Chai, Chai : Travels in Places Where you Stop but Never Get off
Bishwanath Ghosh
2009
Tranquebar Press
pp. 216
Chai, Chai is a travelogue by Ghosh on places that he visited in reminiscing about his childhood days and maybe subsequent travels. Most of the places visited are not the big cities but small towns that most Indians would have heard of as big railway junctions. He describes them aptly as the places where trains stop for loading of food, or other logistics but nobody ever gets off at these places. I had to check and recheck when this book was written as the places seem to have been frozen in time. Where do you get rooms for Rs. 200 a night or gol gappas for 3 Rs.?
Bishwanath Ghosh
2009
Tranquebar Press
pp. 216
Chai, Chai is a travelogue by Ghosh on places that he visited in reminiscing about his childhood days and maybe subsequent travels. Most of the places visited are not the big cities but small towns that most Indians would have heard of as big railway junctions. He describes them aptly as the places where trains stop for loading of food, or other logistics but nobody ever gets off at these places. I had to check and recheck when this book was written as the places seem to have been frozen in time. Where do you get rooms for Rs. 200 a night or gol gappas for 3 Rs.?
Ghosh was able to bring the magic alive for most places through his interactions with people. His writing is straight forward. Yet it touches your heart. Quite tempting to visit these places. Most importantly, it is likely to remind you to have kulhar wali chai; something that I have always associated with train journeys. If you have never had chai in an earthen cup, you have missed out on one of the greatest pleasures of life. Please go and have one now and then read this book. The book, I have discovered, is also available in hindi.