Ode to Dadar and the song of the Queen

WARNING:

For ferroquinologists only. Non ferroquinologists may read at their own risk.

An everyday happening during the evening at Dadar station of Central Railway.

As the clocks creeps towards 16:45, a sundry looking shunter loco takes the sparkling clean rake of the Deccan Queen towards PF8 of CST, Mumbai. The calm before the storm has begun. The passengers start arriving and start taking their respective seats while the regulars head towards their 2nd home and begin the fun and games. At 16:50, a clean looking WCAM3 21900 inches towards the rake slowly and is attached. All thats preventing the beast from releasing its 4600 horses is a small starter signal whose red light glows bright as the evening sun descends on Mumbai.

The driver switches cabs. The panto goes up and touches the 1500V DC OHE. The DS is closed and the blowers come to life and the loco purrs away as the time nears 17:10. Meanwhile, the compressor is rattling away making sure the air pressure is at optimum levels while the blowers cool the insides of the beast waiting to start its fierce gallop. A piddly old mortal walks up to the queen and hands over the power sheet and the Queen is under the hands of the driver waiting to unleash the energy that resides within the loco.

The clock turns 17:10 and the starter turns yellow signifying the beast to unleash itself. The driver pushes the reverser into FWD, gets the OK from the guard and increases a notch and the Queen slowly starts moving out of the PF. Once clear of the points, the beast is unleashed. The notches start going up rapidly from 4 to 22 to 32 to 39 in no time as 21900 roars and picks up speed within no time and is at a steady gallop.

Meanwhile, at Dadar the evening rush hour has begun. The crowds from all places in Mumbai descend onto DR to take the evening local home. The announcement lady on the PA system is crying herself hoarse as locals pull in and out of the station unloading and loading tired people travelling to and from the metropolis.

A local bound for Kasara has just berthed on PF5 and has unloaded and is loading even more. The crowd on PF4 swells waiting for the predecessor to the Queen. An Ambernath fast pulls in and the juntaa attack the train and within no time 2000+ people manage to shove their posteriors into the cramped space of the local. The motorman gives a toot on the horn and pushes off. Its getting 17:20 and the crowd builds again for the next local. The line is all clear for the Queen. The starter has turned green and PF4 is still bustling with activity.

As the clock turns 17:21, far in the distance a blue/yellow colored monster is charging at the crowded station. As it nears the PF, the chief keeps the horns pressed. The activity on the PF comes to an abrupt end and all that can be heard of is the horns of the loco charging towards the PF at 90kmph. A few vagabonds manage to cross the track in the nick of time without getting severed by the loco. There is a moment of stunned silence and everyone takes a step back to make way for the Queen. A young lover talking on the cell to his girlfriend puts the call on hold, a stock broker talking with his associate stops the conversation and looks on in awe, a vegetable vendor after finishing the day in the city hurriedly moves her wares to a safe distance and makes her way into the bowels of the PF. Passengers for the Sahyadri exp prepare their luggage to board the train but make a hasty retreat on seeing the speeding 21900. The woman on the PA system announces the passing of the Queen and advises everyone to get back.

21900 approaches the PF in full spate, blaring his horns as loud as he could. A parent quickly removes a piece of cotton and stuffs it into her small child's ears. People on the entire PF stuff their fingers into their ears as hard as they can. The horning stops for a brief moment and everyone hears the loco roaring as it pulls the Queen behind. The loco is gone in a flash and the coaches start shattering the PF scene with loud 'clickety-clack' sounds. The public watch in stunned silence as the Queen zips past the crowded PF. The last coach clears and DR PF4 is back to its original look. The banter resumes and the public move back to their usual places and await the train for home. The PA system can be heard again on PF4 announcing the arrivals. The public stunned by 21900's speed show discuss for a few minutes on how she does the same everyday.

The local behind the DQ arrives on PF4. There is a mad rush to board it and everyone manages to squeeze in just perfectly. The local leaves and DR PF4 is back to the drawing board just the way it was before all this took place.

Oh Assam.....

For most of the aam aadmi whenever the name Assam crops up it brings out talk of a insurgency ravaged state with no development. All talks about visiting the state are quickly dismissed citing insurgency issues and other paraphernalia......

Well, for us nomads its our next holiday retreat. Little known from the public is the vast scenic beauty which lies as you move further east into the heartland of the North Cachar Hills. Theres just miles and miles of lush greenery as far as the eye can reach. The locals are the most friendly you can ever find on the planet and are always welcome to meet new people. The villages have THE most idyllic setting and each villager looks content, although Im not sure whether they really are.

While most of us prefer to pack off for a holiday to Goa or go river rafting on the Ganges near Haridwar, I prefer to mount my rucksack and go visit the mountains of Halflong or hop on to the Metre Gauge train to Silchar and savour the splendour of the Barak Valley or even visit the wild life sanctuary at Jatinga and Dibrugarh. A quick bus ride from Silchar and you end up at Maishashan, 12kms from the Bangladesh border and sit on the riverside and watch the river flow calmly devoid of all the dinghy's full of smuggled goods and smugglers running rampant about.

Ever since I have returned from Assam, a part of my heart lies there and I cannot be content with one visit. Its not enough to describe Assam in this post and is best savoured when visited.

Throw all nonsense issues like security threat in the dustbin, the place is calm and serene and everything is under control. The feel-good factor that remains till now is that there are absolutely minimal tourists which make things even more peaceful.

For first timers a simple word of advice is to do what the locals are doing and mix with them freely and dont be an odd man out and attract attention. Tourists are most welcome and the locals take immense pride in showing their locality to you.

So folks, before planning for a vacation do consider of moving away from the usual holiday jaunts think out of the box to explore the natural gifts gifted to us in this country which seldom is given a blind eye.