great indian train journey

GREAT INDIAN TRAIN JOURNEY

-Sumantra Chowdhury

In India, a country of billion people we have people of different

backdrop , culture and race.

A great meeting place for all this is the Indian railways……since time immemorial or lets say last 150 years, this larger than life organisation…India’s biggest employer has been able to bind the nation together in its journey across India’s terrain.

Its an amazing experience to witness the transformation of the landscape through the tainted glass of two tier coach. Its also not only the landscape its also about the different language signboards, weather and people which has to be witnessed and felt.

Indian railways may be no match for high speed TGV of Europe of bullet train of Japan but it has its unparallel distinct charm which is uniquely Indian and cannot be observed anywhere else. Small things like the different hawkers sellers who board the train to sell all kind of abstract things from mobile chargers to cheap appetizers…making the journey colourful and refreshing for a traveller.

However the best part of an Indian train journey is the friendship you make with your co-passengers which is very meaningful without any string attached. A companion for the solitary journey whom you probably won’t meet again in your lifetime. The bond that is made in that quick time is priceless.

You may never know how a co-passenger whom you ideally meet on your journey can change life forever…ideally for the better. A lesson can be learnt and new things can be appreciated from new retrospective ways. The cliché attached with our cosmopolitan city life can be shrugged off for few hours and observe the quaint lifestyle in pastoral settings.

Trek to Savandurga

Savandurga or 'fort of death' as its name suggests is the largest monolith hill in Asia located in the state of Karnataka and 60 kms from Bangalore.
Its known for its steep terrain and its rich history.It was the second capital of kempegowda reign .Ruins of that fort remains testimony to an era long gone.

After much research on internet we( 5 students of M.S Ramaiah College,B'lore) decided to spent a night on the top of the hill. Hence we made adequate prepration.

items listed below:

1. Tent

2.Adequate torch and emergency light

3. kerosene

4.Butcher's Knife

5.Sand

6.Dry Food

7.Nylon wire

8. Water

9.Dry wood

10.carbolic acid

we had one day for all the shopping as we planned the entire thing on friday and left on Sunday.

The route was prepared from internet....where all the information is being gathered....we finally prepared to leave.

TRANSPORT
Direct bus is available fro K.R Market Bus stand but we took a bus from Majestic to Magadi road bus stand to Magadi town.
From Magadi Town small tempo are available which we took to take one to the foot of savandurga hills .

It took us four hours in total to reach Shavandurga.
Being a Sunday there was quite a crowd there mainly Pilgrims as Savandurga is known for its temple at the top.

The Trek

Savandurga is knowm for its barren steep rock which makes it a difficult climb.
We had added woes in form of sudden rain and the huge load we had to carry in our back to make our night out.

We started by 12.30 and we reached the top not before 5.00 pm as rain played quite a spoilsport.

I especially remember the last leg of the climb was most difficult as it was almost vertically tilted and to make things worse we dint had ropes to held on to.

After reaching the top it was a sigh of relief words can't explain. We had to immediately get into work to bring out the tent and arrange woods for camp fire.

As the Sun went down the sparkling light from down below made all of us engulfed in its beauty.

We cooked maggie(instant noodles) and boiled eggs for dinner and slept at the tent only after being drunk in nature.

As the sun rose to its glory the next day we remained a witness to all its splendour.

We came down the hill next day around noon and made our way back to b'lore.

It was definetly one of the most rewarding experiences of my life for just being an unconventional weekend!!!!