The Rails and Roads of India: Delhi to Haridwar

A couple seated on a stone bench, Haridwar Station, India

Late-Morning Light
The platform at the Haridwar Railway Station looks fresh and bright – washed in late morning light and smiling faces – when our train from Delhi rolls in.

One of the tha biggest challenges of travel is getting around once you land where you are going.

I had taken trains in India before, and while each trip resulted in ‘stories to tell’, none was what I would describe as pleasant. But, my photographic group – under the guidance of photographer Karl Grobl from Jim Cline Photo Tours – was headed to Haridwar and Amritsar and had to get there somehow. So, another train trip was on the agenda.

And, it was a surprisingly orderly, comfortable, and pleasant one!

I say ‘surprisingly’ advisedly. India is known for trains with people piled on, packed in, and hanging off the sides. Even though I had never travelled third-class, I had been squashed into compartments of questionable cleanliness with strangers and their pungent tiffin boxes and oddly-shaped bags. The WC compartments don’t bear remembering.

The last time I took the train from Delhi to Haridwar, it was in an overnight second-class carriage packed with people on the move for the Kumbh Mela celebration. We literally climbed over prone and seated bodies to get to our curtained compartment. One of my companions brought a length of chain so we could lock our bags to the legs of our bunk beds while we attempted to sleep.

The difference this time was palpable: a wallah even came through the carriages with hot tea mid morning! Mind you, we still had to run through the stations at either end to keep the porters and our bags in sight.

The railway stations – and the streets of Haridwar – were still a delightful chaos of activity and colour, but without the throngs of mela pilgrims, it was easy to wander around in comfort. Even the Ganges looked different: there were still plenty of people bathing in the icy currents rushing down from the source in the Himalaya, but nowhere near the 10 million who were in town last time I visited (see: Some of the 10 Million)!

Going back to these old pictures, I’ve bad to throw a lot away: I don’t know what I was doing! The shutter speeds are far too low and many of the photos are blurry. Still, I’m keeping more than I should because I like the content – if not the quality.

Railway station packed full of people, Haridwar India

Waiting for the Train
This was Haridwar Railway Station when I visited during the Kumbh Mela in 2010.

A Train is Coming
When your train arrived, you needed to be ready!

In the Train Station
By contrast, when we arrived at New Delhi Railway Station early one morning in 2013, it was positively quiet!

Porter
The porters had a clear path – unlike on my previous trip when they had to zig-zag like football players in action.

Train on the Move
It was still a busy place, though, with trains coming and going every few minutes.

Almost Abstract : Train Station
I confess: I have no idea how I achieved this, or what I was aiming for, but I like it.

Sunrise on the Train
When our train pulls out of the station, the early morning sun is rising into New Delhi’s hazy sky. (iPhone5)

Sunrise in the Haze (iPhone5)

Old Porter
When we arrive in Haridwar, …

Young Porter
… the porters grab our bags and set off.

Portrait of a Porter

Woman at the Train Station
There are always interesting people around railway stations.

Street Scenes from my Rickshaw
There is a real mix of transportation modes in the streets of Haridwar; I watch it all from the back of my cycle rickshaw as I travel the short distance to my hotel.

Street Food
Food everywhere you look! Haridwar is one of the holiest Hindu cities in India, and all the food available in the centre is strictly vegetarian.

Testing a Conch
In Hindu mythology, conch shells are sacred emblems of the God Vishnu. The sound from them is said to be symbolic of the sacred ‘Om’ , and they are are important components in the ritual observances that take place along the Ganges River near here.