A tale from eight years ago.
I like to narrate in present tense sometimes.😊
Read on...

Last evening, I've taken an open unreserved railway ticket and travelled from Lucknow to Jhansi on the Gorakhpur - Panvel express. I've savoured Orai's famous gulab jamuns on the way. I've had dinner at a roadside dhaba at Jhansi and then taken another open ticket on the Chennai - New Delhi Grand Trunk express, an old favourite, to come upto Gwalior, savouring the desolate beauty of the Chambal valley as we trundled along at graveyard hour. I've checked into the hotel at 2am and now, 4 hours later, I've woken up from my catnap...
Because my cousin and I have endeavoured to take the Gwalior - Sheopur Kalan passenger today. Departing at 7, the narrow guage passenger meanders along the Gwalior - Guna - Shivpuri plateau, which is situated on the fringes of the Kuno and Ranthambore forests, to reach Sheopur Kalan, 199 km away. The journey will take a leisurely 12 hours. And the specialty : rooftop travel. These trains are vital links for the people around these parts to Gwalior, their biz and cultural hub. Naturally, these trains are heavily patronised. At the start, we aren't allowed to get on top. Jam-packed inside.
At Ghosipura, the first stop, we are allowed to get out and clamber onto the tops of the coaches.
Sitting cross-legged on top as the train trundles past the streets is an experience like no other.

Today is Phalguna Pournami. Full moon of the 12th month of our lunar calendar.
In large parts of Bharat, the two big festivals of the year are Holi and Diwali. Today is #Holi .
In Karnataka, we celebrate it as Kaamana Habba... ...dad recalls that as the bonfire burnt on the eve of Kaamana Hanna, they would chant "Kaamanna kattige, Bheemanna berani..." as they danced around the fire. Kattige in Kannada is Firewood. BeraNi is cowdung flats, which are equally widely used for fuelling the fires.

1.
Been Wishing to do this for quite a while. Finally, getting to share our #Ayodhya experience at long last.

#Travel #tip

A long #thread with some details that might find use for people #planning a #trip. Please bear with me. 😊

Getting there : Ayodhya airport has taken off well, but at present, Bangalore has only one connection per day. Guess it's the same with other big cities too. In contrast, BLR - LKO has 6 direct flights daily. Much cheaper tickets too. We took the evening flight (dep. 7pm) to Lucknow. From the airport, we went straight to Ayodhya. 3hrs max. I had booked a cab.

Since we were reaching there late, we broke for dinner en route, near the town of Barabanki. No dearth of decent restaurants on the way.

The streetlamp posts of Ayodhya and other towns & cities across UP, from Sitapur to Varanasi. Special mention. Brightly lit and attractive. 2.

The town.
Albeit the birthplace of our country's biggest Avatara Purusha, Ayodhya is a sleepy town that's only just getting ready to don the gauntlet of the country's biggest tourist place. The one big road across town, Ram Path, has been built anew. Runs from the bypass on the west to the Sarayu ghat on the East. Well-paved and wide, it is the main street of Ayodhya. One other street, the Post Office road, is barely wide enough for two-way traffic.
Rest of the town is full of narrow lanes and galis. Some of them wide enough for two cars to pass, but most lanes can barely fit two golf carts side-by-side. Which brings us to the predominant conveyance. 'Autos' - electric golf carts that run on batteries and fit 4 pax cheek-by-jowl.
As much due to this geography as to security, there are dozens of police barricades around the town, particularly in the vicinity of Ram Janma Bhoomi. Extremely strict. Unless you have a pass for the duration of your stay in Ayodhya bearing the Reg. No. of your vehicle, they will not let you through these barricades. No prisoners taken. No requests acquiesced. Absolute. Some barricades bar the autos too.

So if you want to go around the town, best to take these autos where you can, and walk where they won't let autos pass. Leave your cab or car or whatever at your place of acco.

1. Every #MakaraSankranti, I'm reminded of the Spinning Top. लट्टू. ಬುಗುರಿ. பம்பரம்.
Unlike kite-flying, it's not a ritual sport, at least AFAIK.
My dad would use this analogy when he explained the path of the sun around the earth through the year - the #Solar #ecliptic. 2. Following is a #Thread about the 'why' of #MakaraSankranti. Please bear with me if this is already known.

Let's say, Earth was a round top and the Sun would wind thread around it. Each time, the new rotation of the thread (pitch) would sit right next to the previous one.