The Satpura Railway was among the world’s greatest Narrow Gauge (2’6″) railway systems. Commissioned under the aegis of the Bengal-Nagpur Railway (BNR), the system comprised more than a 1000 km of line stretching from Nagpur in the west, to Jabalpur (Jubbulpore) toward the North and Chandrapur (Chanda) in the south, covering large parts of present day Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. In the late 1990s, the…
The Terai Trains – Revisited
“Abhi teen din pehle hi yahan tiger baitha tha! Pul ke uss paar. Yahan aksar aata jaata hai.” The gateman on duty near the Saryu Link Canal bridge was showing a grainy image on his mobile phone – a tigress sitting just beside the railway line, deep inside the heart of the Terai. We were back again on the meter gauge railway line that connects…
One night in Amritsar Jṉ
Railway yards are unwelcoming places at their very best. A smorgasbord of of metal, noise and human sweat – they are intimidating for someone who does not belong there. There is always something new – the smell of fresh paint, a brand new coach being delivered, a new recruit. There is always something old – rusting parts, decrepit buildings and men who have spent their entire…
In search of the Ghost Cat
Nearly twenty years ago, a teenage climber sat on a ledge overlooking a gorge in the Pir Panjal mountains. He saw a couple of Bharal grazing on the cliff face across the gorge. The sun was low, the weather crisp and a hot meal waited back at the camp. All was well with the world, when hell broke loose. The Bharal started running helter skelter,…
Tale of Two Kingdoms – Redux
The fabled land of Rajasthan was actually a collection of princely states. Chief among them were the states of Mewar and Marwar, with their seats at Udaipur and Jodhpur respectively. From the late 19th century itself, Marwar was served by the Rajputana – Malwa railway, with lines extending from Ajmer to Delhi, Indore and Ahmedabad, and a branch to Jodhpur via Marwar Jn. Mewar. The…
The Dhoulpur State Railway
In a tiny spit of Rajasthan – sandwiched between Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, lies the town of Dhoulpur. Once a not very significant princely state, the Dhoulpur Maharajas still managed to build their own railway network. Chiefly to transport the state’s main export – the famous Dhouplur stone. For those who don’t know what that is, think – The Rashtrapati Bhawan, The India Gate…
The little trains to nowhere
Over the last decade or so, India has accelerated the pace of replacing its narrow and meter gauge railways with the bigger, faster broad gauge. While the socio-economic benefits of the broad gauge are many, its arrival has ended the era of the slow, leisurely travel – the kind that a few hopeless romantics like me still yearn for. Travelling on these lines meant taking…
Jewels in the Dust
On an unassuming street in dusty Junagadh, lie two of India’s least celebrated architectural marvels. The Mahabat Maqbara (mausoleum) and the adjoining tomb of Bahar-ud-din Bhar are two unusually stunning structures. The former is the tomb of Nawab Mahabat Khan II of Junagadh – a distinctly Islamic building with European flourishes. The Nawabs of Junagadh were staunch supporters of the British and had a taste…
Symbol of Spiti
The gompa (monastery) at Ki is said to have been founded in the 11th century. The largest among all monasteries in Spiti, it rises above the Spiti river valley and is visible from miles around. Home to more than 250 monks, it is among the most iconic symbols of the region and sight for sore travellers coming up from the lonely road from Losar.
Aero India 2017
Images from Aero India 2017 – India’s premier aerospace exhibition held at the Yelahanka Air Force Base on the outskirts of Bangalore.