My colleague Siva Kumar accompanied me to Kota where we visited University College of Engineering for GET recruitment.
I had just got back on 24th Mar morning to Chennai from Melkote and rushed home to refresh myself and then take a car to the Airport to catch the 11.45 AM flight to Delhi.
The start was ominous.Half-way to the airport, I got a call from Sudha that I had left my laptop behind so I had to turn back and pick it up. There were no further mishaps and we reached Delhi at 3 PM in time to catch the 4.45 PM Paschim Express from New Delhi Railway Station.The car driver had the tickets for us.
Because the trip was made at short notice, we travelled in Sleeper Class.The train from Amritsar pulled in on time and we soon settled in our seats.The India-Australia World Cup match was going on in Ahmedabad and we were getting periodic updates on the score from our fellow passengers.
The train chugged past Okhla,Hazrat Nizamuddin,Ballabgarh,Mathura,Bharatpur etc.There was a Jat agitation going on in Haryana with the result that the railway track to Jaipur was blocked, so all people intending to go to Jaipur and beyond got on this train.The fact that we had reserved seats had no meaning and we got the impression that our fellow passengers were doing us a favour by allowing us to retain our (reserved) seats.Overall, they were a very decent bunch and we all made the journey in companiable silence with the occasional shout coming forth when we got an Australian wicket.
We had our dinner at 8 PM and then my fellow passengers were kind enough to permit Siva Kumar and I to sleep.The train was to reach Kota at 11.30 PM.
I got up at 11 PM and was shocked to find that the entire compartment was choc a bloc with passengers sleeping all over.I gingerly hopped over some of them to go to the bathroom and then got an even bigger shock.There were more passengers sleeping close to the door and this included some infants.How on earth was I going to get across the door without trampling upon them was the dilemna I grappled with.
Kota arrived at 12.30 AM and soon Siva Kumar and I somehow made our way out of the train without killing anyone.A student volunteer from the college was at hand to take us to the University Guest House.By that time, we were also informed that India had won the match so I went to sleep in a happy frame of mind.
I got up at 7 AM on 25th Mar and had a hearty breakfast of Aloo Paratha with Curd, cornflakes and an apple and set off for the college with Siva Kumar at 9 AM.By 5.30 PM, we had shortlisted two candidates.We came back to the guest house, had a shower and then set off again to see the Chambal Udyavan.The river Chambal flows past Kota and is the only river in India to flow from South to North.Just 80 Km away, there are deep ravines that have been cut by the river in the valley.This is where the famous dacoits such as Man Singh,Phoolan Devi etc operated and was virtually ungoverned territory.Even today, tales are told of the heroic exploits of the dacoits and how they cocked a snook at the Establishment and the feudal Thakurs.
We had a boat ride in the Chambal river and then went to see the Kota barrage.
On our way back, we stopped at a dingy shop to taste the famous Kachoris of Kota.Yummy!!! And the Ratlami Namkeen was even better.
We got back to the Guest House in time to see New Zealand give a pasting to South Africa and then caught the 11.30 PM Mewar Express to Delhi.This time we were in an AC compartment and thankfully didn't have to step over anyone to get into the train.
We got back to Delhi at 6.30 AM on 26th Mar.I went to my company Guest House, had a shower, shave and breakfast and again rushed to the Airport to catch the 10.30 AM flight to Chennai.
End of Kota adventure.
I had just got back on 24th Mar morning to Chennai from Melkote and rushed home to refresh myself and then take a car to the Airport to catch the 11.45 AM flight to Delhi.
The start was ominous.Half-way to the airport, I got a call from Sudha that I had left my laptop behind so I had to turn back and pick it up. There were no further mishaps and we reached Delhi at 3 PM in time to catch the 4.45 PM Paschim Express from New Delhi Railway Station.The car driver had the tickets for us.
Because the trip was made at short notice, we travelled in Sleeper Class.The train from Amritsar pulled in on time and we soon settled in our seats.The India-Australia World Cup match was going on in Ahmedabad and we were getting periodic updates on the score from our fellow passengers.
The train chugged past Okhla,Hazrat Nizamuddin,Ballabgarh,Mathura,Bharatpur etc.There was a Jat agitation going on in Haryana with the result that the railway track to Jaipur was blocked, so all people intending to go to Jaipur and beyond got on this train.The fact that we had reserved seats had no meaning and we got the impression that our fellow passengers were doing us a favour by allowing us to retain our (reserved) seats.Overall, they were a very decent bunch and we all made the journey in companiable silence with the occasional shout coming forth when we got an Australian wicket.
We had our dinner at 8 PM and then my fellow passengers were kind enough to permit Siva Kumar and I to sleep.The train was to reach Kota at 11.30 PM.
I got up at 11 PM and was shocked to find that the entire compartment was choc a bloc with passengers sleeping all over.I gingerly hopped over some of them to go to the bathroom and then got an even bigger shock.There were more passengers sleeping close to the door and this included some infants.How on earth was I going to get across the door without trampling upon them was the dilemna I grappled with.
Kota arrived at 12.30 AM and soon Siva Kumar and I somehow made our way out of the train without killing anyone.A student volunteer from the college was at hand to take us to the University Guest House.By that time, we were also informed that India had won the match so I went to sleep in a happy frame of mind.
I got up at 7 AM on 25th Mar and had a hearty breakfast of Aloo Paratha with Curd, cornflakes and an apple and set off for the college with Siva Kumar at 9 AM.By 5.30 PM, we had shortlisted two candidates.We came back to the guest house, had a shower and then set off again to see the Chambal Udyavan.The river Chambal flows past Kota and is the only river in India to flow from South to North.Just 80 Km away, there are deep ravines that have been cut by the river in the valley.This is where the famous dacoits such as Man Singh,Phoolan Devi etc operated and was virtually ungoverned territory.Even today, tales are told of the heroic exploits of the dacoits and how they cocked a snook at the Establishment and the feudal Thakurs.
We had a boat ride in the Chambal river and then went to see the Kota barrage.
On our way back, we stopped at a dingy shop to taste the famous Kachoris of Kota.Yummy!!! And the Ratlami Namkeen was even better.
We got back to the Guest House in time to see New Zealand give a pasting to South Africa and then caught the 11.30 PM Mewar Express to Delhi.This time we were in an AC compartment and thankfully didn't have to step over anyone to get into the train.
We got back to Delhi at 6.30 AM on 26th Mar.I went to my company Guest House, had a shower, shave and breakfast and again rushed to the Airport to catch the 10.30 AM flight to Chennai.
End of Kota adventure.
Ratlami Namkeen
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