In 1984, I got a chance to visit New Delhi. This journey holds a special status for me. For one, I got to fly for the first time - Pune to New Delhi. Secondly, on my return journey, I booked myself on Rajdhani Express and that was the another first time for me.

In those days, there were only two sets of Rajdhani's - one to Howrah via Kanpur, Mughal Sarai, Gaya and the other to Mumbai via Kota, Ratlam, Vadodara.

The Rajdhani rolled in around 4:45 PM. It had 2 AC I, 2...

Talk to any Pune'kar (resident of Pune). Criticize whatever you want. Call him a stuck up a$$ or call him snob, too-clever-by-half. Or state that Pune'ite is the most inward looking, a frog in the well. He may not be offended. But for heavens sake, do not criticize or even pass adverse comment upon:

• The noted humourists - P L Deshpande or Acharya P K Atre
• Lokmanya Tilak
• The Vaishali Restaurant ... and above all ...
• The Deccan Queen

The Deccan Queen is the pride of Pune. Indeed it is the pride...

After the thrilling journey by the Frontier Mail, it was time to return back to Rajasthan. No first class this time, of course, the Fronter Mail was an exception as I told you. And what a let down it was - the Bombay-Dehradoon Express.

I mean words fail me to describe how pathetic this train was/is. I don't even know why they call it an express. It is nothing better than a passenger as it stops almost at all stations. Of course, I don't remember much of that time but I had a chance...

In the early seventies, the train was the only means of long distance travel while buses were meant for short distance or where trains did not connect. By now we had moved to Phalodi Quarry near Sawai Madhopur where my father was working as a Mininig Engineer.

We soon received the happy news of a marriage within the family. Unfortunately we received the news a tard late and going from Sawai Madhopur to Nasik was a challenge. We did not get reservation in any train. So my father had...

I have been travelling on trains for quite some time. Air Travel affordability is a recent phenomenon and I have been travelling on trains since when, I cannot remember.

My earliest memory is when we were living in Bihar (near Lohardaga, currently in Jharkhand). To come to Maharashtra we had two options - via Gaya or via Chakradharpur.

Chakradharpur was a more convenient option for us. We used to take the Bombay-Howrah Express (via Nagpur) as it used to be convenient....