घुमक्क्ड साथी - A Journey to Remember..

घुमक्क्ड साथी 

A Journey to Remember...

It’s interesting to meander in a hyperbole, searching something new. A journey towards Mumbai is one such experience in the month of Savan from Varanasi. All time favourite; train is suitable to enlarge it by criss-crossing in between many stations savouring the clouds & rain of Vindhaya, Satpura & Western Ghats. Poet Kalidas embodies all this in his masterpiece Meghdoot.

आपृच्‍छस्‍व प्रियसखममुं तुग्‍ड़मालिग्‍ड़च शैलं     
     वन्‍द्यै: पुंसां रघुपतिपदैरकिड़तं मेखलासु।   
काले काले भवति भवतो यस्‍य संयोगमेत्‍य
     स्‍नेहव्‍यक्तिश्चिरविरहजं मुञ्चतो वाष्‍पमुष्‍णम्।।

Places I crossed....

I started my journey from Varanasi. The first station that comes while travelling towards Mumbai is Bhadohi-the carpet weaving hub of India. Carpet industry flourished when Mugal came to India after 15^th century. Carpet weaving is a cumbersome process of manifolds incorporating modern techniques, machines and Hand woven carpets on looms.

Next two stations, Janghai Jn and Phulpur are expansion of locals that live in vicinity to two major towns of northern India, Varanasi and Allahabad.

Allahabad is a pious place of a billion people where confluence of three rivers Ganga, Yamuna & Sarswati is accepted. Both Ganga and Yamuna Rivers originate in Uttaranchal enriching & nurturing Uttar Pradesh-the most populace state of India, converge at Allahabad where Sarswati is believed to be flowing beneath the land ‘invisible’ confluences to these two rivers.

Further southwards starts the mountain range of Vindhyachal and Satpura crossing stations Dabhuara, Manikpur, Jaitwar, Satna one reaches to Maihar.

Famous warriors of Bundelkhand Allah & Udal, Chandel Dynasty, are few two individuals mentioned history of this region’s past glory.

Maihar is one among the 52 Shakti Peeths scattered all around Indian sub-continent. Goddess Sarswati resides here on a hillock where people from all around India come to homage.

Katni is the first major station while travelling towards Mumbai from Allahabad

directions- Bina, Jabalpur, Bilaspur, Satna, Singrauli. Time went by sleeping and chit-chatting to fellow travellers in train after Katni and stations passed in night are Bandakpur, Damoh, Patharia, Saugor, Khuria.

Next morning started with incessant rain making all passing village’s scenery green and glowing with gleam of unspoiled nature. Misty weather, ups and downs of curvy mountain ranges and transitory small stations where train don’t stop, forces one to know more about the places and people passing by.

I came down from my reserved birth at Bina Jn and surely was fortunate enough to get a cup of hot tea mixed with cardamom at there. Next station is Ganj Basoda where train stops for 2 minutes and has not much to explore, subsequently comes Vidisha.

Vidisha is historical in phase that is believed to be one amongst the 16 Mahajapadas of 6^th century B.C. Bhopal is the place of Lakes and natural beauty and capital of Madhya Pradesh.

From here train moves towards Itarsi Jn passing small stations like Habibganj and Hoshangabad. Crossing Harda and Khirkiya one reaches to Khandwa.

Impeccable beautiful stations that passé while reaching Mumbai now onwards are Manmad Jn(The mountain retreat for Muambaikars), Igatpuri not to be missed upon as one of the best meditation for Vipasana Yoga in World.

Mumbai Experiences are quirky Edginess nuance.