Amader Bidhan Nagar

Bidhan Chandra Roy was the prime architect behind West Bengal's growth.

About Bidhan Nagar

* Statistics, location details, dates and other historical details were acquired through Google searches. Please do let me know if any wrong details were published.

Bidhan Nagar is a planned township in the Indian state of West Bengal. It was planned and developed by the ex-West Bengal Chief Minister Bidhan Chandra Roy during the year 1958-1965 to accommodate the increasing population of Kolkata. It is located in the eastern part of Kolkata city and it is popularly known as Salt Lake City. Bidhan Nagar has a population of 1.5 lacs people as per statistics taken recently by the Government of India.

Being a planned city, Bidhan Nagar offers a lot to its residents. From top class hospitals, shopping malls to parks, playgrounds, Bidhan Nagar is certainly a paradise on earth. Bidhan Nagar is similar to Anna Nagar or Besant Nagar in Chennai. Salt Lake is an IT hub and many software companies have their corporate offices in Sector V.
About Bidhan Chandra Roy

Bidhan Chandra Roy was a respected physician and renowned freedom fighter. He also served as Chief Minister of West Bengal. Bidhan Chandra Roy was born on July 1,1882, at Bankipore in Patna, Bihar. His father Prakash Chandra was a Government servent. Bidhan was the youngest of five children and was greatly influenced by the simplicity, discipline of his parents. His parents inculcated in him the idea of service by taking care of people.

Bidhan completed his B.A. at Patna with Honors in Mathematics. He applied for admission in the Bengal Engineering College and the Calcutta Medical College. He was accepted in both institutions but opted to go to medical school. Bidhan left for Calcutta (presently Kolkata) in June 1901. During his college days, Bidhan came upon an inscription which read, "Whatever thy hands find to do, do it with thy might." Bidhan was deeply impressed by these words and they became a source of inspiration for him throughout his life thereby setting an example for the Indian way of living. Later in his life, Bidhan transformed a chaotic, less developed West Bengal into a more organized state in the Indian Union.

During the British era, due to partition of Bengal, Bengal was divided by the English rulers. Bidhan was still at college at that time. He didn't like the idea of dividing Bengal. Bidhan resisted the idea but he didn’t take part in any sort of resistance movement or agitations. He controlled his emotions and concentrated in his studies realizing that he could serve his nation better by qualifying in his profession.

Immediately after graduation, B.C. Roy joined the Provincial Health Service. He exhibited immense dedication and hard work. Bidhan was more interested in service than himself. He believed that a human life was more valuable than money.

As years passed, Bidhan wanted to improve his knowledge in the field of medicine. He was interested in furthering his education. Bidhan sailed to England aiming to do FRCS. He had only Rs.1200 in his hand when he travelled to England. The Dean rejected his application as he wasn’t interested in a student from Asia, but Bidhan applied continuously for more than 30 times and at last he was given admission. He completed MRCP and FRCS within two years and returned back to India.

Dr. Roy believed that Swaraj would be a distant dream if health isn’t taken care properly. He believed that physical fitness and mental freshness was more important than anything else in this world. Dr. Roy believed that the youth of India would determine the future of the nation. He felt that the youth must not take part in strikes and fasts but should study and commit themselves to work. Dr. Roy once quoted in a public meeting, "My young friends, you are soldiers in the battle of freedom-freedom from want, fear, ignorance, frustration and helplessness. By a dint of hard work for the country, rendered in a spirit of selfless service, may you march ahead with hope and courage...".

When Gandhiji was undergoing a fast in Parnakutivin, Poona in 1933 during the Quit India Movement, Dr. Roy called to take care of his health. Gandhiji refused to take medicine on the grounds that it was not made in India. Gandhiji asked Dr. Roy, "Why should I take your treatment? Do you treat four hundred million of my countrymen free?" Dr. Roy replied, "No Gandhiji, I could not treat all patients free. But I came... not to treat Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, but to treat "him" who represents the four hundred million people of my country". Gandhiji accepted his medicine.

After Independence in 1947, Dr. Roy’s name was proposed by Congress for the post of Chief Minister. But Dr.Roy wasn’t interested and he was more interested in his profession than politics. However, upon the advice of Gandhiji he agreed to take up the post. It was a very crucial moment in the history of West Bengal. Due to creation of East Pakistan, Bengal was suffering from shortage of food, commodities, poverty and malnourishment. However, Dr.Roy was optimistic and he believed anything is achievable if dedicated hard work along with smart work could be done to address the situation. He then systematically and calmly began to work on the immense task in front of him.

Within three years law and order was returned to Bengal without compromising the dignity and status of his administration. He told the people in a public meeting, “We have the ability and if we have faith in our future and if we exert ourselves in determination, I am sure that no obstacles, however formidable or insurmountable can stop our progress. We all should work united, keeping our vision clear with a firm grasp and control over our problems”. India honoured Bidhan Chandra Roy with Bharat Ratna in 1961.

-Krishna Kumar.S
Tamilnadu, Chennai

Journey to Jharkhand

Location of Jharkhand in India map. Jharkhand borders West Bengal, Orissa, Chattisgarh and Bihar.

"Amar prio poschim bonger bhai bonera ami Krishna tomader jaanai ai Travel Blog ek anthorik amonthron".

12th December-2009

I woke up at 0330hrs in the morning. The weather was too cold and chill. I felt like a German soldier fighting in Russian winter during World War-2. I got up and brushed my teeth. I got ready in 30 minutes. I heard the earlier day that the temperature nearly reaches 12-14 degree celsius at night. My adopted pups(still nameless) were already awake and were surprised to see me up early in the morning. I waited for a taxi for nearly 30 minutes near Tank Number 8! It was too cold. I was wearing only sweaters and not mufflers. I had pieces of cotton in my ears.

I boarded a shuttle-taxi near Sector V (Bidhan Nagar) and I reached Howrah Railway station at 0500hrs. The charge was Rs.30/- and I felt that it was quite nominal at least compared to Chennai. Howrah was very busy in the morning hours too. There were lot of people in the platforms waiting for their respective trains and some were waiting for their relatives who were coming in trains which were to reach HWH in the morning hours. I could see people from different states and I can hear Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, Marathi and Hindi voices. Railway station and stations have their own charm. What do you say?

Howrah station was very big and it had a lot of platforms. My train 2021 Howrah-Barabil Jan Shatabdi was starting from 23rd platform. Speaking in little bit of Hindi, I managed to locate the platform. I am not much used to Howrah even though I had been around here for some time. My seat was in D-4 coach and I got a window-seat with the seat positioned towards the locomotive and my coach was third from the locomotive. I went to the front of the train and found a Tata Nagar WAM-4#21332 attached to my train.

I was surprised to find a Tata Nagar WAM-4 as power. (Non-travel fans can ignore my technical description). I thought that this Jan Shatabdi always got a WAM-4 type locomotive from Asansol shed as Asansol was famous for WAM-4’s, WAG-5 type locomotives.

I had a glance at other passengers in the coach. I could see people from different cultural backgrounds. It’s indeed a privilege to travel with fellow countrymen who speak different languages. It’s a blessing to be an Indian. My country’s diversity has impressed me a lot and thanks to the Indian Railways the glorious Indian fabric remains intact, though the terrorist are trying to break our unity. Too bad that I couldn’t strike a conversation with the person next to me. He was a Bengali and I can’t speak Bengali much. Even if he speaks in Hindi, I can’t reply as my fluency in Hindi is poor. But languages don’t really matter. Respecting a human being irrespective of ethnic background is more important.

Pooooong!!!!! WAM-4 gave a loud honk and the train started. I felt that the locomotive was actually acknowledging my thoughts with its honks. My train started at 0629hrs-late by 9 minutes. I got a bit excited. I was going to see a new place in Jharkhand. It was called Naomundi which is roughly 375km away from Howrah Jn. The best way to see India and its real beauty is to travel by train and observe the rice-fields, mountains and the rural sceneries. Preferably, I would like to travel by second class sitting coaches as I can look outside the window as A/C coaches don’t really give much freedom and the charm is lost. My train was a bit slow till Santragachi. It took nearly 30 minutes to cross Santragachi.

Due to local trains, passengers and other traffics, my train got stuck and it halted many times before Santragachi (SRC). The loco-pilot or the engine-driver seemed to be an experienced senior pilot. The way he drove the train impressed me. No jerks, no unnecessary application of brakes and he obeyed all caution orders. Sitting right inside the coach, I was able to judge his driving skills and I was amazed at his driving techniques.

Trains have a beauty of their own. Irrespective of age, everyone likes trains. I like it too. During many of my travels, a train is my only companion. I don’t know why, but I like watching them. They really look beautiful in my opinion. I wish in my next life, I would be an Engine driver or a loco-pilot.

After Santragachi, my train picked up speed and for a long time it consistently maintained 60kph. Many sub-urban stations passed in a jiffy as my train blasted through honking. The onlookers in the station were amazed and spellbound by the brutal speed. I could recollect a few station names. Tikiapara, Andul, Sankral, Abada, Bauria, Chengel, Uluberia, Bagnan, Nandaiganjan, Panskura. It was really cool to witness WAP-4’s in high speeds.

My train reached Kharagpur at 0810hrs. In my opinion, it was an impressive run and impressive performance by the locomotive WAM-4#21332 from Tata Nagar. I had sandwiches and cutlet for breakfast. That was the only vegetarian item available in the train. Since I am a vegetarian, I accepted whatever veg-item was available in the train.

It was indeed a classic moment. I enjoyed my train ride very much. I took a bite of my sandwich with tomato sausage. The taste was too good. I listened to Backstreet Boys in my mobile’s headset and as I enjoyed the music the train curved towards my left side amidst rural wastelands. It was a beautiful sight. Since I was in the 4th coach, I couldn’t witness the curve much and so I looked back. Wow! The entire train was negotiating a curve at 80kph. It was nice. I can’t express it in words.

I received a message from Airtel at 0905hrs. “Welcome to Jharkhand. We wish you a pleasant stay here. For assistance please call 121”. I was happy and satisfied. When I was young, I always use to wonder how the rest of the country would look like and I had always wanted to interact with people speaking different language. I had always wondered what people in other parts of India would like and how they would dress. I have travelled to many places. I have been insulted too as I can't speak proper Hindi. But I don't bother about that. If I was to worry or react to it, then it would make no difference between me and the other person. I am happy that God has given me a chance to interact with people over here.

Kokpara, Galudh, Asanbon were some of the station names which I could recollect from my travel notes and notepads. As my train crossed many stations, I took my notepad noted down all necessary details that would be necessary for writing this travelogue. I was amazed at the landscape, the speed of the train and the energy amongst East-Indian people. Everything had its own taste of its own. I need to accept that.


My adopted pups.

As my train slowed down due to a caution order, WAG-7#27727 accelerated through Asanbon with a long freight rake possibly containing iron ore from Naomundi or Chaibassa. My train reached Tata Nagar at 0940hrs. Lot of people got down at Tata Nagar. Few travellers having an ordinary open ticket (without reservation) also boarded the train and occupied the empty seats.

I had seen Jamshedpur only in India map. Now I was really in Jamshedpur! I couldn’t believe that I was really in other part of India. Jharkhand was truly amazing and beautiful. My train went through many scenic areas of Jharkhand which was very green. I could observe a variety and mixture of landscapes comprising of rustic dry wastelands, fields, small mountains and even a few iron-ore excavation sites. Everything in this world truly had its own beauty. I feel that it’s my privilege to write about West Bengal and Jharkhand. The languages might be different, but we are still the same.


Taken inside a market in Jharkhand.

“Tomar sur, mothir sur, srishti koru koyikko sur”.

There’s always a talk about IT hubs like Bangalore, Chennai, Pune but why not about places like Icchpuram, Madurantakam, Doravari Chatram, Kendoposi, Morkhena, Naomundi, Iccpuram, Dangoaposi, Barabil? I have noticed something in these people, which I don’t see in a metropolitan environment. The real spirit of India lives in these places. I can’t express the beauty in words. I strongly believe that every state in India is equal and important and there is nothing called as inferior and nothing called superior.

My train reached Dangoaposi at 11:50hrs. I believe that Kendoposi and Dangoaposi were tribal names and since these places were near Orissa border, the names had a bit of Oriya flavour. My train reached Naomundi late by some 15 minutes. I got down and I observed the station. It was small and there were cows and dogs! This is what I like to observe! “Gorus”(Cow) and “kookoors”(Dogs)! I spotted a few “Chaguls”(Goats) too. I went inside the town a bit and I took a few photos. However, my memory card got corrupted and I lost all my photos.

My train departed after waiting at Naomundi for nearly 10 minutes. I had a glance around the station and for a while I felt as if I was floating. The station appeared to be on top of a hill or some elevated place. Iron ore-excavation activities were going on and this place was well known for mining activities. I saw my train slowly disappearing in a curve. It was a classic sight. I appreciate beauty. The same train would return back after two and a half hours and I would board it back to reach Howrah. I had less than three hours and I wasn’t in a mood even to waste a minute!

I was wearing a sweater! It was a bit cool even when sun was around. I walked around the village for some time and took a few photos, but I didn’t ingress far into the town. I interacted with a couple of people in Hind and gathered details about Naomundi and its speciality. The entire scenery was awesome and I enjoyed it. Almost every 5 minutes, I saw a goods train either going towards Orissa or towards West Bengal. Looks like this area has got a lot of freight actions! Most of the freighters had twin locomotives and were extremely long with many wagons. I took photos of mountains, stations, animals but sadly the memory card got corrupted and majority of the photos were lost! It hurts even today!!!

I returned to the station after roaming around. I looked at my watch and I realised that I was nearly half an hour in advance. A couple of railwaymen approached me and inquired whether I was from L&T. I was amused. Looks like there were expecting someone from Larsen and Toubro. Given my elderly experience, they mistook me for an Engineer! I sat in the platforms observing the rural sceneries. A small pup came near me and sat near my leg. He looked deep into my eyes. He was certainly expecting something from me and I decided to entertain him. I took a packet of bournbon biscuits and gave him one by one. He had problems eating the entire piece. So I took the responsibility of breaking the biscuits into two. He liked the taste! I was happy for him.

He was certainly enjoying. I gave the entire packet of biscuits to him. His hunger was removed. He looked at me with gratefulness in his eyes. He immediately lied down and looked at the skies with his legs up and looked at me. Dogs generally do that to their masters. I know the meaning of it. It reminded me of my adopted dog Damien in Chennai.

My train arrived at 1430hrs and it was late by 10 minutes. My coach was DR-1 and it was the last coach. I was lucky to get a window seat again and I got one facing the locomotive again. There was a person sitting in my seat. He said that he would get down at Dangaoposi, but I commanded him to move away. The Loco-pilot was in an aggressive mood. I guessed so. The speed was awesome. I was feeling a bit sleepy and I had a power nap for 30 minutes. I had a nice view of the entire landscape, mountain in my return journey too. Amazing. I wish I had a better camera.

My train reached Tata Nagar at 1700hrs and it was a bit cold after 1730hrs-so I closed the window. I feared that I would catch cold! I spent the remainder of the time listening to music in my mobile. My train reached Santragachi at 2050hrs and had a halt of nearly 10 minutes. My patience was really tested as my train crawled towards Howrah at a snail’s speed halting often! My train reached Howrah at 2120hrs. I boarded a taxi to return back home and I reached Bidhan Nagar at 2220hrs. My adopted pups (still nameless) were eagerly waiting for me at the doorstep. I didn’t have my dinner as I had a small one in my train itself. I wish my four-legged friend in Jharkhand had its dinner too. I was quite content. Now I have a friend from Jharkhand. A four legged friend who likes bournbon biscuits.

-Krishna Kumar.S


-Written on December 13th, 2009. Due to personal work, I wasn’t able to upload the travelogue. Thanks for your patient reading.

Vada Pav by Bihari cook

I was returning after a normal eye-checkup with my aunt. I asked my auto-driver to drive all the way to Krishna Sweets near Adyar insteading of going to my house directly. The reason being the fact that I need to use the remaining Ticket Restaurant coupons before the end of 2009. My plan was to buy some chat items as usual. I entered into Krishna Sweets only to find that there was a new guy at the CHAT STALL and not the usual person whom I know very well. I can find out by his looks that he was from North India and I could even guess that he was from Bihar(my guess was right).

I went to the counter and ordered half kilo Onion Pakkoda. I really wanted to taste any chat item prepared by this Bihari cook. The reason being the fact that I wanted to have food prepared by a different launguage speaking Indian from some other part of the country. The guy was new to the job and he was taking his own time. I stood next to the stall with my onion pakkoda packet and waited for Vadapav to be prepared. I liked his style of work. He was patient, calm and relaxed while doing his work. His entire feelings in heart transformed into delicious food. When you cook some food, whatever you have in your heart comes in the form of taste!!

While packing the items he got confused. There was another customer standing next to me and he gave them the wrong parcel-the parcel which was actually meant for me. When he realised his mistake he immediately ran to the entrance and the person was nowhere in sight. He came back and apologised to me. I didn't mind. He instantly offered to make another one for me. He was speaking in Hindi, which I couldn't understand completely. There was no bun remaining, so he asked me whether I would be interested in Pav Bhaji or any other item. He also said that I need not pay extra.

I simply ordered a Pav Bhaji as it was cheap and I didn't want to exploit Krishna Sweets!! I was given another chance to witness his cooking style. He picked the bun and sliced it into two pieces and applied ghee. He heated the bun a little on a tava. He had already prepared "paste" or sidedish. My parcel was ready in no time at all! I asked his name and when he said I couldn't understand his accent. I asked about his native and he said that he was from Bihar. I asked whether he was from Patna and I couldn't understand his reply either. But there is nothing wrong in that. In their state, if I speak anything, they wouldn't understood it either! It happens. I was happy that I had the chance to speak to an Indian who had come far off from his motherland.

I went home and I was browing in the Internet. I decided to see some cinema and I picked up "Poi Kaal Kuthirai DVD"-a tamil comedy film taking in 1980's. My cousin brother came only at 10PM. I already had some pakkoda and Pav Bhaji, so I gave him Vada Pav and the remaining packet of pakkoda. This was the first time my cousin brother was tasting Vada Pav and he enjoyed. He said that he hasn't heard or tasted this dish earlier. We both enjoyed the dish. Love, goodness of heart, innocence, good character, gentleness of the young Bihari cook were the best ingredients in Vadapav/Pav Bhaji! I don't really believe in any sort of prejudice opinion against any human-being. Goddess Annapoorni-sister of Lord Vishnu, Herself resides in every Bihari heart and hand. It's becase of her blessings that they are able to cook well and serve others. Even I am not blessed by her, as I don't know to cook. Anyone who knows about Hinduism properly without any radical thoughts would agree with me!

-Krishna Kumar.S

Journey to beloved Andhra Pradesh

Map of the route taken by us. Courtesy: Poochi Venkat.

24th October, 2009.

It was 02:30. I had been preparing for my upcoming training and wasn’t sleepy. The alarm screamed at 03:35 and I woke up, wondering how to make it through the day. I wouldn’t keep awake for more than a day unless there’s something important to do. Near MadhyaKailas Junction, I boarded a bus (from Pondicherry) to Guindy and then a local train (EMU) to reach Chennai Central by 04:50. I spotted one of our Loco-Pilot-friends who had just brought in #2658 Bangalore Mail, then located our train (2611 Garib Rath) on platform #2; coach was J4, second from the locomotive.

Regular readers, schoolmates and college friends may understand it better. For others, let me explain! I love traveling and always spend some of my free time observing lifestyles of people while traveling by rail. I love watching scenery especially when the train goes through forests and ‘lonely’ lands.

This time I wasn’t traveling alone. Harish Kumar working in Polaris, a traveler and trekker, couldn’t join us. The other member was 44-year-old PoochiVenkat – veteran photographer and intrepid traveler. Anyone associated with photography at a professional level would know about PoochiVenkat. He’s one of my mentors too. Poochi is more interested in wildlife and nature than in machines! He was on a holiday from Nagpur and suggested we do the ring trip. I’m the first one to cancel any work/preparations if the travel involves Andhra Pradesh! Never miss a run between Katpadi and Tirupati or Renigunta and Gudur. Amazing rural scenery and fine people.

I always say my best friends live in these villages of Andhra Pradesh. But…… I don’t know them and they don’t know me…

Normally we’d first go to Katpadi, then to Gudur and return to Madras by Jan-Shatabdi. This time, the plan was different - something I was quite apprehensive about! Poochi insisted we do the ‘Ring’ in reverse: reason was the Loco-Pilot on duty with #2611 Garib Rath Express. He’s one of the best in IR, with legendary driving skills! It would be an unforgettable experience traveling in a train piloted by him.

The plan was to take 2611 Garib Rath Express from Madras to Gudur. Then board a passenger train to Tirupati. From Tirupati it’d be a DEMU (Diesel-Electric Multiple Unit) to Katpadi. Then return to Madras by 2676 Kovai Express. The entire trip was thus a ring: Begin at Chennai Central and end at Chennai Central! You start from platform #2 and get off at some other platform. But it would take 15 hours, four different trains and 460 kilometers roughly!

Please refer the attached map. The run between Gudur and Tirupati is an un-reserved passenger journey around 90 kilometres. Between Tirupati and Katpadi it’s nearly three hours through 103 kilometres, again in a passenger train without any reservation.

You need to rush for seats!


Katpadi-Tirupati section was indeed one of the best routes in Indian Railways.

Back to Chennai Central platform #2. WAP4 #22595 (from Lallaguda Shed) was the Power for our train. Poochi arrived at 05:10. We greeted our Loco-Pilot and we had a small chat with him. He was amused at our ring trip plan! Chidambaram, a friend of mine who’d just joined HCL, made it to Central in the morning to send us off. Amazing! How’d he manage the time? I thought he was a busy person.

Waiting until another train had entered its designated platform, we started three minutes late at 06:13. I was traveling in A/C for second time in my life. Poochi was tickled! I don’t travel in A/C for many reasons. I always love to watch through an unobstructed window and observe wayside stations as my train speeds through. I don’t like spending money for ‘silly things’ and always avoid filthy rich people! Maybe when I’m in corporate or college I would adjust with people but when it comes to personal life I have my choices.

My first journey by A/C was in May 2009 when I returned in Navjivan Express from Vijayawada after attending my manager’s wedding. I wanted my first journey by A/C to be in Navjivan Express and it was by my own salary. Had to wait seven months to do that. I’ve come a long way alone in my life and wish to associate a little of my success with Indian Railways. I like Navjivan Express. The name means a lot and it has inspired me to achieve great things in life.

As our train moved out of Madras, Poochi stood at the door. I wasn’t planning to stand near the door - I wanted to enjoy A/C travel from inside: our dear Loco-Pilot was known for efficient driving and smooth braking. This was the second time I was traveling in A/C and for the first time in an A/C Chair car. Luckily my seat was facing front and was by the window. No backward travel!

We stopped at Basin Bridge Home Signal to allow incoming Allepey Express cross the lines. A minute later we were cleared. The rake of Jan Shatabdi was being shunted into Central on the yard lines. True to his style our Loco-Pilot quickly notched up and we were doing 90 kmph at Tondiarpet! Another halt for a minute near Tiruvottriyur, a crawl through Ennore and a slow pace past Anupambattu. All of it must’ve irritated our Loco-Pilot! After Anupambattu we were accelerating madly. I could feel the track sounds clearly even in the air-conditioned coach! The cooling was good. I observed the coaches weren’t shaking much.

I felt as if I was traveling in a normal second-class coach with A/C! I was able to hear the sounds with more comfort. I felt the purpose of introducing Garib Rath for “poor travelers” had been achieved. Many classic moments unfolded in the trip. My train negotiated a curve after Kavaraipettai and though the locomotive was not visible (we were in the second coach), by looking backward I could see the long train curving at speed!

India’s diversity never fails to amaze me. As my train ripped through Gummidipundi at 110kmph, I was spellbound. A Hindu-Loco Pilot with a non-Tamizh Assistant-Loco-Pilot drives a train in which Sikhs, Parsis, Muslims, Christians, Hindus are bound for the National Capital where a catholic lady stepped aside for a Sikh to be sworn by the then Muslim President to manage a country having 80 percent Hindus. India certainly is divine. All Indians have won life and have shown the way to live! Without sending one soldier across the border, Indians have conquered the Planet and are now trying to expand their empire across the Solar System!


Sorry for the quality. Renigunta-Gudur section was a paradise on earth.

Malayalis, Kannadigas, Maharashtrians, Telugus, Odhiyas, Tamilians, Bengalis, the North-East, Punjab, Gujarat, Bihar and all Hindi-speaking people have together achieved a lot. In my opinion India is a Superpower! A Superpower more powerful than USA and even my beloved Soviet Union. A country’s wealth shouldn’t be measured by physical wealth but by the people. India is the richest on the Planet. For those who think India is a third-world country, I’ve something to say: KEEP DREAMING…. We are living every dream! The entire world is jealous of my country and they’re trying to break its unity by sending in terrorists.

Breakfast arrived. Poochi had Pongal-Vadai while I ordered Idli-Vadai. Fantastic! Especially vadai with chutney and sambar. I took a bite of vadai and observed the fast-moving landscape. Enjoying my life in my own way!

Our Loco-Pilot was in his element! He thundered through small stations. We crossed Arambakkam at nearly 115 kmph (my guess). Garib Rath’s average speed was a brilliant 74 kmph….. we covered the 138km to Gudur in less than two hours…. Exhilarating! We’d lost time in the suburban section; local trains running ahead. We would’ve reached early otherwise. Our Loco-Pilot’s braking style was awesome! Just one application, no jerks and the train came to a halt at the right place. While playing Microsoft Train Simulator, I’ve done my best in braking but never like this!


Pingali Venkayya-The designer of the Indian National Flag was born in Andhra Pradesh.

Chennai-Lucknow Express was already at Gudur on platform #3. The funny thing was this train would’ve started from Chennai Central at 05:15 and arrived much earlier than us. But, being an “ordinary express”, it was made to wait to for our “superfast”. The inmates of that train weren’t looking happy!

We disembarked and wished our Loco-Pilots a safe journey. I walked towards the rear of the train and observed that 3AC coaches were more silent and appeared dark inside. Many passengers were sleeping already! The train started on time. The last coach crossed us at almost 40 kmph! Indeed an aggressive Loco-Pilot! We had an hour at Gudur Junction. Having eaten Idly already, I couldn’t have the (now popular) Gudur Dosai. Poochi and I waited on platform #1. Chennai-Lucknow Express was given clearance nearly 15 minutes after Garib Rath had departed. Amusing!

A few minutes later, Kerala Express pulled into Gudur Junction. This train had come along the route we were to explore. Katpadi-Tirupati-Renigunta-Gudur! Poochi remarked that Kerala Express might overtake Lucknow Express at Nellore.

Tickets for the next leg of our journey were purchased. As always, I took a superfast ticket from Gudur to Katpadi. This meant we could either take an Express/Superfast or if we miss our connecting train at Tirupati, we’d be able to board a better train. Missing a train was unlikely - we had a lot of time to spare between trains. Since we had a through-ticket, no time would be wasted at Tirupati for another ticket.

2077 Jan-Shatabdi Express towards Vijayawada was announced and the blue-n-white short train smartly entered Gudur Junction on platform #2. The train was 15 minutes ahead of time! We recognized the Loco-Pilot. His braking skills weren’t good since he was applying the brakes too frequently in bringing the train to a halt at the correct place. Having arrived quite early, 2077 had to wait for 15 minutes. After its departure, Bangalore-Guwahati Express (toward Vijayawada) rolled through. Busy watching trains, Poochi and I discussed various aspects related to the Indian Railway system in India.


Map of the ring trip. I suggest that my friends should look at it before reading any further. I had drawn this using MS Paint.

After a 20-minute delay, 440SC Guntur-Tirupati Passenger arrived on Platform #3. Boarding it hurriedly we found no seats vacant but only space to stand – as always – near the toilet! This train was hauled by a WAG-5 freight locomotive from Vijayawada (BZA) Shed. I wondered how a freight locomotive would perform. (‘W’: Broad Gauge, ‘A’: AC-Electric, ‘G’: Goods). We were given immediate clearance.

I was disappointed not getting space by the door. Getting a window seat was impossible but didn’t matter. The Gudur-Renigunta section is my favourite and I must watch it at any cost. There was one fellow sitting on the doorstep and another standing behind him with a live chicken trussed securely; we both were behind the chicken guy. Poochi’s hunger reared its head - the bird seemed tasty!

Pulling out of Gudur, our train took the steep right curve. I wondered if it would derail! We kept below 30 kmph for some mysterious reason and then started accelerating. First halt was at Kondagunta. I couldn’t observe the station or anything as the train was overcrowded. Our next halt was Vendodu. The station was clean! Full marks to South-Central Railway. Some got out here and not many got in.


We are moving out of a station. Full marks to SCR! Neat well-maintained stations.

The Gudur-Renigunta section is double-line electrified but there isn’t much traffic. Few Passengers, Expresses and many Freights. The entire area is rustic with tropical deciduous forests and thorny scrub. Eucalyptus seemed everywhere: foolish thing to do - planting a water-hungry species in dry areas. That’s how the Government always works: half-baked idiots who think they know everything; not consulting locals who have much more knowledge about their area.

Now appear the distant mountains of the Eastern Ghats. Nallamalai and Velikonda Ranges. Nearly the oldest mountains in the world, having formed about three billion years ago. Our train would go through inspiring rock cuttings! After Kalahasti, you can observe rice fields and greenery but while nearing Rachagunneri/Renigunta, you can see many factories. In my opinion, this entire route is different from the rest of what I’ve seen in Southern India.


RU-GDR section was a different experience.

Our train started speeding only after Vendodu. Being a Freight Loco, the acceleration of WAG-5 was brutal! Poochi could feel every notch being applied…..Aggressive driving….Hard braking….typical of Loco-Pilots on the Gudur-Renigunta section! But this was also a mark of driving inexperience…. Nevertheless I enjoyed it. I would do anything to see Gudur-Renigunta section. My favourite. As our train entered the next station, I observed a WAG-7 waiting with a freight train. The Assistant-Loco-Pilot was standing at the Loco door, one leg behind the other similar to Lord Krishna. Only difference was that the Lord wielded a flute while the Assistant had the green flag!

During my school days, I always dreamt that I’d be a Loco-Pilot. My mother wasn’t interested, always wanting me to take big jobs for the sake of family prestige. I always wear blue shirt and black trousers as a dedication to that job. I’m 23 now and not sure how long I’ll live….. Might depart this World today or after 50 years. When I die I’d like to burn my mortal remains with a set of blue shirt and black trousers so in my next life I’d be a Loco-Pilot for Indian Railways. That’s my last wish.

God, are you listening?

I’m only a keyboard warrior. I haven’t the guts to stand on the border and fight for my country. Driving a train is a tough task with a lot of pressure and deadlines, but compared to fighting on the border, it’s easy. As my train zipped through the rural landscape, Poochi and I discussed railway accidents in India. Whenever there is an accident, Loco-Pilots are automatically blamed. The truth is top-level officers and station-masters are equally, if not more, responsible.

After reading the lines above, my friends would criticize I talk like a communist. Anyone can blame the driver, but whoever is the regulator should feel the heat! Consider the heterogeneous rail traffic: freight, passenger, fast-passenger, express, superfast. The amount has increased but infrastructure remains the same. The entire system is saturated and on the verge of collapse. Controllers and Loco-Pilots are under a lot of pressure adhering to timings. Time given to react is much less. This is the reason why accidents occur. Ultimately politicians should be blamed for introducing more trains without doubling the lines and improving infrastructure.

Our passenger-train 440SC was doing high speeds and the way it entered Yellakaru was simply fantastic….Another classic moment indeed! On the opposite line, WAP-4 zoomed past us with Himsagar Express. Two milk tankers attached to the rear.

Tadak-Tadak, Tadak-Tadak, Tadak-Tadak, Tadak-Tadak..... Amazing!!!

Our train was running 20 minutes late. In our coach a family was traveling with their baby boy. The little one was excited whenever a freighter crossed us! Other passengers were lifting and entertaining the baby. Even Poochi couldn’t resist making funny faces, bringing smiles on the baby’s face! This is perfect Indian Railway scenario. A family would be traveling with a child and other passengers would spend time entertaining it. Can such things happen in any other part of the world?

This is the fabric that outside forces are trying to tear – through biscuit bandits, drugged food and all else. But Indian Railways will surely keep the Indian fabric intact.


The stations in this route were amazingly clean!

I usually send SMS updates to select friends. I send to Sriram Karthik who, in turn, functions as Repeater and forwards to friends. This is because I cannot afford SMS rates when roaming! I then sent a message saying I was living every dream standing next to the toilet. One of our friends, Sridhar Joshi, called to say “Jr. KK is the only person who can actually live a dream standing next to the toilet in a train”!

We got more space as the journey progressed. At Kalahasti, people near the door disembarked and I sat there while Poochi stood beside me. Now came another classic moment. Twin Asansol WAG-5 Locomotives hauling a heavy Freight and pulling into the loop. These Locos were newly painted. Poochi felt they might’ve been painted in the BHEL Factory at Mukundarayapuram. Our train accelerated out of Kalahasti and a few kilometers later I noticed the signal on the line toward Gudur showing GREEN. I knew that Tirupati-Puri Express was approaching! In the distance I spotted the Loco. As it came near I recognized the BZA WAM-4. The entire train had only 14 coaches and it zoomed past. Simply awesome!

As we entered Renigunta, we saw a WAP4 - with front pantograph raised - shunting a HA1 coach. The loco wasn’t in motion. I was sitting at the door and when I suddenly looked at the loco, it appeared huge. Since the front Panto was up, the entire scene appeared different to me: I felt I could see Lord Vishnu’s universal cosmic form with AdhiSeshan covering the Lord’s head with his hoods. The pantographs represented the divine serpent AdhiSeshan. The sudden, mammoth expansion indicated the locomotive’s superiority and the pantos represented time. Since it covered the head of the Lord (WAP-4), it indirectly indicated that both Lord and locomotive have won time as Sesha (the panto) was covering the head! Not all can conquer and win time! WAP-4 has won time!


Pic taken from DMU.

We had a ten-minute recess at Renigunta. Our train then took the deep right-curve towards Tirupati. We had a short halt midway. Is this a station? If so, what’s the name? Can anyone throw light on this? I find my train stopping here always! We reached Tirupati at 12:20 with more than an hour to relax. Deciding on lunch at the restaurant on platform #1, I preferred Parotta with “side-dish” while Poochi ordered Vegetable Biryani. Poochi loved Veg. Biryani especially the kurma! I was content with my Parotta. I don’t prefer rice items outside. Just tiffin and snacks. We had Pista icecream too. I admit, when I rail-fan, I love outside food.

Our next train was a DEMU (Diesel-Electric Multiple Unit): similar to Chennai Locals but self-powered. The DEMU had already arrived and seats already occupied by people and handkerchiefs! I suggested the door. Starting on time, we never made great speed initially. Our next halt was Tirupati West. Many got in. Since we wanted to sit at the door, we got down first and boarded last! The train was so heavily crowded that for a while I was afraid to doorplate. I was clinging to the handles.

As people inside rearranged themselves I sat at the door while Poochi had enough space to stand beside. Chandragiri was the next halt. I expected a lot of people to board but not many did. Poochi managed to sit along with me at the door. It wasn’t easy since we haven’t got a window seat. Missing the Tirupati-Katpadi section is no option…. I would never ever do that! It’s my second all-time favorite route.


The section between Tirupati and Katpadi was scenic in my opinion!

The DEMU did good speed hitting almost 90 kmph. Hot Sun, brown landscape, great hills, farmers with cows ploughing fields, ladies busy farming in the lands, kids playing with tyres and girls returning from school. This is the stuff railfanning is all about! Girls here had “bindi” on their foreheads unlike those in cities infatuated with Western culture. If I had a sister, I would bring her up the way Andhra people educate and bring up their child.

Though I am a Tamilian by birth, I have great admiration for Andhra people. They’ve impressed me in many ways. The state is located in the southern part of India. Surrounded by Karnataka, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra and Odhisha. Exposure to both Dravidian and Hindi states has made the people friendlier and adaptable. Maybe that’s why my favourite Lord Venkateshwara decided to stay at Tirumala Hills.

If Kerala is God’s own country, then Andhra is God’s own empire. Every state in India has impressed me in one way or the other but what I appreciate in these people is conservativeness and self control. No wonder then that India’s National Flag was designed by a person from Andhra Pradesh, Pingali Venkayya. I feel sorry for terrorists and anti-social elements trying to break my country. I suggest they grow wheat and live peacefully in the villages of India.

My train’s next halt was a small station called Panapakkam. For a while I toyed with the idea of dropping everything in life, running into these villages growing wheat and rice. Meanwhile, Poochi couldn’t resist cracking jokes and making fun at my expense! Poochi always says I should be “taken care of” though I am already 23. As usual, I reduced Poochi to tears with my brand of humour! For each of our halts, we got down first and boarded last so we could sit at the door.

Halting at Putalapattu, we were on the platform road for nearly 10 minutes. Well-traveled passengers rightly predicted a crossing. But…what train? Freighter, Passenger, Express? Many disembarked with us to witness the event. Then…..Paaaaaam…a horn in the distance, approaching fast…. WAG-5 (from Arakkonam Shed), proudly hauling a freight train, zoomed through the mainline at 80kph! Simply fantastic! Simply wonderful! As the freight train came near, the kids in our train waved their hands! Glorious sight! A few things in life are still divine even if you grow old. Trains are one such. Even today, I enjoy every bit of my train journey. The mountains in the background, the moderate weather and cloudy sky added to the beauty.

At Chittoor, Poochi and I got seats inside the coach but not at the windows. I listened to music in my mobile: Michael Jackson’s “They Don’t Care About Us” and, of course, the catchy “Smooth Criminal”! Enjoying every bit of it. Mountains, coconut trees, sugarcane, rice fields and mango trees. Poochi even spotted Bamboo. The section between Tirupati and Katpadi was greener with more agricultural growth than the section between Gudur and Renigunta which was more suited to dry crops. My train halted at small stations like Siddampalli, Peyanapahalli, Ramapuram and Bommasamudram.

How simple are these people! From them I should learn a lot. Every word spoken is a blessing in this land. By the amount of greenery around, God has blessed them truly! When I get married, maybe four or five years later, I would come with my wife to places like Bommasamudram, Ramapuram, Siddampalli, Kotala, Kondagunta and Vendodu. We would watch these people and learn about living life in the simplest manner. I would take her in Navjivan Express till Vijayawada and show her the villages in Andhra Pradesh. (I am sure my foster sisters reading this article would find something to make fun of!)

Honestly, I haven’t been to many places in India but enjoyed wherever I’ve traveled. It’s bad that people fight in the name of religion and ritual. I was surprised to see people in these villages living peacefully in a sense of brotherhood. Reminded me of Axioms and Theorems. In Mathematics, the Axiom is a statement not proven conclusively but is believed to be self-evident, serving as a starting point for deducing and inferring other units. The Theorem is something that requires proofs and illustrations. Theorems are created by humans to cover up their inadequacies! Axioms are never created - they just exist and will continue to exist in life.

Life is to be discovered and not invented. Religious practices and rituals are like Theorems. Some need to be proved. Others are self-proven like Axioms. They can be understood only through self-realization. There are basic Axioms of life which serve as a base for Religions (Theorems). Love, non-violence, care, respect, understanding, patience are the basic Axioms of life. All Theorems (Religions) are written on the above aspects. These constitute Life. This is the Geometry of life. People might wonder why the need for Theorems (Religions) when Axioms (Love, Respect) hold well? The answer is Life is not a straight line and problems can be solved only through Theorems. This is one lesson I learned from these people. They know how to treat a fellow human being.

We reached Katpadi Junction far ahead of time at 15:50…. with more than three hours at hand to board Kovai Express! Our stomachs prodded us to Arenco Food Plaza on platform #3. Vegetable Biryani won the toss. Poochi was extremely delighted with the trip and the Veg. Biriyani. The next three hours join the list of classic moments. Feeling tired as I hadn’t slept the past day, I settled on a granite bench near the Starter Signal (toward Madras) on platform #3 and positioned myself in AnanthaSayanam (like Lord Vishnu) while Poochi explored the platform.

Many Freights blasted through Katpadi in both directions. Whenever the signal turned green I would gaze towards Madras and as the train passed I would turn my head towards Jolarpettai - while still in AnanthaSayanam! It was as if I was seated on my sofa at home. The best part was nobody disturbed us! Everyone went about their work – even the Police. My bench was exactly where the Loco of every Madras-bound train stopped. The Loco-Pilots would give me an amusing glance and continue their duties!

A highlight of the trip was the “new” locomotive at Katpadi. Poochi spotted it with a passenger train and we rushed across to take a look. Surprise! It was actually an old locomotive - WAP1 22031, originally with Ghaziabad Shed but now transferred to Arakkonam. The Loco looked absolutely new as if it had just been manufactured at Chittaranjan Locomotive Works! The paint job was immaculate and not one mark or letter was out of place. After a long halt, 22031 moved off toward Arakkonam with a 7-coach Passenger in tow.

BZA WAM-4 came in with Seshadri Express from Bangalore and took the curve toward Tirupati after a brief halt at Katpadi. This was another classic moment. The entire train was on the curve. An awesome sight at dusk…. Indian Railway rocks! Bhagalpur Express headed by WAP4 (from Howrah Shed) was the next visitor to Katpadi. Halted nearly 20 minutes! Wonder why? Poochi was enjoying hi-speed freight action while I was on the bench gazing at the stars. It was already night! Cool breeze, train honks, tatak-tatak and clickety-clack whenever a freight train crossed! Awesome!

Brindavan Express arrived with a WAP-4 and started almost at once. Our original plan was to board the un-reserved coach in Brindavan. Poochi then revealed that he suffered from acute claustrophobia! Brindavan’s UR looked too crowded for comfort so we decided to wait for Kovai Express. Alleppey-Dhanbad Express followed Brindavan. The joke was that Kovai Express, coming in much later, would ultimately overtake this train at Ambattur to reach Chennai Central first! Absolutely on time, #2676 Kovai Express finally pulled in with WAP-4 #22603 (Arakkonam Shed). We had reserved accommodation in Second-Sitting but, being true railfans, we knew the door held greater prospects…. Kovai is still one of the most prestigious trains in SR and it’s a real pleasure to experience the ride while ‘doorplating’!

Arakkonam WAP4 22603 is regarded a Monster Locomotive in IR. Obeying the Loco-Pilots’ commands faithfully, 22603 was soon accelerating and hit Maximum Permissible Speed (110 kmph) within minutes. Inside the coach, someone else had occupied our seats but we didn’t care! The seats were facing backward anyway! I was listening to favourite music collections in my mobile.

In a short while we rolled to a halt at Arakkonam and then were off. In Tiruvallur, we switched to the Fast-Line. Trundling through the platforms, we were blessed with a WAP4-hauled train thundering through the station toward Arakkonam! Paaaaang…..katak-katak-katak-katak……sparks flying from the panto like bright stars in the dark skies! It was the Chennai-Mangalore Mail. Amazing sound! DTS effect!

After Tiruvallur I sat at the door. My train was entering suburban territory and I loved railfanning in these parts…. to watch stations as they rushed by…. Our Loco-Pilot was obviously enjoying his job! Pooooaaang…..tattadak-tattadak-tattadak-tattadak……. Between Tiruvallur and Villivakkam, track sounds are the best as there are no Welded Rails.

At Avadi, as expected, we overtook Allepey-Dhanbad Express standing meekly on the platform road! Open-mouthed passengers helplessly watched us thundering past! Another fun classic moment was before Ambattur. Our train was running parallel to an EMU for a few seconds! Commuters in the EMU were sadly observing great Kovai hauled by His Majesty WAP4 22603 zooming all the way honking through the darkness!

Our train ripped through Korattur and Villivakkam. I wondered whether we would stop at Perambur…. Then…. Amazing braking! The loco stopped right before the signal. An experienced Loco-Pilot, it seemed! We pulled out of Perambur and another pleasant surprise awaited us at Vyasarpadi. Usually, from here, it’s a hit-and-miss game to see who’ll get entry first into Chennai Central! Trains slow down. Due to congestion and non-availability of platforms they’d wait outside Central. But….now….we were given through clearance! We even got a green (proceed) signal for BBQ (Basin Bridge)…. Never ever seen this before!! Poochi was thrilled. I was thankful. I was full tired and half dead. Desperately wanted to go home and crash!

Though we were in the seventh coach from the Loco, Poochi could spot the Platform Indicator at the Home Signal of MAS. It was to be Road #4 for us. We finally entered Chennai Central at 21:20. 15 hours ago our Trip had commenced from platform #2 and ended now on platform #4. The Ring was complete!

Not wanting to miss the bus, Poochi and I almost ran down the platform out of Central. We managed to catch only the next bus - Route A1. Poochi continued to Thiruvanmiyur while I got off at Adyar Signal and walked home. Damien was flat on the floor blissful in dreamland having devoured two full packets of biscuits!

I quietly went to bed.

-Krishna Kumar. S
Tamilnadu, India.



Credits to Poochi Venkat:-

Regular readers and friends may notice the change in style and language of the post. Few might note the difference between the previous posts and this post. The entire trip report has been double checked by Poochi Venkat and silly spelling mistakes and grammatical errors have been avoided. Though the idea and thoughts have been mine, Poochi has taken the trouble to remove the poorly framed sentences and bad choice of language. The map was also designed by Poochi Venkat. I feel that it's my duty to give credits to him.

Also in my previous post about the visit to Arasili, few photos have been taken by my friend Aravind and not me. Many readers have mistaken me as the photographer and I wonder why as I have clearly mentioned Aravind's name.

Madurantakam-Yeri Katha Ramar

I am a theist, but still I believe in some principles of USSR, but that doesn't prevent me from worshipping my deity and praising his glory. I am a big fan of Madurantakam-Yeri Katha Ramar and Lord Vishnu. It's because of Him, I exists. I may not be a world famous person, but I am happy in one way or another and I am in the process of improving into a better individual. I always make all efforts to praise Him-not to impress Him, but to reveal the fact to the world that I am blessed by Him and only due to His blessings I survive. All my successes whether big or small, academic achievements either monetary or curriculum wise are due to His blessings.

I have made efforts to enjoy every moment, when I am alone and while visiting temples or churches. But being a Hindu, I always visit temples. Whenever I visit a temple, I always spend sometime sitting near the tanks with my legs immersed in water. Then I would spend sometime sitting in the temples reading about the sthala puranum and reading about His avtars. I feel blessed to write about Him in my blogs. I am happy that He has blessed me with good health and physical strength that I always find time even amidst a confusion to write about Him in my blogs.



He has blessed me that I would take birth in a country like India where people are good and would take care of me. At the same time, He also made sure that I would enjoy the variety of life. Given India's diversity, I would visit various places in neighbouring states, temples, small towns and villages. Variety is indeed the spice of life. He also made sure that I would visit places and enjoy the good food in all glory. He created small towns and railway stations like Kavaraipettai, Bommasamudram, Kondagunta, Sidhampalli, Peyanapalli, Doravari Chatram. He created men who would in turn create trains like Navjivan Express, Pallavan Express which would be my favourite trains for good. He made sure that I would enjoy music and dance created me a fan of Micheal Jackson/Backstreet Boys.

He made sure that I wouldn't get too bored. He made me a cricket fan so that I could enjoy Sachin's batting, Steve Waugh's captaincy. He made sure that I would never get too serious about life and created some comedy actors Goudamani and Senthil and also some real-life comedy actors in friendship. I came into the world without siblings, but He sent three girls immediately within a year of my birth, Aishwarya(cousin), Jayashree, Aparna and made sure that I am never too alone. He made me a fan of computer games and I loved playing shooting games(he he..) and even today I love playing. He made sure that I always enjoy His creations like cows, buffaloes, dogs, cats.



Every time I travel in trains, I observe mountains, rural sceneries, villages and various people and I get amazed by their conservativeness. Everytime I travel to Gudur Jn, I always make sure to observe the simple life in wayside stations. It gives a feeling of content, though my lifestyle is different. Most of all, He gave me power of imagination where I can imagine quite a lot. It gives a feeling of content while I write travelogues.

I regard my Lord Vishnu as the person behind me and who has empowered me to enjoy life. I could only wish I can control my anger. In everything, I feel that He is behind and I am nowhere without him. That's one humble confession and my ego isn't hurt as that's the truth. I would go no-where in life without Him-My beloved Yeri Katha Ramar.

-Krishna Kumar.S

Arasili Trip-[01/02/2007]

My friend Prabhu poses with WAP-4.


February 1st, 2007.

The plan was to visit a place called Arasili and Irumbai Maakalam near Pondicherry. Aravind suggested that the gang should take 103SR Pondicherry passenger till Tindivanam and then board a bus to Arasili and Irumbai Maakalam. Our return plan was to board 104SR or any other available train at Tindivanam or Villupuram and we could return back to Chennai before 1900hrs. I was in college third year and I was busy but I wanted to join Aravind for this trip. I had an exam the next day but I didn’t bother. The trip members were Aravind, his colleague Prabhu, Harish and my friend Vimal. Our friends Ashwanth and Harish Kumar overslept and they couldn’t make it! I was a bit upset with Ashwanth for not joining me. I never saw Ashwanth again till November 2007.

WAP-4#22359 was the power for the day and the speed was awesome. This train is nicknamed as local shatabdi in my friend’s circle as it is popular amongst office-goers. We reached Chengalpet on time and we had a mini-breakfast at Chengalpet. Meanwhile, trains were coming from south and they were running on time. Vimalakar took a short nap while I was observing the scenery. Aravind, Harish and Prabhu were intensely discussing about temples as our train blasted through small towns and villages.


Aravind with WAP-4.

Doing such temple trips in weekends relaxes me a lot. I am seeing temples, at the same time I am traveling in trains and I am eating outside-I am being exposed to a lot of things! I was amazed at the driving skills of the Loco-pilot. He was able to drive the train on time, despite being delayed a few minutes at Chengalpet to allow a Sampark Kranti express to cross. YDM-4 hauled an express towards Tambaram and crossed our passenger at Acharapakkam. Aravind took a snap of the train! It came out well! This route has certainly got a lot of variety. Before Chengalpet, you come across various IT parks, BPO industries, factories. After Chengalpet, you can observe pumpset, wells, bullock carts, fields, temple gopurams, mosques and churches on top of hill and lonely level-crossings with Ashok Leyland lorry drivers in lungis smoking beedi’s waiting anxiously for your train to cross. Though I like the south route, I more interested in Vijayawada route. One honest confession!



Gopuram of Shiva Temple in Arasili. Pic taken by Aravind.

Our train reached Tindivanam on time. Aravind calculated the train speed by observing the mile posts(km in India) and the time taken between mileposts. He said that the train was doing 100kph even when Tindivanam station was only a kilometer away. We entered Tindivanam at a high speed. We immediately rushed to the locomotive. Now I had a clean close-view of the locomotive. It was very clean! Surprisingly the train didn’t start immediately. The halt is usually for one minute. But the train stopped at TMV for more than two minutes. Aravind requested the Asst. Loco Pilot for a twin-tone honk. The ALP told the Chief and as requested they honked in twin tones and then they started the train. Aravind recorded the sound in his mobile. Railfans and railnuts are eccentric people!!

We walked along the tracks to exit the station. There was a market outside the railway station and people were busy selling a lot of plastic items. Lots of fruits, flower selling girls and men selling small toys for kids. We entered into a hotel and we took our seats in an A/C room. After finishing our breakfast, we came to the bus stand and boarded a crowded bus towards Pondicherry. The bus was heavily crowded. Aravind, Vimal were at the back of the bus while Harish, Prabhu and I were at the front. The tape recorder was playing some silly double meaning cinema songs which I don’t approve. After half an hour of travel, we got down.




Prabhu was our guide and he was clear in all directions. The stopping name was Ozhundiyampet. We were the only passengers getting down. The place was deserted. Every 4 minutes a bus crossed either towards Pondicherry or towards Tindivanam. We were 25km away from Tindivanam. The temple was right in the middle of a small village. The path to the temple was a lonely mud road. We walked for around 15 minutes. We reached a village called Arasili. The temple gopuram was majestic and the complex was clean. There wasn’t anyone in the temple other than a couple of priests. There were small sannidhis for deities like Saneeswaran, Suryan, Murugan and Lord Ganesh.

After having a darshan of lingam, we were offered chakkara pongal as prasadham. It was delicious and sweet. The food offered to God has got its own taste and it can’t be expressed in words over here. We came out of the temple and proceeded towards the nearest shop. We had cool drinks. It was only Rs.3/- per bottle. The cool drink was known as “Colour”. If you ask for Coke or Fanta, they may not be able to understand. The bottle used was that of Coco-Cola Company.


Harish and Prabhu. Onboard 103 Pondicherry Passenger.

Our next destination was Irumbai Maakalam which was only 8km away from Pondicherry. We thought of taking an auto back to the bus stop, but there were no autos in the village. Luckily there was a tractor going towards a nearby town. The driver agreed to drop us. We sat in a small trailer and it was a shaky ride. Looks like this tractor was used for carrying bricks. I could make that out due to the presence of red dust all over the place. I was certainly enjoying the tractor ride. You don’t get this chance always. We offered him Rs.30/- but the driver declined. We waited at the stopping for more than 10 minutes. Luckily we got a bus immediately and we went to Irumbai Maakalam.

We realized that we were only 8km away from Pondicherry. It was a wise idea to board the return link at Pondicherry than boarding it at Tindivanam. We had our lunch at Pondicherry and we boarded 196 Pondicherry-Tirupati Passenger. Aravind believed that this train would reach Chengalpet early than 104SR. After reaching Chengalpet, we can return by EMU’s(local trains) or even the Pondicherry passenger. Moreover this passenger is a slow passenger and it halted at all stations.


YDM-4 hauling a passenger towards Tambaram. Pic taken by Aravind.

There would be a lot of crossings and plenty of action. I was excited. I love train journeys. The power for our train was WDM-7 of Tondairpet shed. The train kept below 60kph and we reached Villupuram late by 15 minutes. Since our train has come into Tamilnadu from Pondicherry, the Railway Police checked out bags and luggages as it is illegal to bring liquor and other stuffs from a Union Territory where prices are cheap. Generally, people visit Pondicherry to booze. Also the timings of 103SR/104SR are convenient. One can board it in the morning and conveniently return back to Chennai by 1900hrs after a nice boozing session at Pondicherry.


You can spot Vimalakar(red-shirt).

The RPF policemen were a bit rude that day. My friend Prabhu was feeling a bit tired and he was sleeping in the upper berth. The policemen woke him up and checked his bag which was actually his pillow. The RPF even asked him whether he was drunk. The RPF guy also checked his ticket and without returning it he walked out of the coach. Now who really was drunk? The RPF guy was not in his senses. Prabhu was certainly not happy. We all ran after him to remind him to give our ticket back. We had a long halt at Villupuram and God only knows the reason.

We were at last given clearance and the passenger slowly moved out. The driver was in no hurry. We halted at small stations like Mundiambakkam, Vikravandi. In my opinion the train kept below 40kph till Vikravandi. At Perani we were put on loop. We predicted an overtake. We wondered what train was going to overtake us. We got down and positioned ourselves to take photo of the incoming train. Taking photographs of train is my hobby.

Aravind asked the gangman at Perani about the halt. The reply shocked us! Pondicherry-Egmore Fast Passenger was on the way and it was going to overtake us. If we have boarded that train at Pondicherry then it would have better. Aravind couldn’t believe it. If we had taken this train, we would have reached Chennai earlier. Aravind felt that 195SCR(present train) would reach earlier so we boarded 195 and not 104(Fast Passenger). Perhaps the first time, I saw a fast passenger overtaking another passenger (slow).


Vimal posing with WAP-4.

WAP-4#22359 hauled the fast passenger and with thundering honks it crossed us at MPS. The entire atmosphere vibrated and the breeze generated came hard on us as the brute WAP-4#22359 blasted past us. The driver was in a aggressive mood. He was in no mood to control his aggression. He showed all his aggression and eagerness on the honk.

“Dhadhak Dhadhak, Tatak Tatak, Dhadhak Dhadhak, Tatak Tatak, Dhadhak Dhadhak, Tatak Tatak, Dhadhak Dhadhak, Tatak Tatak, Dhadhak Dhadhak, Tatak Tatak, Dhadhak Dhadhak, Tatak Tatak”.

Tatak………The last pair was a bit incomplete.

And the worst shock was yet to come! 195 stopped at all stations between Chengalpet and Villupuram. The acceleration was slow. The problem was not with the locomotive. The time table of this train was set in such a way that it had a lot of buffers. I was enjoying, but Vimalakar was a bit upset as he had some work at home.


Video: I am the person with the black bag with a camera in hand. The person behind me is Prabhu. See the video and relive the moment again! Video taken by Aravind.

More fun was yet to come. WDM-7 which was hauling us was taking its own sweet time to accelerate and it never went more than 50kph. I took a seat towards the guard and I was traveling backwards. The train had a good patronage! I observed the greenery around and I was amazed at my nation’s beauty. When I was young, I use to wonder how Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh would look like and how the people would look. Indian Railways has binded together this great vast unique country. IR is the backbone of India. As long as a train chugs along, things would be good for this country. I am quite satisfied with my country. The country has nurtured me well and it has created the society around me with good people, friends wherever I go, irrespective of states. What more do I need? I am critical about secessionist movements ocurring in Indian states. It's high time people realize that they are blessed.

Aravind and Prabhu sat near the door while Harish and I stood behind them. Vimalakar preferred to stay in his emergency-window seat! Trust me! The train wasn’t going fast at all. This was perhaps the slowest passenger journey I have encountered in my life so far. We reached Chengalpet at 2000hrs. We took an EMU at Chengalpet. I reached home at 2200hrs. My dog Damien was having his dinner and he didn’t even bother to look at me. I went to my room and sat with my computer and prepared for my exam next day. I went to bed at 0330hrs. I got up at 0630hrs and went to college. I scored 84% in that test! I came first in class! Such things don’t happen often! I am not a great student. But life could be made simple and easy if you are willing to associate each and every part of your life with Indian Railways.

Good luck.

-Krishna Kumar.S
(14th Feb, 2007)

Acharapakkam~A small Indian town~

A small Mosque in Acharapakkam.

I went to bed only at 12’o clock but got up at 0500hrs. My plan was to visit Acharapakkam, a small Panchayat town, 99km south of Chennai. The plan has got postponed many times, but this time I wasn’t going to postpone. Regular readers could recollect that I visited Acharapakkam exactly a year back. I boarded the same 103SR Pondicherry passenger to Melmaruvattur. It was a good run. Nice speed. It was hauled by a WAP-4 and I didn’t note the power. I got down at Melmaruvattur as 103 hasn't got a halt at Acharapakkam. I proceeded towards a small hotel. The name of the hotel was Sakthi Cafe. I walked in and found out that it was self service. I ordered Poori Masala. I wasn’t content with it. Then I had Idli, one vadai along with coconut chutney. I felt quite content in life. I purchased a water bottle. My next task was to board a bus to Acharapakkam which is now only two kilometers away. It was a hot sunny day. I could feel the heat even at 0900hrs in the morning.


Acharapakkam Lord Shiva temple.

The plan was to visit the Shiva temple and to spend sometime in the temple complex. I boarded a bus bound towards Villupuram and got down at Acharapakkam within five minutes. I didn’t prefer the autos and I planned to walk through the village to observe its simplicity. Acharapakkam is famous for its ancient Shiva temple and it has also got a Nadi Astrology center. I walked through the roads. The first thing which I came across was a Durga temple. The next building was a Christian convent. I could observe a school in the name of St.Joseph opposite it to the Durga Temple. I also saw some cows, hens and dogs. Men and women were busy with their own work.

Few kids saw me and looked at me in a suspicious manner. I was dressed in black pants and a black t-shirt with sun-glasses. I could observe some cycle shops, jewel brokers, bakeries. I spotted a mutton stall in front of a mosque. On the side of the domes, I could observe two mini-minarets. But I don’t think there was enough space for the muezzin to climb and call adhan. The domes and the entire structure impressed me a lot. The minarets were small but resembled structures similar to Uzbekistan. After 5 minutes of walking, I reached the town center. Everyone was busy selling and buying.

A Christian convent just adjacent to the Durga Temple.

There was a young lad in red t-shirt trying to sell some shells and stickers. There was a lady selling fish. Street markets may not be common in the so-called First World countries. But over here, we live every dream. Fruits were fresh and my taste buds woke up. Apple, grapes, water-melons, lemon, pine-apples, green mangoes, coconuts. The guy was also selling vegetables. I could see spinaches, brinjals, lady’s finger, and potatoes. I came across a “Cool-Bar”. But I retraced my way back and decided to have fruit drink. I opted for a grape juice and it was ready in a jiffy. It was excellent.

I walked out of the market and walked through the muddy roads; I could see the temple gopuram in the distance. As I walked I could observe kids playing with tyres and sticks, tennis balls and ladies pumping water at the pump and there was a big queue in front of the pump. The railway station was only a stone’s throw away from the temple entrance. I walked into the temple and there were only two priests and one devotee. The temple was similar to the one at Madurantakam.

Durga Temple in Acharapakkam.

I went around the temple thrice and then spent sometime watching the sculptures. The temple priest was only 22 years old and was a friendly chap. He had completed BCA at Pondicherry and during our conversation he said that he travels in Pondicherry passenger often. He recollected his experience in meter gauge trains and he said that he enjoyed meter gauge train journeys more than broad gauge journeys. I dare not tell him that I am also a rail fan as I don’t reveal personal stuffs that easily. I observed that for people in Madurantakam and Acharapakkam Indian Railways was something special and divine unlike for people in Chennai where many view it as a transport system. As far as I know people living beyond Chengalpet are pretty sentimental about meter-gauge journeys.

I inquired about life in Acharapakkam and neighboring towns like Madurantakam, Melmaruvattur, Tozhuppedu, Pakkam and Olakur. He said Madurantakam was a bigger town amongst the list and quite a popular place. However, railway stations are much used only at Madurantakam and Melmarvattur. Majority of the people living in Acharapakkam work in places like Chengalpet, Tambaram, Paranur and they travel for nearly one and half hours in the evening in each direction for work. So totally three hours of travel per day! Majority of them work in Banks, factories and a few work in companies like Nokia, Airtel. Acharapakkam is a center hub and it supplies electricity to the surrounding “Pathinettu- Patti”(in Tamil it means 18 villages). I had a doubt! I asked him this question! What is so divine about that number 18 and why it is often used to describe the number of villages surrounding a town? I find it in all cinema dialogues. The young priest simply said that there is no specific reason attached to it.

I walked to the railway track as it was quite near to the temple. I couldn't resist taking photos in my camera mobiles.

I was a bit disappointed with that reply. I thought that I would unravel the mystery behind it. He said that Acharapakkam was becoming more popular day by day. Acharapakkam is a separate constituency and the town has got only a few hotels and lodges which generally gets crowded during election period. People in Acharapakkam want Expresses to stop at their hometown, but since Melmarvattur was already given a halt, Acharapakkam is denied that halt! The town’s market is quite popular and people from neighboring villages like Pakkam, Tozhuppedu and Karasangal purchase groceries at Acharapakkam.

The single-line electrified track towards Egmore.

Acharapakkam was similar to mini-India. Acharapakkam was something different in my opinion. I was amazed to hear the fact Venkatesa Suprabatham is played in loudspeakers in the churches. The reason is that the temple hasn’t got many facilities and hence the Head priest has offered to give assistance to the Hindus living there by allowing devotional songs to be played over the Church’s loudspeakers. It brought back memories of my life in Christian school.


A snail's eye view!!

The priest gave a lot of details. All of a sudden few visitors came for pooja and so he had to leave me alone. I walked to the temple entrance and there I saw a Muslim gentleman interacting with the temple priest. They were talking about the similarities in various religions and were praising the Almighty for giving various joys to humans. I heard a loud honk and for sometime the entire environment turned dynamic. I had a good darshan of WAG-5 hauling a goods train towards Villupuram. After 15 minutes, I saw WDM-2 LHF hauling 195SC Tirupati-Pondicherry passenger past Acharapakkam. What a fantastic sight! I really envy the deities over here.

The roads in Acharapakkam have their own beauty and charm.

For sometime, I wondered what I studied in my graduation. I have graduated only foolishness, though living in a metropolitan city like Chennai. These people over here know a lot of things and most of all they seem to know how to treat a human being with respect. The temple was exactly next to the 99km post. I tried taking photographs. I attempted to take a snail’s eye view of the sky from the tracks. It came out well in my opinion. These tracks haven’t got much action during the day.

A Muslim Gentlemen in the act of praising God and embracing humanity.

I walked back to the temple. There was a Lord Ganesh statue along with Mother Parvati and Lord Shiva on temple top. Looks like Mother Parvati and Lord Shiva have been feeding infant Ganesh with food and fruits by showing the trains running between Chennai and Tiruchi. The temple was very near to the tracks and the deities had a clear view too. It’s always nice to watch a train in action. The deities themselves are blessed and lucky to watch Indian Railway trains.

The houses in Acharapakkam have their own beauty.

I got a call from my Chennai friend Siva Ramakrishnan a.k.a Nishant. He has been receiving my SMS updates. He suggested that I should travel 3km south and visit another temple in the name “Kadamber Kandigai”. I did have that plan, but later I erased my thoughts as I was a bit lazy and I boarded a bus to return home. I connected my headset to my mobile and I was listening to Bombay Vikings-Chod Do Aanchal remix. I should admit that I like the remix more than the actual 1956 duet between Nutan and Dev Anand. The bus journey was good. Near Paranur, I saw an EMU running parallel to my bus. My bus was a bit shaky compared to the train, but I can observe the smoothness in the EMU. I can realize why train journeys are more comfortable than buses. I reached home a bit early. My parents were a bit surprised. They thought that I would be returning only in evening passenger from Pondicherry and not by bus.

-Krishna Kumar.S