01 June 1930 - The Deccan Queen started its first journey from Bombay VT to Poona. It was the first deluxe train introduced in Indian Railways.
Today in 2009, it is entering its 80th year of service. Today commuters will cut a cake in honour of the Deccan Queen.
People have travelled in this train daily from Poona to Bombay and back over the years. For many of them this is a 'home away from home' - like, for sixty-two year-old Ashok Patwardhan who has travelled in this train for 42 years!
This is not just a train; but it is a culture, an icon, a habit. Talk to Poona-chaps and they will have numerous anecdotes to recall.
I have travelled in this train many times (the last time four years ago). This is what I wrote on 25 May 2007 to Sundaresan :
Mere mentioning the name of Deccan Queen has brought memories of my many pleasant experiences. Those days, the DQ was a real Queen, pampered and patronised by the British and the elite of Indians. There were other similar prestigious trains like Flying Rani (bombay-surat) , Frontier Mail, Brindavan express, Blue mountain express etc. Travel at least once by this train (from Pune), and don't forget to eat the piping hot sabudana vada from the pantry car. Also their batata vada and sandwiches. Most yummy and delicious, on top of the world. When we travelled two years back in DQ, I ate all these items (two plates each) ---
unforgettable.
rajappa
12:30 noon on 1 June 2009
Today in 2009, it is entering its 80th year of service. Today commuters will cut a cake in honour of the Deccan Queen.
People have travelled in this train daily from Poona to Bombay and back over the years. For many of them this is a 'home away from home' - like, for sixty-two year-old Ashok Patwardhan who has travelled in this train for 42 years!
This is not just a train; but it is a culture, an icon, a habit. Talk to Poona-chaps and they will have numerous anecdotes to recall.
I have travelled in this train many times (the last time four years ago). This is what I wrote on 25 May 2007 to Sundaresan :
Mere mentioning the name of Deccan Queen has brought memories of my many pleasant experiences. Those days, the DQ was a real Queen, pampered and patronised by the British and the elite of Indians. There were other similar prestigious trains like Flying Rani (bombay-surat) , Frontier Mail, Brindavan express, Blue mountain express etc. Travel at least once by this train (from Pune), and don't forget to eat the piping hot sabudana vada from the pantry car. Also their batata vada and sandwiches. Most yummy and delicious, on top of the world. When we travelled two years back in DQ, I ate all these items (two plates each) ---
unforgettable.
rajappa
12:30 noon on 1 June 2009
I would have never imagined to travel by Deccan Queen express even before 2 years.
ReplyDeleteIn the last tow years, I would have traveled atleast 120 times (up and down put together), of which, 60 times would have been by train, of which, 25 times would have been Deccan Queen.
I totally subscribe your views. In addition, one has to eat ‘Kaandha Baji Garam’ (Hot onion bajji). Wow, what a taste with one green chili ‘fired and salted’! If you are lucky, you would get a round of coffee selling within couple of minutes of finishing this Garam baji.
The lovely season to travel is rainy days. That too, if you going to Pune from Mumbai in the evening. What an ambience! If next two or three days are holidays from work, it adds flavor.
Don’t think of a novel in the hand…with novel, you will be in ninth cloud as far as enjoyment goes…with family, you may start thinking of eleventh cloud or more.
One should travel in second class to enjoy people talking, instead of AC coach.
Sudhakar
01-06-2009