Manipal TrainSpotting Memories by Anil

January 13, 2018 Vishaal Bhat Miscellaneous 0

Manipal, they say, provides perspective to the rest of your life. For some, these are the best days of their lives. For some others, these are but memories of a time, they thought they were conquerors of their lives. On such person, Anil, who microblogs on twitter using the handle @shayanyaan shared a few of his memories with us recently.

He began with the following words, which most of us alumni of Manipal are all too familiar with:

Some nights, sleep is hard to come by. Tonight I found myself going through some railway pictures from a few years ago. So here’s a picture thread from one of my favorite stations on IR, Udupi.

He was also kind enough to permit us to share his experiences on ManipalBlog!

I went to college in Manipal. So most evenings I’d come here to take a stroll and watch the trains slide in and out. The Mangalore-Mumbai Superfast Express.


Most of the time I’d be accompanied by my good friend @sbhatta4g . Some times we’d stay on into the night waiting for the Trivandrum Rajdhani to show up. The quiet of the platforms at night was just profound. Which would be interrupted by the wheezing of the WDP3A engine bringing in the Rajdhani, usually bang on time.

Early mornings were pretty special too. A gentle tang in the air as we’d wait expectantly for the Nagercoil – Gandhidham Express.

Then the grand daddy of the route, the Matsyagandha Express from Mumbai.Followed by the northbound Trivandrum Rajdhani.

And if the day was right, the Duronto to Mumbai would rocket past on the through line.Usually after this we’d head into town for some of the finest idli and vada in the land.

Most of the time, we’d just sit on a bench and appreciate the joys of living on the Konkan Railway and the diesel locos that ruled the roost.Sometimes I’d take a moment or two to practice the art of depth of field in photography.

But Udupi was at its best in the monsoon.And just about the only time, the Duronto livery looked bearable as far as I was concerned. Because it would blend in with the surroundings.

But most of all, I think we just loved the warmth of the people in that part of the country. They always had the time to smile for you.

We hope you liked this delightful thread. Do follow @shayanyaan if you’re on twitter for some wonderful persepectives on life after manipal!

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