Saturday 13 December 2008
INFANTRY - THE ULTIMATE
AFTER THAT, THE COLD STEEL OF THE
BAYONET,
VEN AFTER THAT, BARE HANDED COMBAT,
THE INDIVISUAL INFANTRYMAN MAY
FALL,
THE SPIRIT OF INFANTRY CAN NEVER
FALTER,
LIVE, BREED, AND IF THE OCCASION
SO DEMANDS, DIE-
FOR THE REGIMENT
FOR THE ARMY
FOR THE MOTHERLAND
BAYONET,
VEN AFTER THAT, BARE HANDED COMBAT,
THE INDIVISUAL INFANTRYMAN MAY
FALL,
THE SPIRIT OF INFANTRY CAN NEVER
FALTER,
LIVE, BREED, AND IF THE OCCASION
SO DEMANDS, DIE-
FOR THE REGIMENT
FOR THE ARMY
FOR THE MOTHERLAND
Sunday 30 November 2008
Tuesday 25 November 2008
REGIMENT OF ARTY
Unit Citation
Following units were awarded Unit Citation by the COAS for their performance in OP Vijay.
108 Med Regt.
108 Medium Regiment was raised on 01 March 81 at Bagrakot (West Bengal) by Lieutenant Colonel BJ Oberoi. In a short span of 18 years, the unit had had the distinction of serving in different areas like the East; Leh-Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir in the North along Line of Control; and, in Central India. The unit as a fledling was blooded into OPERATION MEGHDOOT in 1984. The Chief of Army Staff has made a special instant award of 'Unit Citation' to 108 Medium Regiment, for their valour and indomitable resolve during OPERATION VIJAY.
141 Field Regiment.
141 Field Regiment was raised on 01 Jul 1979 at Talbehat. The first Commanding Officer was Lieutenant Colonel Vinay Shankar. The unit has mixed class composition of troops. The unit had been awarded the COAS's 'Unit Citation' for their splendid performance during OPERATION VIJAY. Late Captain PV Vikram has been awarded Sena Medal in recognition to his gallant action during OPERATION VIJAY.
197 Field Regiment.
197 Field Regiment was raised on 01 Jun 1968 at Bangalore as a mixed unit. The first Commanding Officer was Lieutenant Colonel CS Murthy. The unit has held varying equipments like 76 mm (YUGO), 105 mm IFG, 100 mm Guns and 122 mm HOW. Besides participation in Bangladesh operations under 23 Mountain Division, the unit has served in the Eastern, Western and Northern Sectors including being a part of the strike Corps. The unit has been awarded COAS's 'Unit Citation' for their splendid performance during OP VIJAY.
IN INDIA
Shortest distance between Railway stations
The closest pair of stations on a line may be Safilguda and Dayanand Nagar stations on the Secunderabad - Bolarum section in Hyderabad division. The stations are about 170m apart. Lake Gardens and Tollygunge on the Sealdah South - Budge Budge section are about 200m apart. Other close pairs include Chintadripet and Chepauk Stadium, and Chepauk and Light House on the Chennai MRTS; Perambur and Perambur Carriage Works on the Chennai - Arakkonam line.
The closest pair of stations on a line may be Safilguda and Dayanand Nagar stations on the Secunderabad - Bolarum section in Hyderabad division. The stations are about 170m apart. Lake Gardens and Tollygunge on the Sealdah South - Budge Budge section are about 200m apart. Other close pairs include Chintadripet and Chepauk Stadium, and Chepauk and Light House on the Chennai MRTS; Perambur and Perambur Carriage Works on the Chennai - Arakkonam line.
Saturday 18 October 2008
Least punctual train
The Guwahati Express from Guwahati to Trivandrum is reputed to be the most unreliable long-distance train in the country. The train is booked to make its journey in 65 hours and 5 minutes, but the average delay on a trip is about 10-12 hours, with the train often showing up more than a day late. In 1995 the Times of India carried an article on it, saying that the train had not run on time even once in its (then) ten-year existence!
Oldest trains still running
Trains keep getting their schedules changed, their routes changed, and their names changed over time, so the answers to these questions are a bit fluid. The Bangalore Mail has been running in various guises since 1864 (1862?). The Deccan Queen and the Howrah-Madras Mail have been in operation since the 1930s. So has the Howrah-Kalka Mail. The Punjab Mail, the Frontier Mail, and the Grand Trunk Express are other trains that have been running for a long time, however, their names have changed and/or their routes / termini have changed too. The 2 Up / 1 Dn Mail between Calcutta and Delhi, started in 1866, is the direct forebear of today's Howrah-Kalka Mail. The Poona Mail (Bombay-Poona) introduced in the 1860s was discontinued in the 1970s. The Flying Ranee started under that name in 1950, but it had its predecessors (Flying Queen, Weekend Special) in 1937 and 1906.
Monday 29 September 2008
Sunday 24 August 2008
FROM THE IMA
THE SAFETY, HONOUR AND WELFARE OF YOUR
COUNTRY COME FIRST ALWAYS AND EVERYTIME.
THE HONOUR, WELFARE AND COMFORT OF
THE MEN YOU COMMAND COME NEXT.
YOUR OWN EASE, COMFORT AND SAFETY
COME LAST, ALWAYS AND EVERYTIME.
COUNTRY COME FIRST ALWAYS AND EVERYTIME.
THE HONOUR, WELFARE AND COMFORT OF
THE MEN YOU COMMAND COME NEXT.
YOUR OWN EASE, COMFORT AND SAFETY
COME LAST, ALWAYS AND EVERYTIME.
Saturday 12 July 2008
Longest non-stop run (distance):
This refers to longest possible non-stop runs; of course a train may have to stop at a a signal, there may be track work, loco or rake failures, etc. The Trivandrum Rajdhani does not have a technical halt at Ratlam and, therefore, travels non-stop between Vadodara and Kota (528km), covering the stretch in about about 6.5 hours, the longest continuous run on IR today. (Vadodara-Kota: 6h 20m, Kota-Vadodara: 6h 55m). The August Kranti Rajdhani until recently had no halts here either, but now halts at Ratlam. (However, the Trivandrum Rajdhani is marginally slower than the August Kranti Rajdhani in this stretch - 7 minutes slower from Vadodara to Kota and 19 minutes slower in the other direction.) The Mumbai Rajdhani does the 469km stretch between New Delhi and Kota non-stop. The Tamilnadu Exp. and the Coromandel Exp. (Up direction), as well as some other express trains between Guwahati/Howrah/Patna and Bangalore/Ernakulam/Trivandrum share the longest non-stop run for non-Rajdhani trains: 431km between Chennai Central and Vijayawada. The Tamilnadu Exp. also has an impressive 270km average distance between passenger halts and a commercial speed above 65km/h. In the late 1970s it had a commercial speed of 73km/h and an average distance of 360km between passenger halts. It also used to have a 453km non-stop run between Balharshah and Vijayawada. The Purushottam Exp., Jharkhand S.J. Exp., Swatantrata Sainani Exp., Gorakhdham Exp. and Lichhavi Exp. (Up) have a non-stop run of 435km between New Delhi and Kanpur. This non-stop run was also a feature of the North East, Gomti, Vikramshila Expresses and the and Delhi-Varanasi Superfast. The Coromandel Exp. had a 462km non-stop run between Howrah and Bhubaneshwar via Narajmarthipur. The Gitanjali used to have (1970s) a 453km non-stop run betweeen Raurkela and Durg. A possible 445km non-stop run between CSTM (Bombay VT) and Bhusaval for this same train was broken by a technical halt at Igatpuri to change locos; CR had no AC-DC locos, and WR's AC-DC locos could not be used on the Bhore Ghats. The Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala-Karnataka Expresses had non-stop runs of 414km between New Delhi and Jhansi. Before Independence the longest non-stop run was by the Punjab Mail: Khandwa to Itarsi. The table below shows the current long (over 300km) non-stop runs on IR. (Compiled by Vijay Balasubramanian.)
Distance (km) Section Trains
528 km Vadodara - Kota Trivandrum Rajdhani
468 km New Delhi - Kota Mumbai Rajdhani
462 km H. Nizamuddin - Kota Trivandrum Rajdhani
453 km Balharshah - Vijayawada Chennai Rajdhani
435 km New Delhi - Kanpur Central
Kolkata/Sealdah/Bhubhaneswar/Patna/Guwahati/Hatia Rajdhanis, Purshottam Exp., Jharkhand S.J. Exps., Swantrata Senani / Gorakhdham Exps., Lichchavi Exp, Sampoorna Kranti Exp.
431 km Chennai Central. - Vijayawada
Chennai Rajdhani, Tamilnadu Exp., Coromandel Exp. (2841), Guwahati/Howrah/ Patna - Bangalore/Ernakulam/Trivandrum Exps. (6310, 6324, 5628, 5624, 5626)
408 km H. Nizamuddin - Jhansi
Chennai/Bangalore/Bilaspur Rajdhanis
402 km Mughalsarai - Dhanbad Sealdah Rajdhani
393 km Bhusaval - Nagpur Howrah - Hapa Superfast Exp.
392 km Mumbai Central. - Vadodara Mumbai Rajdhani
361 km Chennai Central. - Bangalore City Mysore Shatabdi
346 km Kanpur Central - Mughalsarai
Sampoorna Kranti Exp., Sealdah/Bhubhaneswar/Guwahati/Hatia Rajdhanis
345 km Vasai Rd. - Vadodara Trivandrum Rajdhani
335 km Bhusaval - Surat Howrah Hapa Superfast Exp.
334 km Chennai Central. - Salem Cheran Exp. (2673)
317 km New Delhi - Gwalior Tamilnadu Exp.
313 km New Delhi - Ambala Cantt Jammu Rajdhani
311 km Gwalior - H. Nizamuddin Tamilnadu Exp.
308 km Igatpuri - Bhusaval
Jnanesvari / Samarasata Superdeluxe Exps., Pushpak Exp., L.T.T. - Patna Superfast Exp., Godaan Exp., L.T.T. - Bhubaneshwar Exp.
305 km Ajmer - Abu Road Ahmadabad Rajdhani
302 km Bhusaval - Itarsi
L.T.T. - Varanasi Superfast Exp., L.T.T. - Patna Superfast Exp., Godaan Exp., Valsad-Patna Exp.
Distance (km) Section Trains
528 km Vadodara - Kota Trivandrum Rajdhani
468 km New Delhi - Kota Mumbai Rajdhani
462 km H. Nizamuddin - Kota Trivandrum Rajdhani
453 km Balharshah - Vijayawada Chennai Rajdhani
435 km New Delhi - Kanpur Central
Kolkata/Sealdah/Bhubhaneswar/Patna/Guwahati/Hatia Rajdhanis, Purshottam Exp., Jharkhand S.J. Exps., Swantrata Senani / Gorakhdham Exps., Lichchavi Exp, Sampoorna Kranti Exp.
431 km Chennai Central. - Vijayawada
Chennai Rajdhani, Tamilnadu Exp., Coromandel Exp. (2841), Guwahati/Howrah/ Patna - Bangalore/Ernakulam/Trivandrum Exps. (6310, 6324, 5628, 5624, 5626)
408 km H. Nizamuddin - Jhansi
Chennai/Bangalore/Bilaspur Rajdhanis
402 km Mughalsarai - Dhanbad Sealdah Rajdhani
393 km Bhusaval - Nagpur Howrah - Hapa Superfast Exp.
392 km Mumbai Central. - Vadodara Mumbai Rajdhani
361 km Chennai Central. - Bangalore City Mysore Shatabdi
346 km Kanpur Central - Mughalsarai
Sampoorna Kranti Exp., Sealdah/Bhubhaneswar/Guwahati/Hatia Rajdhanis
345 km Vasai Rd. - Vadodara Trivandrum Rajdhani
335 km Bhusaval - Surat Howrah Hapa Superfast Exp.
334 km Chennai Central. - Salem Cheran Exp. (2673)
317 km New Delhi - Gwalior Tamilnadu Exp.
313 km New Delhi - Ambala Cantt Jammu Rajdhani
311 km Gwalior - H. Nizamuddin Tamilnadu Exp.
308 km Igatpuri - Bhusaval
Jnanesvari / Samarasata Superdeluxe Exps., Pushpak Exp., L.T.T. - Patna Superfast Exp., Godaan Exp., L.T.T. - Bhubaneshwar Exp.
305 km Ajmer - Abu Road Ahmadabad Rajdhani
302 km Bhusaval - Itarsi
L.T.T. - Varanasi Superfast Exp., L.T.T. - Patna Superfast Exp., Godaan Exp., Valsad-Patna Exp.
Thursday 12 June 2008
Wednesday 21 May 2008
Thursday 8 May 2008
ON INDIAN RAILWAY NETWORK
Shortest station name: Ib, near Jharsuguda on the Howrah-Nagpur main line (South Eastern Railway).
Longest station name: Venkatanarasimharajuvariapeta (Halt). This is sometimes spelled with 'Sri' prefixed, making it even longer by 3 letters. on the Arakkonam-Renigunta section of the Southern Railway (the first station after Renigunta towards Arakkonam (just within the AP border). Station code VKZ.
Friday 18 April 2008
Sunday 30 March 2008
Indian Names Of Places
-abad From Farsi, 'populated' or 'settled'. E.g., Ahmedabad.
-adri Sanskrit (?) 'hill'. E.g., Narayanadri, Anjanadri.
-aranya Sanskrit 'forest'. E.g., Namisharanya.
-bagh Farsi 'garden'. E.g., Charbagh.
-bakkam, -vakkam Tamil, 'area' or 'neighbourhood'?? E.g., Nungambakkam, Villivakkam.
-bandar, -bandra Western India, 'port'. E.g., Porbandar.
-bari ?? Bengali 'house', Assamese 'orchard'. E.g., Alubari.
-basti Hindi 'settlement'. E.g., Dayabasti, Shakurbasti
bazar Mostly in UP/Bihar. 'Market'. E.g., Siswa Bazar.
cutchery, kacheri, kutchuhery (other variant spellings exist). 'Court'. E.g., Gonda Kutchuhery.
-chawni Hindi 'cantonment'.
-cheruvu Telugu 'lake'.
-dham ?? 'Temple'? E.g., Baidyanathdham, Gandhidham.
-dih ?? E.g., Manduadih, Pathardih.
-duar, -dooar ?? Perhaps from Sanskrit dwar, 'door', 'entrance'. E.g., Alipurduar.
-durg 'Fort'. E.g., Nandidurg, Jaladurg.
-eshwar, -eshwaram From Sanskrit ishwar, 'god', 'lord'. E.g., Ankleshwar, Rameshwaram.
-gachhi (variant spellings exist). From Bengali for 'tree'? E.g., Bamangachhi.
-ganj Northern & eastern India. 'Trading post', 'warehouse'? Perhaps from Indo-Iranian word meaning 'treasure'. E.g., Collectorganj, Daryaganj.
-gaon Hindi 'village'. E.g., Chalisgaon.
-garh Hindi 'Fort'. E.g., Chittorgarh.
-ghat Access point for a river with steps leading down, or a jetty. E.g., Digha Ghat.
-giri Sanskrit 'mountain'. E.g., Chandragiri.
-gola Bengali 'warehouse'. E.g., Lalgola, Bhagwangola.
-gram Sanskrit 'village'. E.g., Lakhmani Gram, Sewagram.
-gudi Kannada 'temple'. E.g., Basavanagudi.
-gunta Telugu 'lake'. E.g., Renigunta.
-guri, -gara Loosely, 'place' (Bengali?). E.g. Jalpaiguri, Mainaguri, Siliguri, Matigara.
-gutta Telugu 'hill', also -gudda in Kannada. E.g., Panjagutta.
-hat, -hati, -hatta, -het 'Market' or 'fair'. E.g., Guwahati, Jorhat, Sylhet.
kasba Arabic qasbah, a market town. Often used as a prefix.
kalan 'Big', the bigger of two towns/villages with the same name. E.g., Kosi Kalan, Jharonda Kalan.
khurd 'Small', the smaller of two towns/villages with the same name. E.g. Ugar Khurd, Renala Khurd.
-kere Kannada 'lake'. E.g., Arsikere.
-konda Telugu 'hill'. E.g., Golconda, Penukonda.
-kot 'Fort' or 'fortified town'. E.g., Rajkot, Pathankot. Perhaps a variant of this is -kotla ('fortification').
-kovil Tamil 'temple'. Variant spelling is -coil. E.g. Nagercoil.
-madugu Telugu 'lake'. E.g. Jammalamadugu.
-malai Southern India, 'hill'. E.g., Sabrimalai, Kollamalai, Annamalai.
mandi Hindi 'Market'. Often a prefix. E.g., Mandi Adampur, Mandi Gobindgarh, Sabzimandi.
-mangalam Tamil, perhaps a camp for soldiers. E.g., Needamangalam.
-mer Perhaps 'mountain' from Sanskrit 'meru'. E.g., Ajmer, Barmer, Jaisalmer.
-nagar Sanskrit 'town'. E.g., Srinagar.
-nath Sanskrit 'lord', usually referring to deities/shrines. E.g., Ambernath, Parasnath.
-ner ?? E.g. Bikaner, Gajner.
-pahar Hindi 'hill'. E.g., Belpahar, Tinpahar.
-palli Tamil/Telugu. Also -halli, -alli Kannada. 'Village'. E.g., Thiruchirapalli, Jalahalli.
-palya, -palyam Kannada? E.g. Kalasipalyam.
-para Bengali 'locality'. E.g. Rangapara, Kendrapara.
-pat Haryana/Punjab. Probably 'rock' or 'plateau' from Sanskrit prastar. E.g., Panipat, Sonepat.
-patnam Southern India, 'port'. Several variant spellings. E.g., Masulipattanam.
-pet, -pettai Southern & western India. 'Marketplace'. E.g., Hospet, Jolarpettai.
-prastha Sanskrit 'established'. E.g., Indraprastha.
-prolu Telugu 'village'. E.g. Bhattiprolu, Gollaprolu.
-pur, -puri, -pura, -puram, -pore From Sanskrit, a town (walled city -- may also mean a city with a citadel or palace). E.g., Kanpur, Thiruvananthapuram. Also Singapore!
qila Arabic 'fort'.
-sandra Kannada? E.g. Chennasandra.
-sar Sanskrit, 'lake' (from sarovar). Mostly in northwestern India. E.g., Amritsar, Soodsar.
-serai, -sarai In medieval times, an inn or resting place for travellers. E.g., Mughalsarai.
-shahar Farsi 'town'. E.g., Bulandshahar.
-sthan Sanskrit 'place'. E.g., Rajasthan.
-tal, -talao, -talaiya Hindi, 'natural lake'. E.g., Nainital.
-tanr, -tand 'On the river bank' (Bengali?). E.g., Jamuniatanr, Tulsiatanr.
-ur, -oor, -uru, -ore Tamil/Kannada/etc. 'village'/'town'. E.g., Kadambur, Bangalore, Coonoor.
vihar Sanskrit 'garden', 'park'. E.g., Anand Vihar, Mayur Vihar.
-wada, -wara 'House'. E.g., Bhilwada, Teliwara.
-adri Sanskrit (?) 'hill'. E.g., Narayanadri, Anjanadri.
-aranya Sanskrit 'forest'. E.g., Namisharanya.
-bagh Farsi 'garden'. E.g., Charbagh.
-bakkam, -vakkam Tamil, 'area' or 'neighbourhood'?? E.g., Nungambakkam, Villivakkam.
-bandar, -bandra Western India, 'port'. E.g., Porbandar.
-bari ?? Bengali 'house', Assamese 'orchard'. E.g., Alubari.
-basti Hindi 'settlement'. E.g., Dayabasti, Shakurbasti
bazar Mostly in UP/Bihar. 'Market'. E.g., Siswa Bazar.
cutchery, kacheri, kutchuhery (other variant spellings exist). 'Court'. E.g., Gonda Kutchuhery.
-chawni Hindi 'cantonment'.
-cheruvu Telugu 'lake'.
-dham ?? 'Temple'? E.g., Baidyanathdham, Gandhidham.
-dih ?? E.g., Manduadih, Pathardih.
-duar, -dooar ?? Perhaps from Sanskrit dwar, 'door', 'entrance'. E.g., Alipurduar.
-durg 'Fort'. E.g., Nandidurg, Jaladurg.
-eshwar, -eshwaram From Sanskrit ishwar, 'god', 'lord'. E.g., Ankleshwar, Rameshwaram.
-gachhi (variant spellings exist). From Bengali for 'tree'? E.g., Bamangachhi.
-ganj Northern & eastern India. 'Trading post', 'warehouse'? Perhaps from Indo-Iranian word meaning 'treasure'. E.g., Collectorganj, Daryaganj.
-gaon Hindi 'village'. E.g., Chalisgaon.
-garh Hindi 'Fort'. E.g., Chittorgarh.
-ghat Access point for a river with steps leading down, or a jetty. E.g., Digha Ghat.
-giri Sanskrit 'mountain'. E.g., Chandragiri.
-gola Bengali 'warehouse'. E.g., Lalgola, Bhagwangola.
-gram Sanskrit 'village'. E.g., Lakhmani Gram, Sewagram.
-gudi Kannada 'temple'. E.g., Basavanagudi.
-gunta Telugu 'lake'. E.g., Renigunta.
-guri, -gara Loosely, 'place' (Bengali?). E.g. Jalpaiguri, Mainaguri, Siliguri, Matigara.
-gutta Telugu 'hill', also -gudda in Kannada. E.g., Panjagutta.
-hat, -hati, -hatta, -het 'Market' or 'fair'. E.g., Guwahati, Jorhat, Sylhet.
kasba Arabic qasbah, a market town. Often used as a prefix.
kalan 'Big', the bigger of two towns/villages with the same name. E.g., Kosi Kalan, Jharonda Kalan.
khurd 'Small', the smaller of two towns/villages with the same name. E.g. Ugar Khurd, Renala Khurd.
-kere Kannada 'lake'. E.g., Arsikere.
-konda Telugu 'hill'. E.g., Golconda, Penukonda.
-kot 'Fort' or 'fortified town'. E.g., Rajkot, Pathankot. Perhaps a variant of this is -kotla ('fortification').
-kovil Tamil 'temple'. Variant spelling is -coil. E.g. Nagercoil.
-madugu Telugu 'lake'. E.g. Jammalamadugu.
-malai Southern India, 'hill'. E.g., Sabrimalai, Kollamalai, Annamalai.
mandi Hindi 'Market'. Often a prefix. E.g., Mandi Adampur, Mandi Gobindgarh, Sabzimandi.
-mangalam Tamil, perhaps a camp for soldiers. E.g., Needamangalam.
-mer Perhaps 'mountain' from Sanskrit 'meru'. E.g., Ajmer, Barmer, Jaisalmer.
-nagar Sanskrit 'town'. E.g., Srinagar.
-nath Sanskrit 'lord', usually referring to deities/shrines. E.g., Ambernath, Parasnath.
-ner ?? E.g. Bikaner, Gajner.
-pahar Hindi 'hill'. E.g., Belpahar, Tinpahar.
-palli Tamil/Telugu. Also -halli, -alli Kannada. 'Village'. E.g., Thiruchirapalli, Jalahalli.
-palya, -palyam Kannada? E.g. Kalasipalyam.
-para Bengali 'locality'. E.g. Rangapara, Kendrapara.
-pat Haryana/Punjab. Probably 'rock' or 'plateau' from Sanskrit prastar. E.g., Panipat, Sonepat.
-patnam Southern India, 'port'. Several variant spellings. E.g., Masulipattanam.
-pet, -pettai Southern & western India. 'Marketplace'. E.g., Hospet, Jolarpettai.
-prastha Sanskrit 'established'. E.g., Indraprastha.
-prolu Telugu 'village'. E.g. Bhattiprolu, Gollaprolu.
-pur, -puri, -pura, -puram, -pore From Sanskrit, a town (walled city -- may also mean a city with a citadel or palace). E.g., Kanpur, Thiruvananthapuram. Also Singapore!
qila Arabic 'fort'.
-sandra Kannada? E.g. Chennasandra.
-sar Sanskrit, 'lake' (from sarovar). Mostly in northwestern India. E.g., Amritsar, Soodsar.
-serai, -sarai In medieval times, an inn or resting place for travellers. E.g., Mughalsarai.
-shahar Farsi 'town'. E.g., Bulandshahar.
-sthan Sanskrit 'place'. E.g., Rajasthan.
-tal, -talao, -talaiya Hindi, 'natural lake'. E.g., Nainital.
-tanr, -tand 'On the river bank' (Bengali?). E.g., Jamuniatanr, Tulsiatanr.
-ur, -oor, -uru, -ore Tamil/Kannada/etc. 'village'/'town'. E.g., Kadambur, Bangalore, Coonoor.
vihar Sanskrit 'garden', 'park'. E.g., Anand Vihar, Mayur Vihar.
-wada, -wara 'House'. E.g., Bhilwada, Teliwara.
Thursday 20 March 2008
FOOD
Some stations on IR are famous for the regional specialty food items available there. Below follows a list of some of them. Compiled by Sukrut Thipse.
Pune - Tea, Misal, and Patties in the canteen
Karjat - Batata vada / vada pav (Potato snack)
Lonavala - Chocolate Fudge / Cashewnut Chikki (cashewnut brittle candy)
Neral - Seasonal Jambhool fruit
Khandala - Seasonal Jamoon fruit (plums)
Solapur - Kunda (sweet barfi)
Kolhapur - Sugarcane juice
Miraj - Saar and Rice
Hubli - Hubli rice (Curd rice (yogurt rice) with onions, chile peppers, and pickles)
Mysore - Dosa
Tiruchirapalli - Bondas in several variations
Hyderabad - Chicken biryani
Calicut (Kozhikode) - Dal vada
Quilon - Rasam
Mangalore - Egg Biryani
Ernakulam - Fried yellow bananas
Nagpur - Bhujia, and oranges
Guntakal - Mango jelly
Chennai Central - Samosas, idli, dosa
Rameshwaram - Idiuppam (Rice Noodles)
Agra - Petha (candied pumpkin)
New Delhi - Aloo chat (tangy potato snack)
Indore - Farsan
Ahmedabad - Vadilal ice-cream
Surat - Undhyo (mixed vegetables)
Ranchi - Puri bhaji
Howrah - Sandesh
Amritsar - Lassi, Aloo paratha
Bangalore - Vada sambar, fresh fruit juices
Jaipur - Dal bati
Gandhidham - dabeli
Varanasi - Seasonal amrud fruit (guava)
Gorakhpur - Rabdi (a sweet made of milk and sugar)
Guwahati - Tea (Assam blend)
Madurai - Uthappam (spicy lentil/rice pancake)
Ajmer - Mewa (Mix fruit)
Vasco-da-gama - Fish curry/cutlets
Ratnagiri - Mangoes, dried jackfruit
Vijayawada - Fruit juices
Rajahmundry - Bananas
Daund - Peanuts
Tirupati - Ladoos, sevai
Londa - Jackfruit
Allahabad - Motichur ladoos
Ambala - Aloo paratha
Puri - Halwah
Bhubaneshwar - Dal and rice
Coimbatore - Sambar-rice, tamarind-rice, lemon-rice
Dehradun - Salted cucumber
Gwalior, Bhopal - Boiled chickpeas with chile peppers
Surendranagar - Tea with camel's milk
Anand - Gota (fenugreek fritters), and milk from the dairy farm there
Khambalia Junction - Potato/onion/chili fritters
Dwaraka - Milk pedhas
Viramgam - Fafda (ganthiya), Poori + Alu-bhaji
Pendra Road - Samosas
Manikpur - Cream
Thanjavur - Salted cashewnuts
Bharuch - Peanuts
Maddur - Maddur-vade
Chinna Ganjam - Cashewnuts
Gudur - Lemons
Panruti - Jackfruit
Virudunagar - Boli (a thick sweet flat bread)
Sankarankoil - Chicken biryani
Srivilliputtur - Paal kova (a soft milk-based sweet)
Manapparai - Murukku
Fatehabad-Chandrawatiganj - Gulab Jamun
Mehmedabad - Samosa
Shamli - Aloo tikki
Gajraula - Tea
Vadodara - Flavoured milk
Pune - Tea, Misal, and Patties in the canteen
Karjat - Batata vada / vada pav (Potato snack)
Lonavala - Chocolate Fudge / Cashewnut Chikki (cashewnut brittle candy)
Neral - Seasonal Jambhool fruit
Khandala - Seasonal Jamoon fruit (plums)
Solapur - Kunda (sweet barfi)
Kolhapur - Sugarcane juice
Miraj - Saar and Rice
Hubli - Hubli rice (Curd rice (yogurt rice) with onions, chile peppers, and pickles)
Mysore - Dosa
Tiruchirapalli - Bondas in several variations
Hyderabad - Chicken biryani
Calicut (Kozhikode) - Dal vada
Quilon - Rasam
Mangalore - Egg Biryani
Ernakulam - Fried yellow bananas
Nagpur - Bhujia, and oranges
Guntakal - Mango jelly
Chennai Central - Samosas, idli, dosa
Rameshwaram - Idiuppam (Rice Noodles)
Agra - Petha (candied pumpkin)
New Delhi - Aloo chat (tangy potato snack)
Indore - Farsan
Ahmedabad - Vadilal ice-cream
Surat - Undhyo (mixed vegetables)
Ranchi - Puri bhaji
Howrah - Sandesh
Amritsar - Lassi, Aloo paratha
Bangalore - Vada sambar, fresh fruit juices
Jaipur - Dal bati
Gandhidham - dabeli
Varanasi - Seasonal amrud fruit (guava)
Gorakhpur - Rabdi (a sweet made of milk and sugar)
Guwahati - Tea (Assam blend)
Madurai - Uthappam (spicy lentil/rice pancake)
Ajmer - Mewa (Mix fruit)
Vasco-da-gama - Fish curry/cutlets
Ratnagiri - Mangoes, dried jackfruit
Vijayawada - Fruit juices
Rajahmundry - Bananas
Daund - Peanuts
Tirupati - Ladoos, sevai
Londa - Jackfruit
Allahabad - Motichur ladoos
Ambala - Aloo paratha
Puri - Halwah
Bhubaneshwar - Dal and rice
Coimbatore - Sambar-rice, tamarind-rice, lemon-rice
Dehradun - Salted cucumber
Gwalior, Bhopal - Boiled chickpeas with chile peppers
Surendranagar - Tea with camel's milk
Anand - Gota (fenugreek fritters), and milk from the dairy farm there
Khambalia Junction - Potato/onion/chili fritters
Dwaraka - Milk pedhas
Viramgam - Fafda (ganthiya), Poori + Alu-bhaji
Pendra Road - Samosas
Manikpur - Cream
Thanjavur - Salted cashewnuts
Bharuch - Peanuts
Maddur - Maddur-vade
Chinna Ganjam - Cashewnuts
Gudur - Lemons
Panruti - Jackfruit
Virudunagar - Boli (a thick sweet flat bread)
Sankarankoil - Chicken biryani
Srivilliputtur - Paal kova (a soft milk-based sweet)
Manapparai - Murukku
Fatehabad-Chandrawatiganj - Gulab Jamun
Mehmedabad - Samosa
Shamli - Aloo tikki
Gajraula - Tea
Vadodara - Flavoured milk
Thursday 28 February 2008
How can I estimate how fast a train that I am in is going?
Q. How can I estimate how fast a train that I am in is going?
There are several ways to get good estimates for a train's speed. Distance markers by the side of the tracks provide indications of how far the next (or previous) important station is (in kilometers) and it is straightforward to time the train for a distance of a couple of kilometers to estimate its speed.
Telephone poles or other posts by the side of the tracks often have indications such as "100/5" on them. The top number is usually the number of kilometers from some station; the lower number marks the number of posts within that kilometer section. There are usually 15 or so such poles in a kilometer. So, successive poles may be marked as follows: 79/13, 79/14, 80/0, 80/1, etc. Sometimes these indications are found on the distance posts at ground level next to the tracks. Timing the train while observing these indications can give you a good estimate of the speed. You can't always assume there are 15 poles to a kilometer, though, so estimates are better made by timing from, say, 15/2 to 16/2 or 80/1 to 79/1
Similarly, electric traction poles usually occur at regular intervals spaced at about 16 per kilometer; they too are often numbered as above, or sometimes with every other number left out: 212/5, 212/7, 212/9, etc. Taking the time from, say 70/3 to 71/3 will provide a reasonable indication of the time to traverse 1km, and you can calculate the speed from there.
Rail lengths vary, but it is also possible to time the train while counting off the clicks of the wheels across rail gaps. On BG tracks, the rails are usually 13m long. A simple rule of thumb to use is to count the number of rail joints crossed in 45 seconds; this gives the approximate speed in km/h. For instance, 70 "clickety-clacks" in 45 seconds implies a speed of about 70km/h.
On MG tracks, the rails are usually 12m long, and a similar calculation can be made. Things are trickier on narrow gauge because there are a few different lengths of rails used. Bear in mind, also, that a few BG section have double-length rails. This method is of course likely to be very inaccurate on curves, bridges, approaches to stations with many points, etc.
On welded track it is usually possible, by listening carefully, to count the number of joints passed by the faintly different sound made when the wheel passes over the weld (the spot where the weld is often has a slight concavity with the typical thermite welding technique). Only with sections where the track is flash butt welded is it truly impossible to hear the rail joints. Often wheels have flat spots which add to the noise and make it more confusing. All this makes timing by rail lengths very hard.
The most common rail length on BG sections is 13m, but some places have 26m-long rails. MG rails are usually 12m, and for NG, a commonly-seen rail length is 9m.
If all fails, time the train between stations, and look at the route-km for the stations in a timetable or other source; this will necessarily be a less accurate method as you will only get the average speed.
Using a GPS device
If you have access to a portable GPS receiver, that can be the most easy and accurate way to find the speed of a running train. You will need to place the device close to the window so it can receive the satellite signals, and 'see' as many satellites as possible. Extensive superstructures (overhead bridges, etc.) or heavily built-up areas make it difficult for the GPS unit to track the speed. And of course, it won't work inside a tunnel!
Bear in mind that the speed read by GPS is more accurate on straight and level stretches, mostly because errors creep in as the GPS unit will give you the straight-line distance travelled between two points at which the positions are recorded. Absence of gradients is especially important when only 3 satellites can be received by the unit, because GPS receivers normally need 4 satellites to measure vertical position. To even out short-term errors, it is probably best to log the GPS readings frequently (1 second intervals, perhaps) to a laptop computer. Note that receivers with extensive logging capabilities can be much more expensive.
If you are serious about measuring positions by GPS and correlating them to maps, note that civilian GPS units are guaranteed only to about 20m accuracy in horizontal coordinates and 33m vertically (95% circular error probability) by the US DoD. In practice, accuracy down to about 4m is possible under good conditions and the use of differential GPS receivers can improve on this as well.
However, you should bear in mind that the datum used for coordinates by most commercial receivers is WGS-84, but most maps produced in India use a different datum (Indian datum based on the Everest 1956 ellipsoid), and you will need coordinate transformations to go from one to the other. Keep in mind that the more sophisticated your equipment, and the more 'serious' your measurements and surveying activities, the more likely it is that you will be picked up by questioning by the railway police or other security personnel. Indian authorities tend to be quite strict and unyielding when it comes to dealing with activities of this nature. The Survey of India announced some time back (around 2001) that new official maps of India based on the WGS-84 datum would be published, in the years to come.
There are several ways to get good estimates for a train's speed. Distance markers by the side of the tracks provide indications of how far the next (or previous) important station is (in kilometers) and it is straightforward to time the train for a distance of a couple of kilometers to estimate its speed.
Telephone poles or other posts by the side of the tracks often have indications such as "100/5" on them. The top number is usually the number of kilometers from some station; the lower number marks the number of posts within that kilometer section. There are usually 15 or so such poles in a kilometer. So, successive poles may be marked as follows: 79/13, 79/14, 80/0, 80/1, etc. Sometimes these indications are found on the distance posts at ground level next to the tracks. Timing the train while observing these indications can give you a good estimate of the speed. You can't always assume there are 15 poles to a kilometer, though, so estimates are better made by timing from, say, 15/2 to 16/2 or 80/1 to 79/1
Similarly, electric traction poles usually occur at regular intervals spaced at about 16 per kilometer; they too are often numbered as above, or sometimes with every other number left out: 212/5, 212/7, 212/9, etc. Taking the time from, say 70/3 to 71/3 will provide a reasonable indication of the time to traverse 1km, and you can calculate the speed from there.
Rail lengths vary, but it is also possible to time the train while counting off the clicks of the wheels across rail gaps. On BG tracks, the rails are usually 13m long. A simple rule of thumb to use is to count the number of rail joints crossed in 45 seconds; this gives the approximate speed in km/h. For instance, 70 "clickety-clacks" in 45 seconds implies a speed of about 70km/h.
On MG tracks, the rails are usually 12m long, and a similar calculation can be made. Things are trickier on narrow gauge because there are a few different lengths of rails used. Bear in mind, also, that a few BG section have double-length rails. This method is of course likely to be very inaccurate on curves, bridges, approaches to stations with many points, etc.
On welded track it is usually possible, by listening carefully, to count the number of joints passed by the faintly different sound made when the wheel passes over the weld (the spot where the weld is often has a slight concavity with the typical thermite welding technique). Only with sections where the track is flash butt welded is it truly impossible to hear the rail joints. Often wheels have flat spots which add to the noise and make it more confusing. All this makes timing by rail lengths very hard.
The most common rail length on BG sections is 13m, but some places have 26m-long rails. MG rails are usually 12m, and for NG, a commonly-seen rail length is 9m.
If all fails, time the train between stations, and look at the route-km for the stations in a timetable or other source; this will necessarily be a less accurate method as you will only get the average speed.
Using a GPS device
If you have access to a portable GPS receiver, that can be the most easy and accurate way to find the speed of a running train. You will need to place the device close to the window so it can receive the satellite signals, and 'see' as many satellites as possible. Extensive superstructures (overhead bridges, etc.) or heavily built-up areas make it difficult for the GPS unit to track the speed. And of course, it won't work inside a tunnel!
Bear in mind that the speed read by GPS is more accurate on straight and level stretches, mostly because errors creep in as the GPS unit will give you the straight-line distance travelled between two points at which the positions are recorded. Absence of gradients is especially important when only 3 satellites can be received by the unit, because GPS receivers normally need 4 satellites to measure vertical position. To even out short-term errors, it is probably best to log the GPS readings frequently (1 second intervals, perhaps) to a laptop computer. Note that receivers with extensive logging capabilities can be much more expensive.
If you are serious about measuring positions by GPS and correlating them to maps, note that civilian GPS units are guaranteed only to about 20m accuracy in horizontal coordinates and 33m vertically (95% circular error probability) by the US DoD. In practice, accuracy down to about 4m is possible under good conditions and the use of differential GPS receivers can improve on this as well.
However, you should bear in mind that the datum used for coordinates by most commercial receivers is WGS-84, but most maps produced in India use a different datum (Indian datum based on the Everest 1956 ellipsoid), and you will need coordinate transformations to go from one to the other. Keep in mind that the more sophisticated your equipment, and the more 'serious' your measurements and surveying activities, the more likely it is that you will be picked up by questioning by the railway police or other security personnel. Indian authorities tend to be quite strict and unyielding when it comes to dealing with activities of this nature. The Survey of India announced some time back (around 2001) that new official maps of India based on the WGS-84 datum would be published, in the years to come.
Saturday 5 January 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
