Dr. Anil Kumar Agarwal

Metro – a life line of Delhi:

Metro train is the latest mode of transport in Delhi that has been functioning efficiently for more than a decade. It has rendered a new hope to Delhi people as the roads have been over congested and no other solution is being evinced. At one point, Metro passengers are confident that they will definitely get another train after a few minutes if their first train is missed. Secondly, as it is air-conditioned so the journey is always comfortable. Thirdly, it is clean and tidy as far as coaches and stations are concerned.

To keep it clean, the metro authorities always warn of the commuters not to make it dirty by any means, even sitting on the floor and spitting are punishable. If you think they warn the travelers just for the sake of warning, you are wrong at this situation; they have punished seventeen thousand four hundred and sixty four passengers for breaking the metro rules inside the metro premises in about last three years.  The maximum commuters were challaned for spitting in the metro empire and they were six thousand and twenty six in numbers. On second count, people who rode in to the ladies special coaches were punished and were three thousand and eighty four. Coaches reserved for ladies were introduced in the metro during October, 2010. Two thousand and seventeen passengers who damaged the metro property were fined. One thousand three hundred and twenty four metro users who created nuisance were also penalized. Even drunkards were also charged.

Many rules which are not mentioned in the list were also busted like breaking the queue, not returning the travelling coins, etc. But metro authority has also punished these people. In the last three years, the metro has collected revenue of rupees thirty six lakh and thirty thousand by fine. Laws are not made to harass the people but they provide us harmony and comforts, provided they are implemented effectively and honestly.



Chandu: I have started a marriage bureau; for proposal, press one; for engagement, press two; for marriage, press three.

Nandu: What about second marriage.

Chandu: Press the throat of the first wife.

**

My neighbor, Popat Lal, seems to be a strange man. I think he has no love with children. You can always see him loitering.

‘What happened?’

‘What is to be happened?’ Yesterday, I told him that my wife had become pregnant. Having heard it, he fell unconscious.

***

In the end, he said to her, ‘If I say you that I love you, I hope you will not feel bad.’

‘No, no, never,’ the lady replied.

‘It means you have not yet fallen in love.’

‘No, you are at fault. I never feel bad at this point.’

****

A drunkard was going to his house but fell down after stumbling. A passerby helped to stand him up and said, ‘Oh, your trouser has been wet in blood.’

The drunkard replied soon, ‘Oh! Thank God! I thought my bottle which was kept in my pocket had broken.’

*****

There were very few passengers inside the bus; even then a traveler was standing. A man, sitting on a seat, said to him, ‘Why don’t you take a seat?’

“I am in a hurry,” he replied, “I am already late for the office.”

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Chitrakoot is a sacred place for Hindus because Lord Rama along with his wife Sita and younger brother Laxman lived there for some time during his exile period. Therefore every Hindu wants to visit this place at least once in his lifetime as a pilgrimage. In the same row of thought I also wanted to visit the place. The program was planned many times but matured only in the last month, in May 2011.

I and Babu, a friend of mine, were sitting in my office where we chalked out this program. We were five in numbers who were ready to visit the place. I searched out the train that goes to Chitrakoot directly. At Indian Railway site on the net I got the train that ply between Delhi and Chitrakoot, Samparak Kranti. We got the reservation of berths in this train by a travel agent. After an hour he phoned us to inform that the tickets had been confirmed.

On the scheduled date we reached Hazarat Nizamiuddin Railway Station to board the train. The coach was quite cool and comfortable from inside. The train departed at right time and after an hour we opened our dinner box for having it. It was quite delicious. Finishing our meal we started talking on the issues that were coming in the mind at that time. After about an hour all of us went to our allotted seats. In the morning when we got up the train was about to reach Chitrakoot.

Reaching Chitrakoot we hired an auto rickshaw to go to Chitrakoot Ghats where people take holy dip in the river named Mandakini.  At the Ghats there were many boats and people were hiring them to go to different temples that are at the verge of the river. We also hired a boat. The boat was reasonably good in appearance and there were two rabbits inside. We played with them until the boat reached at the place where we had to take the holy dip in the river. We got ready after bathing in the river. The boat man took us to some temples to get the Darshan of different Gods.

After that we hired a taxi to visit some other temples and tourist attraction places. We went to a temple, named ‘Gupt Godavari’. It was quite far from the place where we hired the taxi. It was really a beautiful as well as a big cave. About more than a hundred people can sit inside the cave at a time. On the other side of it, there was one more cave in which water was flowing and coming out of the cave. The origin of the water was not clear inside the cave that is why it was called ‘Gupt Godavari’. The place had a charming scenic beauty. The time was about 2 o’ clock so we had had our lunch at one of the ‘Dhabas’. The food was not according to our taste but reasonable for filling the tummy.

Having visited it we went to ‘Sati Ansuia’ temple where she meditated many centuries ago and did many work for mankind with the help of her meditation power; it was the reason that she is still famous and is worshiped by sacred Hindus. It was also said that Mandakini River appeared there only with her divine power. Mandakini River has been the life line of that area even till today. Her temple was quite big as well as tidy too. Seeing it we visited the place called ‘Sphatik Shila’. There was a small temple in front of it a stone platform. The stone platform was glazed and was made of ‘Sphatik’. It was considered that Lord Rama punished a crow for its crime by making it blind with one eye at this place. The story is also depicted in a book known as ‘Ramayana’.

There was a hill, it is said that Bharat met Lord Rama on this hill when Rama was expatriated from Ayodhya. People have a faith that if a man takes the round of this hill on foot his desire will be fulfilled. Two of my fellows were also keen and so persuaded us to do the same but our scheduled program was the main obstacle.

We sat in our taxi and drove to a restaurant for getting some food packed for dinner. After that the taxi left us at the railway station. After a short while the train arrived at the station and we boarded it to go to Delhi.