[Book Notes] Around India in 80 Trains by Monisha Rajesh
Taking down some notes about things that I learnt, observed while reading this book.
Peter Riordan, journalist from NZ who had writtern about his solo train journey across India
How much km does Indian Railways cover? In book its 64,000 km.
90 days India Rail pass for foreign tourists.
Is landmark shop still there?
1st Train: Anantapuri Express to Nagercoil from Chennai Egmore. Then local train to Kanyakumari.
Mangalore: Mangaladevi temple visit.
Himsagar Express from Kanyakumari to Jammu Tawi, takes 67 hours.
Panvel Nadi viaduct under Konkan railway.
Trains going away from its home station = "Down" trains. Those going towards home station = "Up" trains.
Indian Maharaja Odyssey train.
A warning call from a deer. It means that she has sensed a predator nearby, tiger. Nice observation to use for tiger safaris.
National Rail Museum in Chanakya Puri, New Delhi.
leven - leven thirty.
Passage about India's urgency. P-43
Mathematics of structure, positioning and astrological aspects of Indian temples.
Sri Rangam temple in Trichy. Largest Hindu temple after Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
Story of Narayana. P-53
Brihadishwara temple(Lord Shiv) in Thanjavur built by Raja Raja Chola.
Mumbai, this was India in its most concentrated form.
90s clothing brands in India: Vibe, Weekender, Benetton.
Leopold Cafe, mentioned in Shantaram book by Gregory David Roberts.
Olympia coffee house in Colaba, Mumbai. [To visit]
Duronto trains, it means
quickin Bengali.Design of Duronto trains, created by Mamta Banerjee.
Chandela dynasty kings established Khajuraho as their capital in 10th century.
Bundela kings, Orchha.
In 1838 TS Burt came across the ruins of Khajuraho temples and began restoring them.
Diu was a Portuguese colony till 1961. 400 years of Portuguese rule.
Dwarka, Rameshwaram, Puri, Badrinath - Char dhams.
Barmer known for carved wooden furniture.
Chapslee hotel in Shimla. History associated with it and numerous antique items there.
Shivalik Deluxe Toy train -> Shimla - Kalka route.
Original version of snakes and ladders game invented in India. Called Moksha patam.
Life has a way of doing it, good things, when we need it the most.
Go through list of Sahitya Akademi award winners. Esp in Marathi.
The golden chariot train.
Retiring rooms at Mysore railway station are good.
Shravanabelagola, a Jain pilgrimage site.
Goa to Londa train journey.
Umaria in MP, lifeline express. Does it still run? Same route or more routes now?
How common are cases of burst appendix?
Details about lifeline express. P-181
Having "noticeable aversion to verbosity".
Getting used to angry silence
How does NHS work? [LI]
People need school and sanitization and not malls.
To avoid constant battle against the country's orchestrated chaos.
Bahrisons bookstore in Delhi
Assam accord of 1985. And how many of its clauses were implemented?
In each direction North, South, East and West find out current last stations. In book it is, in order, Uddhampur, Kanyakumari, Ledo, Dwarka.
Indians love a good monologue.
Decoding 5 digit no on carriage in trains. Details on P-199 Eg: 88432
88 means -> made in 1988
432 -> if between 401 and 600 it is general class coach.
432 - 401 = 31st general class coach made in that year.
Another example: 97312 97 -> made in 1997 312 -> if between 201 and 400 it is sleeper class coach.
312 - 201 = 111th sleeper class coach made in that year.
Jammu Tawi station omelette sandwich.
Assam has tea and oil. Team within Assam is not good as good one is exported out. Locals call it "saalu chai" meaning dirty tea.
SN Goenka and Vipassana meditation centers in India and worldwide.
Letting the 5 senses be in present.