout of persistent cough.

3. Where did Gulabju’s teacher’s family teach the Vedas?

A. Bhejbehara school
B. Mattan temple
C. Yarbal ghat
D. Sanskrit College

A. Bhejbehara school.
Gulabju’s tutor came from a scholarly family who taught the Vedas near Bhejbehara.

4. What name did Gulabju adopt upon returning to Kashmir?

A. Doctor Sahib
B. Michael Bawm
C. Lasa Bawm
D. Gulabju Pandit

B. Michael Bawm.
After returning from his long travels outside Kashmir, Gulabju called himself ‘Michael Bawm’.
5. Which fear tormented Sridar in his boyhood?

A. Army convoys
B. Losing cricket
C. Doctor Noorjan
D. Void in heart

B. Losing cricket.
Sridar feared India losing to Pakistan in cricket, the street dog, and Muslim circumcision.

6. Where did Dr Noorjan perform circumcisions?

A. Street corner
B. Kashmir Liberation Front
C. Noor Medical Hall
D. Wooden benches

C. Noor Medical Hall.
Dr Noorjan circumcised boys at the Noor Medical Hall, lining them up on wooden benches.

7. What career path did Sridar aspire to follow early in life?

A. English teacher
B. Medical doctor
C. Poet/writer
D. Cricket player

C. Poet/writer.
Sridar developed an interest in books early in life and wanted to become a writer.

8. What was the subject of Sridar’s most recurrent dream?

A. Snow falling
B. His own death
C. Lost words
D. Grandpa’s promise

B. His own death.
Sridar’s most recurrent dream was about seeing himself dying before finishing an essay.

9. How often did people typically bathe during the severe winter months?

A. Once a month
B. Once a week
C. Every day
D. Not mentioned

A. Once a month.
In the cold winters, people generally bathed only once a month in the mornings.
10. What activity occurred at Eidgah besides celebrations and sports?

A. Burning chimneys
B. Digging graves
C. Tibetan singing
D. Plucking chestnuts

D. Plucking chestnuts.
At Eidgah, youngsters played, celebrated Eid, flew kites, and urchins plucked water chestnuts from a pond.

11. What academic subject did Professor Wakhlu teach in his tuition classes?

A. English literature
B. Geometry and algebra
C. Vedic philosophy
D. History of Kashmir

B. Geometry and algebra.
Professor Wakhlu taught tuition classes for Mathematics, scribbling notes on algebra and geometry.

12. Why did people refer to the goon as Billa Puj?

A. He had a butcher’s shop
B. His brother was a militant
C. He had blue eyes
D. He wore jeans

C. He had blue eyes.
He was called Billa because of his blue eyes, and everyone feared this local goon.

13. What happened to Professor Wakhlu after Billa Puj’s visit?

A. Went on vacation
B. Suddenly disappeared
C. Started a new class
D. Settled an old score

B. Suddenly disappeared.
Professor Wakhlu and his wife left very early the next morning after the visit and never returned.

14. What weapons did the code names Chhakir and Rof refer to?

A. Swords and knives
B. Grenades and pistols
C. Kalashnikov and AK-47
D. Sticks and stones

C. Kalashnikov and AK-47.
Sridar’s classmate Hilal invented Chhakir and Rof as code names for the Kalashnikov and AK-47.
15. What primarily caused the separation between the Gani brothers, Abdul and Afsal?

A. Financial disputes
B. Wives’ squabbles
C. Graveyard business
D. Mahanandju’s advice

B. Wives’ squabbles.
Frequent squabbles between the Gani brothers’ wives contributed to their animosity, leading to their separation.

16. What concerned Abdul Gani regarding the division of families?

A. Mahanandju’s reward
B. Pious Muslim duty
C. Brother’s hatred
D. Winning rich families

B. Pious Muslim duty.
Abdul Gani questioned if the family division was appropriate for a pious and God-fearing Muslim.

17. What did Abdul Gani suggest the Pandits should do during the coming agitation?

A. Launch agitation
B. Wait patiently
C. Join or leave
D. Consult the priest

C. Join or leave.
In Mahanandju’s dream, Gani advised Pandits to either join the movement or leave Kashmir.

18. What was the real reason for Basharat’s disappearance from home?

A. Training in weapons
B. Eloped with girl
C. Started a business
D. Attended college

A. Training in weapons.
Basharat went across the border to undergo training in handling weapons for liberation.

19. Who was Wangnoo, the Pandit killed in broad daylight in Lal Chowk?

A. College professor
B. High court judge
C. Militant informant
D. Local leader

B. High court judge.
Wangnoo had been a judge and was killed outside the court in Lal Chowk in broad daylight.
20. What was the hidden significance of the names announced on Radio Azad Kashmir?

A. Song requests
B. Political leaders
C. Camp arrivals
D. Shop owners

C. Camp arrivals.
The names announced were secretly those who had reached the militant training camps in Azad Kashmir.

21. What specific activity did Lasa and Ali regularly do together on Fridays?

A. Went to the mosque
B. Walked on Bund
C. Attended tuition
D. Sipped kehva

B. Walked on Bund.
Lasa and Ali had been friends for a long time and walked on the Bund every Friday.

22. What popular slogan did the “V” sign symbolize during the funeral procession?

A. Victory sign
B. Long live India
C. Azadi (Freedom)
D. Peace sign

C. Azadi (Freedom).
Everyone in the minibus raised fingers to form a ‘V’ sign upon hearing the ‘Azadi’ slogans.

23. How did Ali convince the hawker to give him two dozen free oranges?

A. Mentioned Lasa
B. Used a weapon
C. Feigned militant affiliation
D. Offered higher price

C. Feigned militant affiliation.
Ali pretended to be from the tanzeem (militant group) to intimidate the hawker for free oranges.

24. According to Nilkanth, what indicated the danger for Pandits in Kashmir?

A. Lack of food
B. Threatening looks
C. Too much snow
D. Hit list existence

B. Threatening looks.
Nilkanth felt respect was gone, noting the threatening and menacing looks in Muslim friends’ eyes.
25. Where did the young men conceal the two black tin trunks?

A. Haakh saplings
B. Under mattresses
C. Septic tank pit
D. Graveyard plot

C. Septic tank pit.
The men buried the black tin trunks in the pit of the newly constructed septic tank.

26. Where did Abdul Gani’s eldest son, Basharat, lose his life?

A. Nalle-e-Maer
B. Lal Chowk
C. Across the border
D. Eidgah graveyard

C. Across the border.
Abdul Gani heard of Basharat’s death; he was killed while crossing over to Azad Kashmir.

27. How did Mukhtiar meet his death shortly after his brother, Basharat?

A. Stray bullet
B. Crossfire injury
C. Landmine blast
D. Killed by army

A. Stray bullet.
Mukhtiar died in crossfire at Nalle-e-Maer after being hit instantly by a stray bullet.

28. What was the general condition of Gulakhar’s house where Nusrat lived?

A. Newly renovated
B. Broken and dilapidated
C. Across Yarbal
D. Near the mosque

B. Broken and dilapidated.
Gulakhar and his daughters lived in abject poverty in a dilapidated house with a broken roof.

29. What was Tota Maecz’s defining characteristic in the neighbourhood?

A. Beautiful appearance
B. Mental disability
C. Knitted sweaters
D. Sold candyfloss

B. Mental disability.
Tota Maecz, the ironsmith’s eldest daughter, was born with a mental disability.
30. Where did Sridar finally succeed in holding Nusrat’s hand for the first time?

A. Eidgah festival
B. Dark alleyway
C. Juma’s shop
D. College Road

B. Dark alleyway.
Sridar caught Nusrat’s trembling hand in a dark alley at Gani’s courtyard on Eid.

31. What specific type of treat did Mahanandju regularly keep for Sridar?

A. Candyfloss
B. Nuts and shireen
C. Roasted potatoes
D. Kashmiri tea

B. Nuts and shireen.
Mahanandju’s pocket was always filled with secret goodies like dates, raisins, almonds, and shireen.

32. How did the regular presence of army convoys affect Pandit-Muslim relationships?

A. Increased trust
B. Shattered love
C. Encouraged trade
D. Reduced violence

B. Shattered love.
Fear ruled the hearts of Pandits, shattering the close bonds and love shared with Muslims.

33. What popular media were enjoyed by the community during the old peaceful days?

A. Bollywood films
B. Radio drama
C. Political speeches
D. Evening news

B. Radio drama.
People sat close to their radios every morning, listening to episodes of the drama ‘Zoon Dab’.

34. What did the youth adopt the primary and universal slogan during the uprising?

A. Nizam-e-Mustafa
B. Glory to martyrs
C. Freedom from India
D. Fight for justice

C. Freedom from India.
There was only one slogan on people’s lips: ‘Freedom from India! Free Kashmir!’.
35. Where did a stone pelting incident escalate into a tragic massacre?

A. Lal Chowk
B. Nawa Kadal
C. Zero Bridge
D. Shankaracharya temple

C. Zero Bridge.
A stone pelting incident during a funeral procession led to a massacre at the Zero Bridge.

36. What community did the girl who drowned in the Jhelum belong to?

A. Pandit family
B. Tibetan refugee
C. Haenz (boat dweller)
D. Local politician

C. Haenz (boat dweller).
Early that morning at Yarbal, a haenz girl, belonging to the boat-dwelling community, drowned herself.

37. What was the actual cause of the haenz girl’s death according to Bashir Dar?

A. Raped by a soldier
B. Militant sacrifice
C. Father strangled her
D. Commìtted suicide

C. Father strangled her.
The girl’s father, upon hearing about the Afghan, strangled her and pushed her body into the Jhelum.

38. What act led to Dr Leelawati being killed by the militants at Mattan?

A. Informing the army
B. Charging fees
C. Ignoring warnings
D. Treating Pandits

B. Charging fees.
Dr Leelawati was killed for not obeying the militant diktat to stop charging fees for treating injured militants.

39. What was Amarnath’s former occupation before his retirement?

A. History lecturer
B. Eminent scholar
C. College doctor
D. Newspaper editor

A. History lecturer.
Amarnath, Lasa’s friend, had retired ten years earlier as a lecturer of history.
40. For which governmental body did Hira Lal work, leading to his kidnapping suspicion?

A. Police department
B. Border Security Force
C. Ration ghat
D. Local bank

B. Border Security Force.
Hira Lal worked for the Border Security Force (BSF) at Shiva Pora, making him a militant target.

41. What purpose did the almanac, called Nechhipater, serve for the family?

A. Political predictions
B. Planning rituals
C. Educational advice
D. History lessons

B. Planning rituals.
The Nechhipater was necessary for the family to plan their fasts and observe important rituals.

42. Who abandoned their eldèrly parents at Yarbal during the departure from Kashmir?

A. Mahanandju’s family
B. Kaul brothers
C. Gani brothers
D. Hira Lal’s sons

B. Kaul brothers.
Ramju and Maharaj Kaul left their old parents behind when they departed from Kashmir.

43. Where did Poshtu Mot, the Sufi saint, originally live before moving to Nawa Kadal?

A. Nawa Kadal
B. Aharbal cave
C. Reshipeer shrine
D. Tourist Centre

B. Aharbal cave.
Poshtu Mot lived the life of a recluse in a cave near the waterfall at Aharbal.

44. What future event did Poshtu Mot prophesy regarding the Pandits’ descendants?

A. Returning to temples
B. Planting saplings
C. Finding glory
D. Stopping dreams

B. Planting saplings.
Poshtu Mot predicted that the children of their children would return and plant saplings.
45. What was the official designation given to the migrating Pandits in government documents?

A. Homeless refugees
B. Displaced community
C. Internally Displaced Migrants
D. Asylum seekers

C. Internally Displaced Migrants.
In official documents and records, the Pandits were referred to as ‘Internally Displaced Migrants’.

46. What specific item did Pamposh frequently collect near the roadside water tanks?

A. Lost coins
B. Kerosene cans
C. Cigarette butts
D. Wooden planks

C. Cigarette butts.
Pamposh collected half-smoked cigarettes and discarded cigarette butts, treasuring them in his pheran pocket.

47. What specific area did Panun Kashmir demand as a homeland for Pandits?

A. Jammu region
B. Entire Kashmir Valley
C. East and North Jhelum
D. Ladakh mountains

C. East and North Jhelum.
Panun Kashmir demanded a homeland for Pandits in Kashmir, East and North of the river Jhelum.

48. What was the central topic of Mahanandju’s father’s book, published in Italy?

A. Kashmir Vedic Society
B. Snake worshippers clan
C. European travels
D. Sanskrit texts

B. Snake worshippers clan.
The book was about a clan of snake worshippers who disappeared during a social revolt against traditions.

49. What title did Sridar decide upon for the book he planned to write?

A. Garden of Solitude
B. Book of Ancestors
C. Lost Time
D. The Wanderer

B. Book of Ancestors.
Sridar wanted to write a book about the lost community, titled ‘The Book of Ancestors’.
50. How did Tota Maecz, the mentally disabled girl, finally meet her end?

A. Roof collapse
B. Stray bullet
C. Mental illness
D. Starvation

B. Stray bullet.
Tota died eight years prior, hit by a stray bullet during a crossfire that raged in their street.

Brief Overview

The Garden of Solitude is a novel by Siddhartha Gigoo. It was first published in 2010. It is a semi-autobiographical novel that details the trauma and displacement of the Kashmiri Pandit community during the armed insurgency and political turmoil of the 1990s.

The main story follows a Kashmiri Pandit family. It focuses on the experiences of the young boy Sridar, his father Lasa, and his grandfather Mahanandju. They lived simply in their home in Srinagar, Kashmir.

Militancy started in the Kashmir Valley. Violence quickly increased, and people were killed. Soon, aggressive slogans demanded that the Pandits leave Kashmir. Lasa was warned that the situation had become extremely dangerous.

In January 1990, Sridar’s family suddenly fled their home. They migrated to Jammu, where they lived as exiles in makeshift refugee camps. Life there was chaotic and filled with hopelessness. The élderly people suffered greatly and began to lose their memories.

Sridar grew up to be a writer. He began searching for his lost identity and ancestral history. Years after the migration, Sridar returned to his old house in Srinagar. He found his former home occupied by a Muslim family. He witnessed the widespread destruction and learned that many of his old friends had tragically died.

Sridar realized that he was now only a tourist in his homeland. He wrote a book, The Book of Ancestors, to record the forgotten stories and the deep suffering of his displaced community.

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