Train journeys have always fascinated me .

The traveller residing inside my soul always craves for long journeys to exotic destinations. I think that travelling on trains has the potential to change your outlook towards life.

Today, I wish to share a story about a 18 -year old boy namely Rahul from Delhi (what else could be the most common name in North India). This name has traditional connection with Bollywood movies and has been adopted widely by star-struck parents in this part of India.

However, before I start the actual story about this boy , there is need to talk about Indian Railways network so that you get a background story to go with the flow of happenings inside the coach of the train.

The large number of people carried by Indian trains can confuse any ordinary observer. Officially, a normal passenger train has around 24 coaches and can carry about 1600 to 2000 persons depending upon the configuration of the coaches like open-air window (Sleeper) coaches and glass-covered window(AC) coaches using air conditioning systems. Generally, sleeper coaches can accommodate 72 sleeping berths. AC coaches can accommodate 64 sleeping berths into 3-by-3 configuration(3A) and 46 berths into 2-by-2 configuration(2A). The number of berths further goes down in First Class.

It’s simple mathematics that more you pay, bigger space and facilities you get.

There is also a third category of unreserved coaches which officially accommodates 90 sitting passengers but carries around 500 or more passengers during a normal day. This is the actual cattle class of our trains. But, it’s not unusual that 4000/5000 passengers are squeezed into all corners of the train and air-conditioned coaches are also full up to the brim in peak seasons which actually means 12 months in a calendar year. Getting tickets in Indian trains is a tough task and needy people purchase tickets 90 days in advance to avoid last-minute disappointments.

The background story about trains won’t be complete about reminding you that India has the 4th largest railway system in the world, behind only US, Russia and China. India moves through trains and if trains stop due to any rhyme or reason , the country stops.

But, the story of Rahul unfolds in the year 2005 when population of India was around 115 Crores which is nearly 144 Crores now. So, the Indian trains had to carry around 29 Crores less people than they carry in 2024. So, train travelling was fun in those days.

Rahul was a studious boy who has just completed his graduation from Delhi University. He wanted to join Indian Air Force and has given entrance examination for joining the IAF as an officer. Results were declared in May, 2005 and he received a call-up letter to undergo selection process at an Air Force Centre situated in Mysore city in August, 2005.

Though, Rahul had heard about Mysore through geography and history books as well as maps but he had no inkling about the way to reach this beautiful city. Life prior to advent of Google can be tough for young boys. No friend of his had either travelled or had prior experience about selection process of IAF. People of Delhi normally prefer cushy and less-strenous government/private sector jobs or start a business venture. Joining defence forces is not fashionable in the capital city of India.

Firstly, Rahul had to travel to Banglore from Delhi by train and then to Mysore by road. But, he was apprehensive about travelling alone in a train. He had never gone out of Delhi. He knew all the routes from his home in East Delhi to his college in North Delhi. He also had few friends in West Delhi and had visited glitzy and fashionable markets of South Delhi. But, travelling to Mysore had frightened him. Southern city of Banglore is situated around 2800 Kms. away from Delhi and travelling time in train was nearly 45 hours(around 02 days if you lucky and driver of train follows the route religiously). Drivers of trains sometimes take a detour from fixed route and may go for enjoying a steamy cup of tea from a famous roadside tea stall.

But, the desire to join the IAF helped him in making up his mind to undertake this arduous journey. One of his friend managed to reserve a ticket in a 3rd- Air Conditioned coach of a train namely Karnataka Sampark Kranti Express(Train No. -2614).

Assigning numbers to trains in India has a very scientific logic. Since the year 2010, train numbers in India have increased to five digits. First digit signifies the nature of train i.e. it’s a superfast or express or any other type of train. Superfast as the name suggest are the top dogs of the Indian Train System and have comparatively fewer stoppages than regular trains. Other digits similarly contain information about various characteristics of the train.

This particular train commences journey from Hazrat Nizamuddin Delhi Junction and goes up to Yeshwanthpur Junction in Banglore city. It covers nearly 2747 Kms. from Northern India to Southern India and passes through big and small towns/villages on the way.

Rahul reached station and his elder brother gave him farewell advice about travelling in train and bid adieu. Family elders in India have the uncanny habit of lecturing about philosophy of life to younger members irrespective of the occasion or place. But, this was an appropriate occasion. Eyes of Rahul became moist as he grasped the enormity of task ahead and travelling alone in middle of 2000 strangers in a closed and claustrophobic steel container. Trains are like that only, steel is all around at station , on the tracks and everywhere on the train. Imagine a situation when steel tubes of trains starts squeezing and crush everyone on the board. A doomsday scenario, but entirely feasible.

Rahul found his berth and sat on the blue-coloured foam disguised as sleeping berth. He looked around and found a family of 03 persons, husband, wife and a daughter (a beautiful girl who seemed older than him). So, only 04 persons were occupying this 06-seater cabin of this particular coach.

Rahul had no idea that this journey of few thousand miles will change his life forever. He had earlier noticed the large and mesmerising eyes of the girl, his co-passenger in the train. She was actually 24-year old, though looked younger in insufficient and off-white lighting of the cabin.

The train gave a long whistle and started with a jerk. Train started moving from the platform slowly, increasing speed by inches as few hurried passengers and their well-wishers tried to board and de-board at the same time.

It’s illogical that why people who don’t wish to travel, stay long inside the train and wait for movement of train to get down at the platform from a moving train. If you don’t wish to move out of Delhi now than why stay in a train going to Karnataka and create unnecessary confusion in the mind of onlookers. Indian movies are famous for romanticizing this trend of boarding or deboarding from a moving train at the last minute. What’s fun in this unnecessary hassle ?

But, it’s Sunday today and night is dark and long. So, no need to rush things, let’s hope that Rahul settles in the train and girl stays long enough to start a story.

But, that’s for another day. If you wish to read the story, wait for the train to gather speed.

To be continued…….

Ladakh is an enigmatic place. It’s a cold and white high-altitude desert. It’s a faraway place situated at the northern-most end of Indian subcontinent. It’s the farthest north you can travel in India. It’s barren and surreal beauty can’t be described in words.

Then, why am I attempting to write about Ladakh ?

Why does Ladakh beckons a traveller ? No obvious reasons but people visit Ladakh simply because it’s there… up above the sky……near clouds. So, if you have few days to live your life…visit Ladakh. There is no other reason…there can’t be.

Some people would say that in the year 2022, such high mountain passes as in Ladakh (it means land of high passes) have been photographed umpteen times and Instagram-like apps and travelling websites provide all photos you can ask for .

But, discovering a pristine landscape has it’s own charms. It’s like delicious food from a famous restaurant. People may say that food is delicious and heavenly.

But, how do you realize it ?

There is only one way…..go and eat it.

Ladakh is like that only…you may read that it’s beautiful…blah..blah…..but you need to see vistas of unreal beauty through your own large and bulbous 02 eyes to believe it.

Don’t worry , it’s equally good ..even if you have small eyes.

Since early 1970s, when tourists were allowed to explore Ladakh, many intrepid travellers have gone through this chillingly cold mountainous region where temperatures can plummet to a – 40 degree Celsius during extremely long winter months.

But, believe me…..mark my words …. your life is wasted till date if you haven’t visited Ladakh……it’s one of a kind in in the world.

Nowhere, can you find such a diverse variety of arid landscape. For people living in crowded cities…..it’s heaven, descended in the form of a beautiful painting.

For smartphone-wielding warriors or should I say youngsters born after the year 2K, every frame is delight for connoisseurs, you turn left, there is grey mountain…you turn right there is a pink and reddish colour mountain……your head can not even recognize the colours of the snow-capped peaks as these are dispersed with non-snow peaks of red , grey or white coloured-peaks….. your head goes up and there is an azure blue mountain of unbelievable clarity, full HD or 4K picture clarity of an OLED screen.

Don’t get flabbergasted….I am talking about sky in last sentence.

Yes, but the words are true, snow-capped mountains are so high in Ladakh that you forget that where the peaks of mountains end and skyline starts……in some cases colours are also similar.

Air is so pure in Ladakh that if you want pure oxygen in your lungs……there is no need to use oxygen canisters.

Just take a deep breath and it will revitalize you.

But, remember one tricky fact that amount of air is pretty less as compared to plain areas. So, your lungs may ask for more air if they are habitual of devouring black and dirty air of some modern cities.

Especially, if you are travelling by air , which most people do, the difference in quantity of air can make or ruin your plans for exploring Ladakh.

Keep in mind that roads are a better way to enter Ladakh region but it’s not meant for faint-hearted people.

NH – 01 reaches Leh from Srinagar and NH-03 winds it’s way from Manali. Both routes are spectacularly beautiful and will take your breath away. But, you need time and sturdy all terrain 04-wheeler or a mountain bike having 02 wheels but a big heart and extraordinary powerful torque to take you past the unfathomable passes.

But, road travel to Ladakh is a different story altogether and I will talk about it some other time.

Let’s talk about seasons to visit Leh.

All seasons are damn good in Ladakh but not meant for everyone. So, for a normal person, who loves his junk food round-the-year and has no major illness, June to September is the official summer season in Ladakh.

Ladakh gets it’s majority of tourist during this short window of 04 months.

You may visit during May. It’s equally good if not better in May.

Tonight, I will talk about the easiest way to reach Ladakh that is through air.

All leading airlines operate daily flights to Leh from Delhi and some other major cities of India.

It’s a short and sweet ride of around 45 minutes.

Windows of your metal tube (don’t get confused)……..I am talking about Boeing and Airbus aircraft, goes through varied emotions of despair as well as joy in this short ride.

From Delhi, you pass through verdant fields of Haryana and Punjab…then flora and fauna of Pir Panjal Range mesmerizes your glass windows….then comes bowl-shaped beautiful Kashmir Valley …….your metal tube may be thinking about landing at beautifully enticing Srinagar airport but your driver (I don’t know the logic behind calling Plane’s driver a Pilot, why give them a distinct identity. Are Truck’s driver made by lesser Gods ?) takes a slightly left turn and snow-capped mountains are visible to people sitting in left side of aisle and right side people curse their fate for choosing wrong side.

You can even touch the Zero Point of Zojila Pass (no one lives there) if you stretch your limbs a little longer but freezing weather outside your tube made of metal alloys prevents your wish for any misadventure.

Airline crew may also take steps to stop you from going out for a stroll in mid-air. It’s not advisable….I don’t know about feasibility as haven’t tried yet.

Approach to Leh airport is as tricky as curves on mountain roads in Ladakh. Your driver does many unpredictable manoeuvres in the air that sometimes you feel that he has lost his marbles.

You can’t see airport for a long time …mountains are just wide enough to let your aircraft pass through and you are watching a large mound of mud-type structure on both flanks.

You wonder how will this incompetent driver land on slope of such high mountains ?

Can your plane go up on a slope on mountain like an ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) ?

You hear whispering sounds of air as if a ghost -like creature waits for you on the ground. People get religious during these tense moments when Plane shakes like a leaf in the air and start giving you mild jerks. You feel that road journey would have been a better option.

Finally, you land on the smallest strip of an airfield , just long enough for runway of your aircraft.

You heave a sigh of relief on seeing other aircrafts sleeping on the tarmac.

Your metal tube gives a high five to fellow airplanes and ask for any traces of bad weather on the ground.

Keep in mind that aircraft land and take-off only till afternoon as tricky wind movements and large clouds (sleeping in air) makes it difficult to fly a Plane.

Why only Plane, even birds of Ladakh don’t prefer to fly in afternoon. They love their siestas in caves of barren mountains.

But, the real fun begins when you come out on the mystic land.

Your head feels little lighter and your senses are overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of landscape. But, you notice one thing…. where are trees ?

It’s like God has used a marble polishing machine to denude this beautiful land of all trees.

Why on earth Leh is deprived of large trees ? People say that due to less amount of rainfall , large trees don’t prosper in this land. But, why do trees need rain if large swathes of snow-capped mountains are providing perennially-flowing rivers in this land of scarce resources ?

It’s good that science has strange ways of explaining things.

It’s an irony that Ladakh doesn’t have large trees. You can find artificial kind of trees in other parts of city but nothing grows on rude and moody mountains near airport.

At the cost of comparing apple with oranges, I must say that Kashmir valley situated few hundreds of kilometres away has many 700 to 1000-years old Chinar trees.

I don’t know about geography but this is illogical ?

Why deprive such a beautiful land of such beautiful trees ?

Something is missing or may be messy . Gods are not fair but that’s a different story.

Coming back to Leh….

You can experience the cataclysmic difference in mean sea level from around 700 feet in Delhi to around 11500 feet in Leh.

It is empowering. It is spiritual. It is an out of this world feeling. You are attacked by the gutsy and powerful winds which tries to blow away your senses, or may be your soul.

You are awed by the magical beauty of fresh air, uncharacteristically arid and dry but bone-chilling weather.

Wise people say that do not hurry in mountains. Small steps on an uphill track can help you in exploring many unconquered peaks. The moment you hurry up and take long steps, you will become out of breath and mountain gods will make sure that you won’t be able to go far.

So, once yo reach Leh, forget that you are a tourist. Take a deep breath, drink lots of warm ginger-flavoured water, eat hot and spicy food, sleep well for long hours.

Your body isn’t a machine and imposing landscape of Leh teaches you to live life in a slow lane. It’s an important life lesson which you can carry even after departing from land of high passes.

Government regulations say that you must spend 48-hours acclimatization in Leh before moving to high mountain passes. It’s not an advisory. It’s a life-saving tip which helps in making your stay a memorable one in high mountains. Medical facilities are rudimentary in this part of world, so, ignore this advisory at a considerable risk to health of a loved ones, especially if you are travelling with kids or elderly persons.

It’s getting late in night and I haven’t even arrived at arrival lounge of Leh airport.

So, let’s call it a day.

Will write about Leh some other time.