Around India in 80 Trains - 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 quick in 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.