This is the title of a book about unsung Railway junctions like Itarsi, Guntakal, Jolarpet, Shoranur, Jhansi, and my favourite (though not in this book)-Dornakal. The author travels to and stays in, and discovers what makes these small towns click, and how whole towns came to be built around the railway junction. Dornakal is where we had to change trains in early childhood to go anywhere from Kothagudem in Andhra Pradesh, my birthplace and early abode. Between the two points, we had mystically named towns such as Chimalpahad, Tadkalpudi and Bethampudi.
For example, a Muslim Saint's memorial built by Reddys in Guntakal, or the peaceful evening walks in the same town, the noisy streets of North India, special foods available everywhere, common people and their life stories, the reason Itarsi got its name (after It and rassi- bricks and rope- which were made there), and many other imponderables are nicely dealt with in a low profile, engaging style that reminded me of Bill Bryson, though Biswanath Ghosh is not as funny as him.
For anyone who has travelled on the railways for any length of time, it's a great read.
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4 comments:
Train journeys and railway stations in India evoke great nostalgia for me as well. Even this day when we do so much of airtravel, i fantasize the romance of great indian rail network- stations, life on/off platforms,eco-system (terrible jargon but can't help)around small town stations, steam/diesel locos, metre gauge trains,variety of food sold etc. Infact indian railway is a microcosm of the greater Indian society. I will always be a great fan of our railway and will sure read this book. Thanks for introducing this book.
Alas our children dont share the same feelings for train journeys !
Paddy, even though trains have a mind of their own, and are late at times, are irritating and so on, they are still a better experience than economy (cattle?) class air travel most of the time. Particularly the feeling when you stretch on an upper berth!
Can't say children have much enthu for whatever their parents like, though.
The author was in Hyderabad last Sunday conducting a writing workshop for writers who want to get published. He conducted the workshop with Raksha Bharadia, one of the authors in the Chicken Soup for the Indian Soul series. Friend of mine, Vinod Ekbote, (he's written his book already and is ready to approach publishers) went for the workshop and got his autograph on 'Chai Chai'. He is a big time blogger as well, BG, I mean (though Vinod blogs as well).
Hari, that's good to hear. Should check out his blog too. I think his (book)publisher was Tranquebar.
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