This has nothing to do with nostalgia as this is a recent journey, as new as it can be as I have only just got down at the Hazrat Nizzamuddin station and is walking out of the Station.
We started two days back in an evening from the Trichur Station after doing our home work for a two day journey. That took half a day. Kept on waiting at the station platform for half an hour and at the appointed time the train crawled in. Before that we had to ascertain our coach position to know approximately where to wait. We had to go over the overhead path, go to the first platform and go over to the front side portion of the main building to know where the coach will be. Ours is the largest Railway in the world!!
If by any means one does not know the coach position, and the coach is far far from the individual standing, he or she will suffer for it, to enter the coach at a farther place, by running with the luggage or entering another coach and passing through the inside to the consternation of the passengers in every coach or lose the train the itself, but not being able to enter it. If there is a computerised notice board in every platform showing the coach positions, this harassment can be avoided altogether. But, the authorities are yet to give it a thought!
So, I went over looked at the coach position, came back pulled my luggage to the 13th position to enter my 10th coach! I was exhausted as most of the passengers are when they enter the Sleeper class. One has to be very much awake to enter and settle in the sleeper class!!
Here there is paradox everywhere. A class in which one has to be very alert is called the sleeper class! But then, of course, almost everybody sleeps after dinner and that is the only way to spend time, when you have to travel 44 hours at a stretch. In a coach mentioning to sit and sleep 72, there will always be more people and there will also be small item sellers and a couple of wayside circus doing little families, whose little children will perform one or two acrobatic feats and ask for money or alms, what ever you think it is!
This class in which I was travelling was called second sleeper. But, there is no first sleeper. First is an air conditioned class, called first AC, and followed by a second AC and third AC. This is almost like
the air planes Club Class, Business Class and Economy etc. So, all kinds of people were in and some of them brought huge number of luggage and wanted to push it to every cavity. The trains have improved from the olden times in time saving, in that, they stop at stations only for a few minutes these days! Olden days I remembered, they stopped for more time at large stations and at Junctions they stayed put for half an hour, by which time, the travellers could get out and have dinner or lunch or breakfast according to the time, from the stations' vegetarian or non vegetarian food halls and get back. This was an old time luxury allowed to the passengers in olden days! Alas, now we want to economise on time and that facility is not there now. One has to be careful to get out of the train in that, the individual will be responsible if the train left and he got lost in transit. There may also be other trains looking similar in immediate next tracks, so one has to be careful to keep an eye on his own train to get into it without getting into another train by mistake!
These are only my anxieties. All the passengers, as I have found, were well knowledgeable and always was in their place all the time. The train squeaked, and moved and started making a rythm. My prayer whenever I travel is that God allow me the company of Satwick people who ever they may be, what ever their religion. Whenever this did not happen, I consider that journey as hell! Here since I was praying I was sure my prayer will be answered. We had a side berth each to me and my wife, and we occupied the two seats by the windows. On the inner side where three three berths faced each other, there was a family of three on one side and a family of five on the other with the bigger family having more than normal luggage. They had a huge water can and a another huge food drum. When huge families with paraphernalia came they mostly spoke among themselves and others are left out. We were aloof in any case. An then came an angel in the form of an anguished man. He was a middle aged gentleman exuding confidence, but slightly ruffled, as it seemed to me, with long journeys. He was anxious of getting a berth from the Conductor, who is the TTE and was awaiting him. Since he could not find his exact seat until the TTE came and helped him I invited him to settle down near us so that we could converse on language and literature and also criticise the Indian Railways as everybody did when travelling on trains.
He was a Teacher, that too, an expert in Malayalam and again teaching that subject to children of a far off State, Haryana. That was strange to me and Malayalam was a subject I liked to talk about! I understood, that he is the answer to my prayer! Since he was worried about the berth, I told him, if you don't get a berth, make bed near our place as there was no other place to go if he does not get his berth, at that point of time. He jovially said, looks like that have to be done as a last resort. But the TTE said he would come and get me a seat as I am way ahead in reservation against cancellations, here lovingly called RAC.
True, the TTE came and allotted him a seat in the next section itself and this was very convenient to both of us. He came from the Ottappalam Station of Palghat district and was returning after executing some important household works, in his annual vacation time. He was a young gentleman who was a well wisher of all whom he met. That was me too. We started with educational arrangements in the School in which he taught Malayalam. That was a Navodaya Vidyalaya in Haryana. A few more hours journey from Delhi. The climate initially was very pleasant upto Bhopal, where after it started becoming hot and humid and by the time, we reached it was steamy and everybody was tired!
The surroundings of the seats where we settled were not too very good. But that can be suffered in a Sleeper class. The berths or the sleeping arrangements for us is one of us in the lower berths formed by the two seats put together and on the upside berth, naturally me, as my wife settled down in the lower berth, had to climb up. I did so to inspect the same wiped the dust out with a cloth which we all ways carried, thanks to my wife (I generally carry nothing), and lied down to rest. The length of the berth in the side berths are smaller among all the berths and is generally measuring five feet seven. I can just fit into it, but if I wanted to lift up my legs this is a convenient place as there are wooden path sides. The only problem in this berths, one does not get enough air and in the hot summer one gets dehydrated.
I slept to the rocking of the train, with its wheel grinding song and the rail changing (changing the tracks) drum beats.Sometime after the middle of the night I scrambled down to go to the urinal which was a feat which I had done when I was twenty in my first long journey! As the train was overbooked people slept in all places including the floors. I had to tip toe among them to reach the toilet and come back. One more set of sleep, it is morning in Madhyapradesh. Some shrewd people men or women come begging (ofcourse they are in need!), inside the coach. But it depends on ones conscience to give them any thing. Many people have different opinions about them. But no harm in giving them something! What ever any one gives, will not make much harm to them, as the whole amount one will part with will only be a pittance, but the receivers at times bless you profusely !
This is one good part of many of us Indians, we bless others when they do a good turn. When they bless from their heart is God who hears their blessings and loosens His purse strings!
Then there are all types of food sellers who come in, and whenever I am travelling alone, I take the opportunity to savour as many of them and really enjoy the trip. Along with the food sellers will be knick knack sellers. One of the knick knack I used to buy in the train are the tooth pick cum ear cleaner. This is a small item in copper, but great handi work by craftsmen with copper wires. There used to be a tooth pick, a little forceps, and an ear pick all put in a small ring. This has kept my ears clean for the last forty years! But they do not come any more now. Perhaps, those who made them may have taken up other works as this was not fetching them a good wage as the price quoted was too little. Or by doctors advice as no doctor will advice to anyone to clean their ears themselves as they may damage their ears! Whatever said, it was a convenient tool, if used with caution, which was not the case with many.
Andhra Pradesh had two stations famous for their fruit juice sales, namely Warangal and Vijayawada. This was followed by Nagpur which was a preferred place to buy oranges in winter when the crop was plenty in olden days. The train chughs through parts of Madhya Pradesh and UP to enter Haryana and on to Delhi's Hazrat Nizamuddin where we get down. The station is good but not very friendly as one has to climb several steps with ones luggage and again climb down the steps with them which is a breath taking exercise and too difficult for senior citizens and ladies if the luggage is heavy. The charges levied by helps or porters, as they are called, are debatable.
Once outside the some people surround you for helping you, offering taxis or auto-rikshaws. One has to be very careful before accepting such help and if accepting should clearly spell out the rates and agree upon it, to avoid future quarrels and unhappiness. But, ultimately, everybody agree with someone over the rates and almost all are transported to their destinations. If you are lucky to have a relative or friend to pick you up you are blessed! Once outside, the roads are really good!
We started two days back in an evening from the Trichur Station after doing our home work for a two day journey. That took half a day. Kept on waiting at the station platform for half an hour and at the appointed time the train crawled in. Before that we had to ascertain our coach position to know approximately where to wait. We had to go over the overhead path, go to the first platform and go over to the front side portion of the main building to know where the coach will be. Ours is the largest Railway in the world!!
If by any means one does not know the coach position, and the coach is far far from the individual standing, he or she will suffer for it, to enter the coach at a farther place, by running with the luggage or entering another coach and passing through the inside to the consternation of the passengers in every coach or lose the train the itself, but not being able to enter it. If there is a computerised notice board in every platform showing the coach positions, this harassment can be avoided altogether. But, the authorities are yet to give it a thought!
So, I went over looked at the coach position, came back pulled my luggage to the 13th position to enter my 10th coach! I was exhausted as most of the passengers are when they enter the Sleeper class. One has to be very much awake to enter and settle in the sleeper class!!
Here there is paradox everywhere. A class in which one has to be very alert is called the sleeper class! But then, of course, almost everybody sleeps after dinner and that is the only way to spend time, when you have to travel 44 hours at a stretch. In a coach mentioning to sit and sleep 72, there will always be more people and there will also be small item sellers and a couple of wayside circus doing little families, whose little children will perform one or two acrobatic feats and ask for money or alms, what ever you think it is!
This class in which I was travelling was called second sleeper. But, there is no first sleeper. First is an air conditioned class, called first AC, and followed by a second AC and third AC. This is almost like
the air planes Club Class, Business Class and Economy etc. So, all kinds of people were in and some of them brought huge number of luggage and wanted to push it to every cavity. The trains have improved from the olden times in time saving, in that, they stop at stations only for a few minutes these days! Olden days I remembered, they stopped for more time at large stations and at Junctions they stayed put for half an hour, by which time, the travellers could get out and have dinner or lunch or breakfast according to the time, from the stations' vegetarian or non vegetarian food halls and get back. This was an old time luxury allowed to the passengers in olden days! Alas, now we want to economise on time and that facility is not there now. One has to be careful to get out of the train in that, the individual will be responsible if the train left and he got lost in transit. There may also be other trains looking similar in immediate next tracks, so one has to be careful to keep an eye on his own train to get into it without getting into another train by mistake!
These are only my anxieties. All the passengers, as I have found, were well knowledgeable and always was in their place all the time. The train squeaked, and moved and started making a rythm. My prayer whenever I travel is that God allow me the company of Satwick people who ever they may be, what ever their religion. Whenever this did not happen, I consider that journey as hell! Here since I was praying I was sure my prayer will be answered. We had a side berth each to me and my wife, and we occupied the two seats by the windows. On the inner side where three three berths faced each other, there was a family of three on one side and a family of five on the other with the bigger family having more than normal luggage. They had a huge water can and a another huge food drum. When huge families with paraphernalia came they mostly spoke among themselves and others are left out. We were aloof in any case. An then came an angel in the form of an anguished man. He was a middle aged gentleman exuding confidence, but slightly ruffled, as it seemed to me, with long journeys. He was anxious of getting a berth from the Conductor, who is the TTE and was awaiting him. Since he could not find his exact seat until the TTE came and helped him I invited him to settle down near us so that we could converse on language and literature and also criticise the Indian Railways as everybody did when travelling on trains.
He was a Teacher, that too, an expert in Malayalam and again teaching that subject to children of a far off State, Haryana. That was strange to me and Malayalam was a subject I liked to talk about! I understood, that he is the answer to my prayer! Since he was worried about the berth, I told him, if you don't get a berth, make bed near our place as there was no other place to go if he does not get his berth, at that point of time. He jovially said, looks like that have to be done as a last resort. But the TTE said he would come and get me a seat as I am way ahead in reservation against cancellations, here lovingly called RAC.
True, the TTE came and allotted him a seat in the next section itself and this was very convenient to both of us. He came from the Ottappalam Station of Palghat district and was returning after executing some important household works, in his annual vacation time. He was a young gentleman who was a well wisher of all whom he met. That was me too. We started with educational arrangements in the School in which he taught Malayalam. That was a Navodaya Vidyalaya in Haryana. A few more hours journey from Delhi. The climate initially was very pleasant upto Bhopal, where after it started becoming hot and humid and by the time, we reached it was steamy and everybody was tired!
The surroundings of the seats where we settled were not too very good. But that can be suffered in a Sleeper class. The berths or the sleeping arrangements for us is one of us in the lower berths formed by the two seats put together and on the upside berth, naturally me, as my wife settled down in the lower berth, had to climb up. I did so to inspect the same wiped the dust out with a cloth which we all ways carried, thanks to my wife (I generally carry nothing), and lied down to rest. The length of the berth in the side berths are smaller among all the berths and is generally measuring five feet seven. I can just fit into it, but if I wanted to lift up my legs this is a convenient place as there are wooden path sides. The only problem in this berths, one does not get enough air and in the hot summer one gets dehydrated.
I slept to the rocking of the train, with its wheel grinding song and the rail changing (changing the tracks) drum beats.Sometime after the middle of the night I scrambled down to go to the urinal which was a feat which I had done when I was twenty in my first long journey! As the train was overbooked people slept in all places including the floors. I had to tip toe among them to reach the toilet and come back. One more set of sleep, it is morning in Madhyapradesh. Some shrewd people men or women come begging (ofcourse they are in need!), inside the coach. But it depends on ones conscience to give them any thing. Many people have different opinions about them. But no harm in giving them something! What ever any one gives, will not make much harm to them, as the whole amount one will part with will only be a pittance, but the receivers at times bless you profusely !
This is one good part of many of us Indians, we bless others when they do a good turn. When they bless from their heart is God who hears their blessings and loosens His purse strings!
Then there are all types of food sellers who come in, and whenever I am travelling alone, I take the opportunity to savour as many of them and really enjoy the trip. Along with the food sellers will be knick knack sellers. One of the knick knack I used to buy in the train are the tooth pick cum ear cleaner. This is a small item in copper, but great handi work by craftsmen with copper wires. There used to be a tooth pick, a little forceps, and an ear pick all put in a small ring. This has kept my ears clean for the last forty years! But they do not come any more now. Perhaps, those who made them may have taken up other works as this was not fetching them a good wage as the price quoted was too little. Or by doctors advice as no doctor will advice to anyone to clean their ears themselves as they may damage their ears! Whatever said, it was a convenient tool, if used with caution, which was not the case with many.
Andhra Pradesh had two stations famous for their fruit juice sales, namely Warangal and Vijayawada. This was followed by Nagpur which was a preferred place to buy oranges in winter when the crop was plenty in olden days. The train chughs through parts of Madhya Pradesh and UP to enter Haryana and on to Delhi's Hazrat Nizamuddin where we get down. The station is good but not very friendly as one has to climb several steps with ones luggage and again climb down the steps with them which is a breath taking exercise and too difficult for senior citizens and ladies if the luggage is heavy. The charges levied by helps or porters, as they are called, are debatable.
Once outside the some people surround you for helping you, offering taxis or auto-rikshaws. One has to be very careful before accepting such help and if accepting should clearly spell out the rates and agree upon it, to avoid future quarrels and unhappiness. But, ultimately, everybody agree with someone over the rates and almost all are transported to their destinations. If you are lucky to have a relative or friend to pick you up you are blessed! Once outside, the roads are really good!
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