To Patna

“abey bihari” – happen to be the starters for the ensuing tantrums for most delhites if a cyclewallah or rickshawallay or autowallah whimsically changes lane or refuses to budge on delhi roads. The “me mumbaikar” campaign targeted biharis working in mumbai – the doodhwallah and taxiwallah and there was huge hue and cry in media. This spite against non-mumbaikars runs deep in the sena family. Back in lack 60’s the cartoonist’s party had raised tirade against the madrasis, again on the same ground that madrasis were usurping jobs in then bombay. Quite an insecure lots these senas! I have always found folks hailing from bihar to be honest and hardworking (interactions with delhi autowallahs). Most of them have lands in bihar and family cultivates the land while they are busy here. In two to three cases, son or brother was in software company or was preparing for ias exam. Each was of the opinion that politicians had ruined the state. Indeed an austere looking man had swallowed crores of simple fodder and more austere looking wife ran the show. The man (jayaprakash narayan) who had started the bihar movement to fight corruption and mis-governance would have hung himself out of shame seeing bihar’s condition.

Students from bihar folk to delhi university dreaming to clear the ias examination. They do not stop at ias examination but also appear in bank po exam and various military exams. One of my batch mate at law fac, rahul mishra, had managed to clear crpf exam and was mighty pleased with his performance; for now he had a value in bihar marriage market which could off-set the dowry given in his sisters marriage. Unfortunately, while returning from drinks party late night, he got killed in a car accident.

It was a one day trip to patna – the land of lallu, the land of biharis. Although I had a very limited time on hand, I was all-eager to explore the place. I reached new delhi railway station well before time and I was glad for reaching early. It rained cats and dogs and I feared that train would be cancelled. Later on I came to know that the rain had severely damaged roofing work at delhi airport. I was on platform 16-newly added platform and just next to vip parking. Soon a strange thing caught my eye; folks were queuing up next to a thick rope stretching across 3 pillars under the supervision of delhi police and soon the line went long. Discipline and delhi are like banks of a river; I enquired from the policeman on duty and came to know that the line was for getting into the unreserved compartment. Indeed, some reforms introduced. I again saw a similar line further ahead, just around ac 2-tier compartment.

The sampoornakranti arrived and I boarded my compartment; the rainwater had seeped in and had formed tributary and distributaries. Just as I settled, came up a chap and informed me that the said seat had been allotted to him. I calmly said, “we’ll clear when the checker comes” but I was ruffled at the thought of being pushed to 3-tier. This usually happens to folks traveling in ac first, in order to accommodate some influential. But, being a patna bound train, I did not rule out “pulling out strings” for ac two seat. I rushed out to see the chart and my name was there. I saw the checker standing and enquired with him and he informed me that I had been upgraded to ac one compartment free of cost. I was elated; I always wanted to travel first class ac and here was I by sheer chance in a coupe and the second chap never showed up. I enjoyed the setting sun from the tinted glass along with lays chips. Throughout the journey, peculiar stations showed up prefixed with ‘halts’ like v.v.giri halt and google later showed me that these were illegal stations built by villagers and they also forced the trains to halt there.

The train was late by couple of hours and the minute I stepped out of the station, a panditji with holy water greeted me and asked for “shani ka daan”, it being Saturday and I was amused. Only steel cans decked with black cloth do the rounds in delhi on Saturday with the slogan, “shani ka daan, maha kalyan”. I checked in and had my lunch around 11’ish. I took rickshaw to reach my destination and around 1 I wrapped up the briefing session with the advocate. I had couple of hours before the meeting with judge and I had plans to visit the ghol ghar and ganga ghat. 15 minutes of rickshaw travel took me to the ghol ghar which used to be a granary. A series of small steep steps reveals river ganga, patna city and patna-hajipur gandhi setu. I, in my enthusiasm, climbed the steps too fast and when I reached the top, my head spinned and I went out of breath. Before I collapsed, I managed to click couple of shots of river ganga. It was only after five to seven minutes that I regained my form with my possessions intact. I had to shelve the visit to ganga visit for the while and went back to my hotel for a glass of fresh lime water.

I had couple of hours after the arbitration matter

(Patna Railway Station)

and roamed around the gandhi maidan area clicking the nalanda university building and various statues. Thankfully, the return journey was all smooth and rajdhani arrived almost on time. Although, dad had warned me not to venture to take photos standing besides the door, the approaching yamuna bridge provoked me to do so and I clicked some photos of river yamuna with humanyun’s tomb and the shanti stupa in the background.