Dream come true only to get shattered in pain

                                   Dream come true! Is a rare situation in one's life. I was one of those lucky ones. My dream came true with my selection in Indian Railways as Sr. Section Engineer. I was a degree holder from a premier institute of India. I was placed at Infosys after my graduation from campus. Worked there for 2 years and left in 2013 to pursue my passion, i.e railways. 

                                    I knew it was not going to be easy to leave that cozy cubicle with one of the best team mates, good amount of responsibility at this young stage of my career. But, it was my passion. I knew I won't have facility of air conditioned cubicles, gym, food courts and what not. I had made best friends at Infosys whom I still strive to meet every time I go around their city. 

                                        What I never knew was that I will have to see my passion bleed slowly to death on bed of corruption with a pillow filled with red-tapeism, bureaucracy and lethargic attitude of its employees and officers. At present my passion is already half dead with it. A ray of hope came a few months ago, but that too was darkened by ego of some people. It is not easy to speak your mind in an organization like this. Some say that it is good to go with the flow if you want to save yourself from atrocities against you and your career. I, on the other hand feel that all these are for cowards and those who don't have self esteem.

                                       It hurts to see people, educated ones behaving like slaves to their reporting officers just so that they are not transferred to some other place and they don't have to work for the things they are actually recruited for. One may say that this is how people have to survive in KALYUG. How far is this good for the society overall?

                                           Talking particularly about Indian Railways, it is still living in British Era where Group A officers are like Britishers and Others are like Slave Indians of pre-Independence era.One is expected to follow each and every order from the higher ups however unethical and unprofessional it may be. There is no go for people at our level who want to be honest and go with the books. Rule books are only opened when we make some mistakes. Otherwise, if we state the rule book, we are looked upon as "KamChor". Words like "Netagiri" are attributed to honesty.

                                            One is expected to maintain the assets in the best possible manner without any facilities and material. How one can prepare good food if there is no raw material available? With great power, comes great responsibility is what you must have heard. But for us, we have all the responsibility with no power. The ones sitting in the air conditioned room have all the power but does not share any responsibility. You are never given an acknowledgement of your concerns.

                                         Railways today are running only on paper. There is a typical strategy of passing the parcel by writing letters which are acknowledged and nothing happens on the ground. There are times when we are only writing letters and adding no value to the organization for the months together. We are not creating assets nor we are able to maintain the existing ones properly. Shortage of staff is never seen as a problem. People at site are overburdened with work, be it day of night.
                                            As a site manager, I feel terrible calling people at night for heavy works when they have already worked hard all day in the harsh sun or rain or cold. In pressure of following my duty, I have to imbibe cruelness in my heart and make people work beyond their physical and mental limits which is never going to be compensated by the administration.

                                        Only hope is the new Chairman, who seems to be with staff and understands the pain of people working on the ground level. I sincerely believe that if things which he wants are brought to action, Railways will grow heaps and bound. Bureaucracy will be a major hurdle in the progress, but with the support of  staff and PM, he will be able to achieve new heights for Indian Railways.
                                              Frustration is growing among the ground level employees. I see it eyes of everyone around me. Some are succumbing to it by retiring unofficially by not involving in the work, some by finding new ways to avoid things which are too risky. I fear that, if this frustration grows beyond a limit, it will burst in the worst possible way. It will definitely dent the railways as a whole. This will of course hurt me as always, not matter what, I love Indian Railways.

8 bitter solutions all Feminists, Feminazis, Girls, Boys and Parents are looking for together

Change, it is the only constant as said by Heraclitus. And it is happening to me, to you, to us to a village, a town, a city, a state, a country, the globe and to that matter, to the whole universe. It is just that everyone one is not on the same pace to which the change is taking place.

Now when it comes to changes in things which have been same for quite a while, it causes pain. For example, one has got a plaster since 2 months and has not moved a muscle since then and he/she tries to move the muscle immediately, it causes pain. A lot of things in our society can be correlated to our body. Sudden changes in temperature causes discomfort.

Same is the case with our culture. People who live with and around us are changing may be for their own good or may be for their bad, only the time will decide. It is only the pace at which it is changing hurts (to some people). But the truth is that everything around is keeps updating. The challenge is to accept the things or it would be better if I should say adapt to these changes.

Now coming to the point, why all of it what i said was meant for. The most challenging things which are changing in our society is our women and the attitude of society towards this change. I have read umpteen articles and blogs. 'n' things you must know about a modern girl, x things a modern boy should do, y facts about 'bla bla' things. I have had enough of them. All of them either discuss the problems and put them to you in a fancy way or start another debate. I haven't come across any article which  suggests the solution for these...

So now I suggest x solutions for x number of problems with respect to most talked about points when an article on women is published:

1. Why a girl should change name or surname after marriage??
Ans. It is not totally necessary. If the girl is happy being called by different, better sounding name or surname, let her chose herself. As far as documents are concerned, I would suggest not changing names in the documents because it is hell lot of trouble for both.

How feminazis think about this:
Oh my god!! You have changed a girl's complete identity. How cruel and mean!!.

How families with this tradition think:
She has become a daughter of our's and she is a new member to our family. We shall name her with which we will call her with love.

How a person like me think about this:
Think for a name she likes and call her with the name as a nick name. We all have nick names given by our friends, cousins and parents. What is the matter if you get a good nick name. At least it would be better than some name by which you were constantly bullied over by friends. Just chill..

2. Why a girl leave her home after marriage.

Ans. Don't leave. Let him come to your house and live as a "Ghar Jamai". Will he be able to cope? Or your family or society? We have to strike a balance between what we want and what cannot be changed. There would be something in your mind after you decided to marry him. Why it becomes so difficult to leave home after marriage when it is not difficult to leave home for job?
I think in most of the cases, girls put this point just to make sure they live away from boy's parents, which is not fair. Nobody is telling a girl not to meet her parents or take care of them. It is up to you how you manage. If they are alone, bring them to you at your home. But make sure you take care of them as good as they were alone.

So instead of making it worst for yourself, make yourself a better person by respecting both the boy's parents and your's. Mind it, this goes same for the boy too.

3. Why should a girl only cook food at home. Why not a boy?

Ans. In most of the cases.these things are said by lazy girls or women who don't want to work. I have seen a lot of old, middle aged and new couples. In most of the cases, husband is more than ready to help in the household chores because it is a fact that these things are basic to keep the life running.

If you still have problem cooking at home, due to whatever reason genuine or fake, hire a cook. You must have capacity and availability to do that. What if for some reason your job location is at a place where there are no cooks available. You have to deal with it right? So don't choose the easy way out and both boys and girls, work hard to make meals at home and stay fir because "Ghar ka khana is always ghar ka khana" (Home cooked food is always good). And yes, from "Ghar ka khana" don't you miss food by your mom anytime? So don't you want your children to enjoy same kind of satisfaction when it comes to food? I hope you got my point.

Watch this if you didn't:
Ghar ka Khana



4. Why should only a girl work at home. Why not a boy?

Ans. Again! Don't! Hire a maid. But what if you are not capable or there aren't any maids available? Will you sleep on a dusty bed? Will you cook in a dirty kitchen or bath in a stinky bathroom? All these tantrums whether a boy or a girl are outcome of just a lazy butt. It is your life, you have to make a solution out of problems. If you don't like to dust or wipe, but machines (Do you have money for that?). If not, lift the broom and wiper and both of you get on to the work.

5. Why a girl need to do a job when husband is working?
Ans. Question is not if she needs to, it is if she wants to. It is beneficial to the future of the family if both husband and wife are working. If one is earning enough other one can enjoy doing a job or business which interests him/her. Moreover, if unfortunately one of them is no more, there won't be a case where family is not having enough money to even sustain itself. So the choice is her's and your's. It is up to you both how you manage your job and your home. Because at the end of the day, you have married each other to spend life together. What will be the point in doing a job from early morning to midnight when it doesn't gives you time for yourself and family?

My suggestion, one of you should choose a job which is less demanding and gives you optimal money and time at home. Now don't say there isn't a job like this. haha!

6. Women (specially modern women) often demand equality when they shouldn't!
Ans. I will give only examples for this topic.

Ex-1 A lady casual labor works really hard in bright sun, heavy rain and cold atmosphere. Will you be able to work in such conditions if the job demands? Don't give me examples of a few pilots, soldiers and sports persons. Talk about majority of women. How many of you get out in sun without a cover? How many of you go out in rain and cold weather to work? Accept that there are some works which modern women avoid due to nature of the work and there are some jobs which only men can do.

Ex -2 An old man standing in bus barely able to balance himself when bus starts or stops, while young girls sitting listening to music or chatting on their phones.

There are many of these kinds. Comments on this article show them up.


7. Why the baby is only my responsibility?
Ans. Of course, it is not just your's. The baby is of course your's, isn't it? A new born cannot take care of itself. We have to.take care of it for some time. It may vary from child to child. In earlier days, father was the bread earner and used to provide all facilities to mother and baby by earning. Nowadays women are also earning and they also share expenses at home. So should men also do when it comes to taking care of child. They must also take care of the baby when the mother is tired or needs rest.

Now an important point. Who should compromise for the job when a new born has come into our lives. Practically, there are a lot of options for women to take a break from their jobs to take care of the baby and then get back into the job after she is ok. Ex- many companies, PSUs and government has options of sabbatical apart from maternity leaves. So be a bit more lenient on men as world isn't. Moreover, it is a proven fact that a father cannot take care of the baby as much as a mother can. Ex- Father can't breastfeed a baby, only a mother can.

In many cases, when the family grows and husband changes jobs or there is some instability in the life. At some point of time one has to make a decision whether to continue a job outside or handle the jobs at home. Famous Indira Nooyi has also said in one of her interviews that she could not be a good mom. So the point here is that there can be a high in only one field of a person's life. If it has to be a career, it has to be it. If it is to be a family, you need to be best at it.

8. I can wear whatever I want. I can do whatever I want. MY CHOICE! Why are you bothered?
Ans. Of course you can wear what you want. But there is a dress for every occasion. You won't wear a formal attire when going to a wedding. Would you? Will you wear a super mini skirt going to office? Or would you wear a Lehnga at an office meeting? Feels odd isn't it?

That's what is the case with the society. People who have been seeing ladies wearing traditional dresses and conservative attire since their lives began find it hard to accept revealing attire all of a sudden. Remember when any item song was released, or a steamy scene appeared on Star Movies a few years ago, you changed the channel immediately. Is it the same today also? Probably you are okay with one or two kissing scenes brushing away on the TV.

So to end this point, I should say dress according to the occasion and situation and not just because you want to or to show off. Mind it, this point goes good for the men too. No one likes tummy clad men in banyans and lungis roaming around.. ;)

To sum up, I would say life is a challenge and don't shy away from these challenges by making fuss out of nothing. 

Enjoy liberty with sense of duty and responsibility. 

Try to be realistic than (reel)istic. 

Try to go higher than to go hyper.

The Change I loved

The Change I loved

                                   It was a regular morning at my home nearly one year ago, when I was reading the newspaper along with a hot cup of tea. I was on a break from work to celebrate the 25th wedding anniversary of my parents. Crawling through the political news to business to sports news, I encountered a familiar word Ahmedabad, preceded by "Railway Recruitment Board".

                                               It took my attention and I just started reading what it was about, as I always do whenever I see or hear the word railway or train anywhere. The snippet was actually the announcement of the RRB exam results for the post of SSE and other similar posts. 

                                         It was just another result of the countless exams which I took in order to get into PSUs and other central government organisations. Perhaps, this was too like one of those. "Disappointing". But wait, this was railways, my only interest I still carry since my childhood. The one which always rushed a stroke of adrenaline into my body. This one was special. 

                                              Anyways, I logged onto the RRB Ahmedabad website only to know that I won't be able to confirm my result. The result was given with 16 digit roll numbers, looking like some bank account number. There was one number which seem to be familiar but I was not sure. I didn't remember my roll number. I took the exam  I left it there not trying to enquire more. I had to return back to Pune where I worked at Infosys as Systems Engineer, rather a happy one.  The same day, I boarded the Indore Pune Exp. from Ratlam. I was anxious as my admit card was in Pune and I wanted to see the results as soon as possible.

                                              I didn't tell my parents about it yet. The journey passed and here I was at my flat. My admit card in front of my eyes. My heart skipped a beat or two. Not that this job was some mega-lac 7 digit salary job, but it was railways. Anyways, the number which looked familiar matched.  I was selected for the post of SSE. It was a happiness I felt after a long long time. Instantly, I rang my father's cell to inform him. He was beyond happy. Gradually, I settled down from my anxiety and happiness.

                                               Days passed by and my document verification was completed. I had already informed my manager so that he is ready to relieve me when I need to leave the job at Infosys. I was often called "Sarkari" now and then in my team and amongst my friends. I was asked if I would get their tickets confirmed. I somehow handled it. I received a letter from Ahmedabad Division in May. I was allotted Ahmedabad division. Everything went smooth until my father heard something about the SSE (Sig.) job. Someone told him that it is a very tough job and he will be very busy. My father started discussing with me about the job. I knew about this job before filling up the forms so I was dead sure that I wanted to be in this. I somehow convinced him. 

                                                   Meanwhile I was hearing a lot of negative things about this job. I did not pay heed to anyone of those because I knew I would love this. I knew I got selected in this exam for some reason. My hobby, my passion was calling me and I didn't want to waste this opportunity. I joined the Indian Railways at Ahmedabad in September. I met different people in a very short time span of 3 months and I got to know the difference between the private sector or rather the IT sector and the Indian Railways. People here are completely different from those in IT sector. There is a kind of closeness which I feel here at least with the teachers of IRISET. 

                                                  Till now I am happy and from what it sounds to be from my batch mates and mentors here, I will be happy. Small acts of kindness and selfless cooperation is common here. People may not be as soft spoken as IT industry but whatever they talk in clear and they talk their heart out without manipulating, at least in my department. There is a lot of change in here and this is "the change I loved"                    

                                               

                                    

Love! Is it there? is it not?

Love! A wonderful form of feeling which no one has till date defined with acceptance to all. To some, love is friendship, as said in the very famous Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, to some it is the very feeling of being aware of themselves when someone special is around. To some, love is worship, to some it is in form of lust. There are others who believe in love just like in movies. To some it is having a feeling of protecting the partner or a person from all forms of dangers and evils (like the one with parents).

Love is not only limited to the two genders attracted to each other. Its boundaries (rather there are no boundaries to love) are spread across relationships we don't even consider they exist. Not only relationships, it spread across the timeline of an era. Love is present in the sphere of materialistic world too. People love football, cars, bikes, fashion,sports,travel and what not. 

There is no proven consolidated definition to what love is. But before we try to define love, are we aware of very existence of this love we talk and think everywhere, everyday in our life now and then? Today's fast life, we may be proud of it, we may be frustrated of it, we may be enjoying it, we may be grueling over it or may be just adjusting with it. All done and thought of, it's a truth that we cannot be away from. This kind of life is our way, our path to serenity of death.

Most of us are not enjoying our life. We are just happy with how much salary we get in hand, how latest is our phone/laptop/car/clothes. Materialism has taken over happiness in times what are so called growing times of human being. Love is in happiness. And we are searching happiness in materialistic contours of life and thus we are searching love in materialism. It's a well known fact to everyone, that love can't be bought and this is what exactly we are trying to do. Trying to buy love by getting richer and richer.

We have money but we don't have time for ourselves and people around. Mind you! If you say that I go for a movie every weekend and to vacations every year with friends and family, this is also a form of materialism. One should ask themselves. When was the last time they thought they are floating in air? When was the last time when they are in the arms of their loved ones? When was it that you are just staring at the sky, lying on a mattress on a terrace? When were you like people shown in Coke ad "han han mai crazy hun"..?

Accept it or not, it's a totally different world around now, which was a few years or decades ago (of course it would be..change is inevitable). The point here is that the feeling which describes love is missing in lives of most of us. One should not stop growing, but at the same time, the pace of love should match with the pace of your growth. Any mismatch will leave us unhappy. Just as we put effort to grow ourselves as best as we can, we should be with love as far as we should.
.

Engineering college admissions 2010

It is the admission time now! JEE results are out, some have got selected, but some didn't. There is no need to be upset about this. It is a true fact that, everybody can't be an IITian. Only a selected people can get into IITs. There is no need to loose hope also. You are not selected that doesn't mean that you are not capable, it's just that things didn't work well.

There is also a confusion for students who scored fairly well in these exams in their first attempt without any kind of coaching or a coaching with less competence. There may be cases where IIT JEE cutoff is for ex- 190 and student scored 180 or around and screwed up their AIEEE. Another kind of case may be a student has scored very well in AIEEE and screwed up their IIT JEE. They may be feeling that they could have performed better in JEE. To them, my advice would be, analyze yourselves to the level of JEE and AIEEE, take a break and think about your weaknesses and strengths. If you are able to make use of this analysis, then go take a drop in some premier coaching institute, work SMART for one year and make your future.

Another true fact is that the difference between the IITs and the other premier institutes is shrinking. Other premier institutes are doing well. Engineering in today's world has taken a different view and form. Today, equal opportunities are available for all the students in India. NITs and other institutes are also at par IITs in some cases. Research based education is sprawling in various other institutes as well. Spending on research is increasing. Level of education along with checks like that of AICTE and NAAC like committees are ensuring quality education at higher education level

Here, I am writing this blog to help students for ideas for admissions in engineering colleges. I got a lot of queries from my relatives and friends' families. So I thought, why not offer help to the whole of India.

The list of non IIT colleges are here as follows:

Admissions through AIEEE Central Counseling:

Tentative List of Participating Institutions in AIEEE 2010
	National Institutes of Technology(NIT)
1.	Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh)
2.	Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh)
3.	National Institute of Technology, Calicut (Kerela)
4.	National Institute of Technology, Durgapur (West Bengal)
5.	National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur (Himachal Pradesh)
6.	Malviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur (Rajasthan)
7.	Dr. B R Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar (Punjab)
8.	National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur (Jharkhand)
9.	National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra (Haryana)
10.	Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur (Maharashtra)
11.	National Institute of Technology, Patna (Bihar)
12.	National Institute of Technology, Rourkela (Orissa)
13.	National Institute of Technology, Silchar (Assam)
14.	National Institute of Technology, Hazartbal, Srinagar (J & K)
15.	National Institute of Technology, Surathkal, Manglore (Karnataka)
16.	Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Surat (Gujarat)
17.	National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirapalli (Tamil Nadu)
18.	National Institute of Technology, Warangal (Andhra Pradesh)
19.	National Institute of Technology(NIT),Raipur,Chhatisgarh
20.	National Institute of Technology(NIT),Tripura,Agartala
	Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs, IIITM & IIITDM)
1.	Indian Institute of Information Technology, Amethi, Allahabad (U.P.)
2.	Atal Bihari Vajpayee Indian Institute of Information Technology & Management, Gwalior (M.P.)
3.	Pandit Dwarka Prasad Mishra Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design & Manufacturing, Jabalpur (M.P.)
4.	Indian Institute of Information Technology Design & Manufacturing, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu.
5.	Indian Institute of Information Technology, Jhalwa, Allahabad (U.P.).
	Self Financed Deemed Universities/Universities/Other Institutions
	(Subject to the final approval from MHRD, Govt. of India and Central Councilling Board)
1.	International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (A.P.)
2.	Birla Institute of Technology (Mesra Centre), Mesra, Ranchi (Jharkhand)
3.	Birla Institute of Technology (Patna Centre), Mesra, Ranchi
4.	Birla Institute of Technology (Deogarh Centre), Mesra, Ranchi
5.	Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Gandhinagar, Jammu Tawi (J & K)
6.	Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubhaneswar (Orissa)
7.	Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology & Research Academy (Sastra), Thanjavur-613402 (Tamil Nadu)
8.	LNM Institute of Information Technology, Jaipur, Rajasthan
9.	Sri. Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Viswa Mahavidyalaya, Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu)
10.	Dr.M.G.R. Educational And Research Institute, Chennai (Tamil Nadu)
11.	Faculty of Engineering & Technology, Gurukul Kangri Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar (Uttarakhand)
12.	Jaipur National University, Jagatpura, Jaipur (Rajasthan)
13.	Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Distt. Kapurthala (Punjab)
14.	Kalasalingam University, Anand Nagar, Krishnan Koil (TN)
15.	Sir Padampat Singhania University, Udaipur (Rajasthan)
16.	Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan University, Bhubaneswar (Orissa)
17.	Jayoti Vidyapeeth Women’s University, Jaipur (Rajasthan).
18.	Mewar University, Chittorgarh-312901 (Rajasthan).
19.	Vignan’s Foundation for Science Technology & Research, Distt.-Guntur, Vadiamudi-522213.
20.	Institute of Applied Medicines and Research (Engineering College) Meerut-201206
	Other Central Government/State Government Funded Institutions
1.	Indian Institute of Carpet Technology, Bhadohi (U.P.)(IICT, Bhadohi)
2.	School of Planning and Architecture, I.P. Estate, New Delhi (SPA, Delhi).
3.	National Insitute of Foundary & Forge Technology, P.O. Hatia, Ranchi (Jharkhand), (NIFFT, Ranchi)
4.	Assam University, Silchar (Assam)
5.	J.K. Institute of Applied Physics & Technology, University of allahabad, Allahabad-211002(U.P.)
6.	Tezpur University, NAPAAM, Tezpur (Assam)
7.	Institute of Technology, Bilaspur-495009(C.G.)
8.	School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal
9.	School of Planning and Architecture, Vijayawada
10.	Mizoram University, Aizawal-796009
	States/UTs
	The States/Institutes listed below are likely to use AIEEE-2010 ranks to fill seats through their own counselling.
1.	Haryana
2.	Uttrakhand
3.	Himachal Pradesh (All India Quota will be filled through Central Counselling Board)
4.	Army Institute of Technology, Pune, Maharashtra
5.	Delhi Technological University, Bawana Road, Delhi.
6.	15% All India Quata in N.S.I.T.,Delhi under Delhi University will be filled through central counselling board Other Premier colleges which have intake of students through AIEEE 1. Punjab Engineering college, Chandigarh 2. Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology, Gandhinagar 3. Institute Of Technology, Nirma University, Ahmedabad 4. MIT, Pune 5. VIT, Pune 6. VJTI, Mumbai 7. SPCE, Mumbai 8. SGSITS, Indore 9. IET, DAVV, Indore 10. GOVT. Engineering College, Jabalpur Other possible options of good colleges, where placements are good enough. Through RPET and AIEEE 1. Govt. Engineering College (RTU), Kota. 2. Govt. Engineering College, Jodhpur. Although there are many other good colleges in India which can be thought of, but the limitations come when the fees structure of the institute comes in frame. For freshers, if they are confident enough to clear IIT JEE next Year, you may think of taking a drop, invest around a lac rupees and make your career more beautiful than it can be at present. You can get state wise college list at http://www.highereducationinindia.com/india/engineering-institutes.php The list is tentative. The admission criterion may change from institute to institute. Cut-offs may also vary year on year. Post your queries in the comment section. I will try to solve it as early as possible.

THE AMAZING RAIL FANNING

Hello everybody!!

You must be thinking about the topic of this blog. What this topic mean? What is so amazing in this.
I should tell you that the way people are crazy about Shahrukh khan, Katrina kaif, Sachin Tendulkar, etc..I am the one about the trains in this case.

Rail fanning is an unofficial term given to the activity done by railway maniacs like me. It is clicking photographs of different infrastructures of railways and beautiful scenes, learning about railways and locomotives from anyone possibly.

There is an amazing rail fanning incident i want to share with you all. It starts on an afternoon when i got down the college bus at Vastrapur railway station to see the time of the trains to Ahmedabad junction. Vastrapur railway station was at walking distance of 10-15 min. from my residence in new Ahmedabad.

After seeing the time table i was in dismal that there was no train suiting my timings, missing a great opportunity of rail fanning on meter gauge. Still i had hopes of rail fanning in the evening when i had to board a train to Ratlam from Ahmedabad Jn. locally called as Kalupur railway station. I started walking on the tracks of the meter gauge line towards my home with my earphones on. It was a sunny day i was thirsting.

Suddenly i got struck with an idea that there is a nice opportunity of rail fanning on the very track i am waking. Immediately turned on my camera and started clicking the pics of signals of old fashion, track in different views. I was more than happy to do those things which many people may consider as madness. I was very much indulged in listening to my favorite song and perform the dearest task to me. As i started walking again, I felt as if something is tapping my feet from the ground.

Within a few seconds a i realized, it was a train on the track. But when I saw, it was nowhere in front of me. It was actually behind me. My heart was almost through my throat. With trembling feet I stepped aside to realize that I am still alive after the incident and listening a few bad words from the loco pilot (train driver) and some people around.

When my heartbeats settled, it struck to my mind that another opportunity of clicking the train pics was going far away with the train. I felt as if somebody has looted me of my ancestral rights. I had to move on. Reaching home, taking rest for sometime, I packed my bags. Train which was taking me to Ratlam was the ill famous Sabarmati Express.

Reaching the station was like rising up on a very beautiful morning thinking of getting a Ferrari in hand. As I entered, the main station, Garibrath Express was waiting for me to be assaulted by rail fanning. I took a few pics of Garibrath which was without its loco. People stared at me in suspect. It was not the first time I was experiencing this. I have been through many embarrassing incidents while rail fanning. But I think the true railfan is the one who does not give up even after such incidents.

At 8.30pm, I boarded the S5 of Sabarmati Express, the toilet of which was stinking like hell and unfortunately my berth was on the corner. I desperately waited for the train to start, which was 20 minutes from then. I got a few nice people to talk to and time passed away quickly. The train started very slow, it ran at the same pace for about half an hour and then gained its full speed. I reached Ratlam at 3:45am, the right time of Sabarmati Express, which was an uncommon incident and as a railfan I was very happy about it.

The next train I was to board to was from Ratlam at 6am. I took the ticket, had breakfast at 4.30 in the morning and again came back to the station. I found that the train was already there at the station. It was dark and cold. I grabbed a comfortable seat and went to sleep until I could see the sunrise.

I was in a dilemma as the time was 5.58am and the train was to leave at 6am. I wanted to take some pics of the train and my boogie was 6th. If i went to take pics and the train would have started, I would have missed the train, plus my luggage. I went back to my seat after taking some pics at the other side of the platform where the other trains with WAP4s and WAG9s were standing. They looked really marvelous.

Next, I was in Neemuch, where I went to the loco pilot and asked him for allowing me to take some pics, on which he agreed and to my surprise, he asked me to board the loco if I amso crazy about it. It was WDM 3 (ABR) The situation was like never before. I felt like in heaven.I took my small luggage I had and then went to a lifetime trip. From Neemuch to Nimbahera in a locomotive!!

The journey ended after a 30 km. I thanked the loco pilot for his generousness towards a rail fan. This was my story of an amazing rail fanning. I will be back with some interesting facts about the rail fans and their behaviors. Till then, enjoy rail fanning.

Yours

Vaibhav Upadhyay

The Railway Mania

The Railway Mania

A late boomer, a deep sleeper, a lazy creeper and much more of a boy when stands upright on a cold morning with a fresh smile not fussing with the parents to sleep 5 minutes more, it would not be a day as everyday. He has to board a train that day, yes, a train.

When you ask a common man to join army, he would say i have my family to look after, if I die fighting for my country which I am not afraid of for myself but for m family. He will definitely add on a statement of getting a very less income from the army.

At the same time when you ask a person to join railways, he would say the same with the fact of death laying behind. He will feel to say the same as in case of army for the income.

Through this blog I would like to share with all the readers, my experience, my madness, my thoughts, my believes, my attitude, my concern, my relation and my affection to the railways be it any country. But the most as I live in it is my home, my motherland India. Yes, my friends, THE INDIAN RAILWAYS.....

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I woke up at 4 in the morning to board the train. The train was to depart from a nearby small station at 5 am. I prepared tea for my parents and had it myself. At 4.30 am a company van was to carry our family to the station. We were praying for our safe journey. It is a tradition in our family, in fact many families in India to pray before they do any new work or a journey.

We reached the railway station at 4.50 am and we got to know that the train was late by 15 minutes. Waiting for a train is for most of us is a very boring job to do. But, for me it was an opportunity to trouble the dogs on the platform and inquire about every bit of railways. why this happens why doesn't it happens and lablabla.

Oh!

Wait a minute, I forgot to tell you my age of which I was talking of. Otherwise you will guess me as nuts. I was at an age of 6 that time. Till the train arrived my father would worry that I and my brother don't go towards the track. But we didn't listen to him. It was a craze for me to go near the track , have a look at it and go around the platform.

When the train arrived I feared the horn of the Loco. It was frightening as if you are sitting in a sweet temple with a very quite environment and somebody blasts a bomb nearby. Well the train of questions didn't end when I boarded the train. It was a meter gauge line and a single line too. I asked my father, why the train stopped so much for another train to come and the train which came later went first. This drove me nuts. I was quite excited about everything that happened. Everyone, especially young boys like to step down on the stations wherever the train stopped. It was a great opportunity when the train meets with a problem(technical) to get down of the train nobody missed it. Even if the train had a toilet, people got down and served there call of nature in the farms.

It was always a great experience to travel in trains specially in India. You see new people, you see nature, trees running by side and a loads of noise of tracks, wheels and people. It was always pathetic as well as exciting to get down of the train at the destination station. On one hand I was to meet my relatives and on the other hand I had to leave the train. Yes! for me this was like something like leaving a very good friend of yours.

The Railway mania became more and more proficient and more intense as I grew up through the teenage. I used to read about the trains in the newspaper in the magazines, in the encyclopedia's, etc. You can know till now, how crazy I am with the Railways. The intensity as I said grew as I was 16. I had started travelling alone by this time. I used to gather more and more information about the railways from anybody I met. Most of the time it so happened that some or the other elderly started talking about railway rules and procedures when the train stopped for crossings. These were the moments of full time pass and a great source of false or true knowledge for me.

This obviously turned me on. But to my dismal whenever I spoke anything, I was sidelined and was in great embarrassment till the talk ended. During the two years of my stay at Kota, whenever I travelled to my hometown Nimach which was 200km from Kota by train, it was a good opportunity for me to discuss any railway official about the railway systems as Kota is one of the largest junctions on the Delhi-Mumbai line. I watched each train going by and saw the way its locomotive worked.

Now after going through a tough life at Kota, I was getting prepared for a college life which I got but not as I expected and most of my college buddies may think like this. But still I am loving my college life now and the enjoying part of college life is still active in 2nd year. Of course the quest of knowledge about railways is also continuous with getting some of friends like me. Now I have got Internet to get my things of Railways. Now I am in 2nd year of B.Tech(Electronics and Communication) and I am thinking of pursuing my career in Indian Railways as an Class A Engineer through IES(Indian Engineering Services) in EC department.

At this moment I am writing this blog. My first blog, which I hope who reads it fully would like and match it with passion of his or her and see the behaviour which was mine is theirs too for their passion. With this hope and guess I complete my post here. Do write comments so that I can improve upon any fact of the blogs including grammar and other aspects which are essential for essence of a good blog.

Thank You

Yours lovingly

Vaibhav Upadhyay