We immature kids were all set to go Goa, as usual every Indian youngster has a dream to go Goa with their group in their adulthood, so had we. It was the late night of August when we started our journey from the Baroda junction. We were supposed to depart at Madgaon of South Goa( Thank you to the conspiracy of time as all tickets Thivim from our starting point were reserved in train, and we had to choose Madgaon as our departing station). We didn't know that this different choice with helpless hands was going to be the biggest moment of our life..
When I woke up in the morning, found one aged uncle musing at the window of moving train, exactly in front of me . The surroundings had owned all colours of coolness at that time as clouds must have decided to hide the world in an appeasing manner. As nature spreaded natural smile on my face, he too smiled and wished me a morning. I just went outside to have the scenery, which was undoubtedly breath-taking. I asked to one tea-seller about exact location, who just got in from one station. He told me that we had just crossed the Panvel. Entering into dense jungle area by moving trai was the strange feeling we had never seen before. After witnessing that wordless nature, I came back to my birth with hot tea.
"Where are you from, son?" he asked surprisingly, once he found me in front of him.
"I am from Gujarat, basically from North Gujarat, but living in Bhavnagar city."
"Oh. So you guys must be going on tour. Gokarna?"
"No. Actually we didn't get tickets of Thivim from Ahmedabad or Baroda, so we are here in this train. We are going to actually Goa, but had only this option to get in Goa."
I felt strange as he smiled for a minute post my reply.
"Don't you know that you should thank God for this."
"Why so?"
"We are in Konkan region. You must know about this it, perhaps"
"Yes, I have heard the name, but don't know much about it."
"Then you should also know about that we are travelling through one of the world's best train journies and India's most rejuvanting train journey one could ever have in their entire life."
"Ohh..Actually, I am not aware of this fact."
"That's why I am telling you about it. You are lucky that you are travelling through this route."
"Why it is so special?"
"The history is amazing. This project of Konkan railway was one of the most dangerous and most expensive with biggest infrastructure of Indian history. Long ago, people were unable to go direct to other coastal regions of South India like Magnalore and all from our states Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharasthra without covering less distance as we had to go there through middle portion of states, while travelling double distance. The idea of constructing Konkan Railway was itself one type of risk, as there could be no task tougher than this. Everyone knows that this westen coastal region is the most undpredictable one, where every one kilometer comes up with new weather and sculpture.
" Really? I don't know that this area can be so rugged and undulated."
"This terrain owns everything like gigantic cliffs, grassy soil, wet marshes, parasalided pleatues, dense forest, big rivers, and swampy hills from its core. Making a railway-track between this was the toughest task for builders and developers. Even they had to negotiate 4000 landowners of Konkan region for acquisition of this project in a definite manner.
But nothing is impossible and so Sreetham & CO builders had started this project in 1990. Many problems they had to face at that time while rock cutting, making bridges over widended area of water, making a way through forests in dangerous weather, where flood, landslide and many other incidents had rebuffed it and even 10 people lose their lives. But finally it happened after constructing 2000 bridges and more than 90 tunnels in the way, starting from the Rohu nearby Panvel to Thokur nearby Mangalore.
" This is amazing fact behind this history creating incident."
" Needless to say, the importance of this Konkan railway can never be compared with anyother thing, where even Western Ghats meeting Arabian see offers such scenes that made this journey must-visit-journy-before-you-die along great journies of the world, that also attracted many great nomads of worlds. Many documentaries has been made from the entire world and even we should proud of this unbelievable thing."
"I am really startled knowing this as I am thinking I should know it before starting this journey. Perhpas, I am a kid in such things. But I love to know various new things or places from various new people."
"You are just growing like flower. Always be ardent to every impending moment of life to live it infinitely."
"Thank you so much, you made my day uncle. Anyway, you didn't tell me about you."
"I am a wanderer, who just wanders here and there for business purpose less, but for exploring more. We marwadi people have good connection with South India for business. Loving the way my life is going."
"Ohh. We are students, actually medical students. Going to enjoy as exams are completed yesterday."
"It's your right to enjoy, but some things are beyond the joy and this journey is one of them. Go and grab your life son, enjoy this journey as it is not going to be come again. You would end up finding many treasures from this journey!
" Thank you so much."
As train stopped there for crossing, we came out and had the scene of one quaint station named Karanjadi, a hush spot, where no human or machinary flow was established.
Believe me, that journey was something I couldn't even express in words. Screaming while passing through long tunnels, witnessing the coastal life through tall bridges, witnessing the lush greenery of forests, beholding the confluence of top of mountains with airy clouds, flying with the flow of cool breeze, melting from inside with the flow of rivers, the small waterfalls and it's affection, little ponds surrounded by boats, discrete tiny villages with non-mundane routine, these were the moments my eyes couldn't even forget throughout my life. Entire day I spent around the door of train-coach to live the moment of rarity, the most enchanting scenery provided by Mother Nature and I would love to have moment again and again.
Every little station of Konkan Railway actually has a story of different life and different existence, that doesn't have any relation with prosaic life of humans or any other creatures. Every single eye of this world loves to invest it's time for envisioning the eniterly different terrain of Konkan region. A real traveler could never deattach from that place easily if ever would have there.
After few more hours, our train halted at Ratnagiri at night due to heavy raining. The hazy surrounded was ghastly, but at the same it was amazing melody to hear. We had the best quality time at that high-situated hill-station for few hours at train remained stopped. Several other tiny stations were also the best treat to our hearts that we could never even ask better than it. This unexpected train journey actually emerged out to be the most memorable journey, where I found how ways can be more important and affecting rather than a destination.
After having journey of entire one day, we departed at Madgaon in morning, when rain was at its peak. But believe me, I was still there without heart, as I left it on the way.
In lifetime, do have a train-journey of Konkan Region in monsoon, before you die.You will end up defining your life in totally different way for sure.