With monsoons showering blessings on RAJASTHAN my wife asked me to take a small picnic to GORAM GHAT.I have heard a lot from my dad about this oldest track which connected Mavli to Karachi once. I booked the tickets in the Railway Special Tourist Coach, introduced for three months only.

After surfing the internet and taking advices from people who have visited this place before, I took drinking water and food items as this is a no-man’s land- a dense forest with an ancient track.

After assisting my wife in making Poore and Subzi, we headed to Kankroli railway station and found the station filled with families and youngsters. Amid the jungle, the train came slowly on the platform like a slow paced bride. The train was an old red train with three general coaches and a glamorous ‘Golden Special Tourist Coach’ reminded me of Palace on Wheels.

The TTE welcomed us for this adventure in our luxurious berths with AC, refrigerator and other facilities. My two year old son said ‘Bye’ to all disappointed families that remained on the station due to no tickets available. The journey begins and the train started moving slowly across the fields and villages. On the way we crossed Sardargh, Devgarh, Charbhuja road station and finally at Khambli ghat station. On every station we have seen the same view that people are disappointed that they didn’t get seat or place to stand. The scenario get changed in our AC COACH also as soon I opened the compartment there were people in gallery and it was blocked. Seeing this and the AC coach now I can say that Rs. 690 per person was justified.

From Khambli ghat station the natural beauty of the ghat section begins .The train started moving uphill slowly crossing two tunnels on the way.The train stops at some places in the jungle near some fountains. The greenery makes me remind of the OOTY WELLINGTON narrow gauge train. Clouds moving so low on the lush green forest made me feel as if I were in Kerala. It’s really amazing to see such scenes in RAJASTHAN itself. We were welcomed by the Monkeys waiting for the train, small waterfalls and silent forest with some goat and cows grazing grass.

Moving for an hour, the train stopped again and passengers got down before a bridge where a big fountain was running and people bathed in excitement. After few minutes the train started moving slowly on the bridge and we could see the fountain water going downstream under the huge trees coverings. The train crossed two more bridges, the classic piece of British engineering. At last after 2 hours of journey we reached our destination GORAM GHAT.

For the first time I saw a NO STATION MASTER, no tea stalls, a lonely station in jungle. We landed on the track; no platform, just a track, a station and train. A huge crowd was standing on the track completely confused which way to go? No signboards, No information, simply green jungle. Then we followed the mob moving down the hill, kacha rasta. But it was slippery and muddy and so we instead followed the others moving on the railway track. On this no-man’s land, I understood that people who got down the bridge after pulling the chain were smart as now we had to walk up to 3 Km to reach the temple. Nevertheless, it was adventurous.

The greenery and the natural beauty were awesome. The weather was a bit humid but as soon as we reached to our first adventurous task aka first bridge a cool breeze with rain shower welcomed us. My wife took the courageous step of crossing the track which was iron plates screwed together. After crossing the bridges, the same problem of where to go next arose. Some people suggested to go downstairs but we moved towards the temple and fountain.

As soon as I took my kid near the fountain, the cigarette smoke and smell of liquor filled the air. People drinking in groups, under the fountain were a terrorized scene especially for women. Now I got it why the RAILWAY IS FAILING? WHY THERE IS NOT A SINGLE FOREIGN TOURIST TRAVELLING IN THIS SPECIAL TOURIST COACH?

Being a Rajasthani and thanks to my beard and mustache I have to show eyes to many hooligans. It was pathetic and a sense of insecurity was high at this place. Women were not finding place to change their clothes after bath. This is now a problem of every place in India. People feel proud in drinking openly and they love to showoff that they don’t care.

Then leaving the idea of bathing we concentrate on food. We finished our meal and headed towards our Hero of journey THE TRAIN. As soon we reached near the railway tracks we got an idea to be smart like other people and avoid tracking back 3 km up to railway station. We had one more reason also, this time my friend and her wife denied to go by bridges way so we chose the other one going downstream along the small river stream from the waterfall. Here I saw the first signboard by the FOREST department showing a bear photo and then we realize we are in forest reservoir area. Then I saw other signboards of leopard and jeep safari. Here I met my friends from Udaipur who had come through Forest department tourist package.

We moved ahead a few steps upstairs and we were stopped by three forest constables and asked for the tickets. We were shocked to hear that we have to pay Rs 50 to get out of this FOREST reservoir area and it’s compulsory. As I agreed to pay for the exit receipt the constable misbehaved with me and asked his senior SUB INSPECTOR to intervene. I humbly told him that it was not intimated earlier at temple or station otherwise we would not have risked crossing the bridge with family.

He gave me a silly reply that due to Railways faulty inspection they are collecting money from passengers without tickets through this receipt. Then I showed him the Second ac tickets still he insisted me to pay. I paid for just crossing that great Forest area Rs. 50 each for nothing. Well moving ahead of this bitter experience and with a promise to inspector to meet again we reached our station.

At 16.00, later than the scheduled departure time our bride came on the track. We sat in our compartment and were requested by the TTE to close the compartment from inside as there were people in gallery. Everybody was tired and we just enjoyed the lovely place and the most the adventure to cross the bridge first time in life. The train started slowly and didn’t stop at the temple. It moved forward but the AC failed and after sometime the fan too. Our hero became the villain. The TTE and two attendants tried to fix the AC but failed and the situation inside worsened.

Complaints to station master an hour ago on KHAMBLI GHAT station was of no use. They said train is overcrowded so there is load on engines and so AC didn’t work. With lots of drama between other passengers, request by TTE attendants to not to file TDR, we reached Kankroli Station at 20.15.

Contributed by: Ankit Vyas