The nostalgia of my daily travel to Mandya from Mysore in the 69 - 70s is very interesting. I was posted to Mandya as the District Publicity Officer on transfer from South Kanara and I used to travel daily to my office in Mandya from Mysore like as many other officials.

Then, it was very common to buy season tickets for the daily travel as it worked out cheap and also the rail journey was very convenient to reach our offices in time.

The passenger train to Mandya was in the morning at around 8.15 and we would get the same train or some other in the evening by six for our return journey. Only drawback was the journey time was not less than 1 ½ to two hours as the train had to give way to the Express trains stopping in about half – a - dozen stations.

Even today, laying of the double track work is not yet completed for various reasons. Soon it is completed, better it is for rail journey between Mysore - Bangalore and vice - versa, which is very essential.

The officials had their own groups — chit-chatting, playing cards and chess to forget the journey time. For me, the group consisted of more college lecturers and some non - officials. Prof. B. C. Wesley, a very popular English teacher and the then Principal of Mandya College and Prof. Rangaswamy Iyengar, History Professor, were keeping the group lively with their conversation.

Disposing of Railway offences:
It was our good luck and also privilege to travel, on many days, in the company of the Railway Magistrate Veerabhadrappa in his reserved bogie. Before he could arrive at the Station, his Daffedar and a Police Constable would attach a board titled “Railway Magistrate” to a convenient small compartment of the train and would wait for his arrival. The Magistrate would also conduct his court some days in Mysore Railway Station and some other days in Mandya to dispose of Railway offences committed by the travellers.

He was extremely a friendly person and knowing some of us in our group, he would invite us to travel with him in his compartment. I think our group cannot forget this occasional travel with him. He would always listen to our conversation more and add humorous incidents of the court in between. We all would have a hearty laugh and forget the boring journey time.

When I got married during this time and had invited this group to the marriage, the Magistrate was happy to learn that he knew well my father – in - law lawyer H. T. Thammaiah of Hunsur, who was appearing in his court when he was serving there. The Magistrate attended the marriage with all our group members.

The landing of man on the moon — Neil Armstrong — was the greatest news of that day when we were travelling with the Magistrate. Prof. Wesley hailed this achievement as man's first step to invade the Universe. Prof. Rangaswamy Iyengar, who was known for his witty comments, told the Magistrate, “Sir, we will be eagerly waiting to travel with you when you have your sitting (court) on the moon”. To this, Railway Magistrate Veerabhadrappa, adding more humour, remarked, “Yes, yes, Iyengar, sure, we will all be there in the court of Yama Dharma, waiting for his judgement — either in Heaven or Hell!”

Innocent couple:
Another day, when the train had stopped in a middle station, the attached Police Constable produced a man and woman before the Magistrate in the compartment saying, “Your Honour, these two were crossing the Railway track (an offence) running one behind the other”. The man shivering replied, “Swami, I was running to ease myself near the field by the side of Railway track and wanted to come back to catch the train” (Reason: toilet in their compartment was occupied). The woman said, “Swami I got frightened with my husband's running away leaving me behind alone. Hence, I went running to catch him”. The judge, with a stern voice, admonished the Constable for catching the innocent couple and warned that he would have punished him instead of the couple!

Not his cup of tea:
On another day, I think in Hejjala Station, when the train had stopped as usual to give way for an Express train, the Daffedar of the Magistrate brought a person holding a tray with cups of tea from a nearby small hotel. Surprised, the Magistrate asked who ordered the tea and the fellow showed his Daffedar (who was also holding a cup of tea). He replied, “Swami, the owner himself desired to send this tea”. The Magistrate got angry with the Daffedar for accepting this offer and paid the charges of tea for the owner.

Holding train for my sake?!
One morning I could not reach the Station before the train's departure. Still I could catch it though there was about ten minutes delay. Many a days the train was not leaving on time as it had to wait giving way for the arrival / departure of some trains.

That day it happened that our Railway Magistrate was also travelling. As soon I found his exclusive compartment and entered it, Prof. Wesley remarked, "What Mr. Vijaykumar, do you know our Railway Magistrate is holding the train's departure for your sake!" I took it as a joke and sat amidst them.

But, in fact, on that day the guard as usual, as a courtesy, had asked the Magistrate holding green flag and whistle in his mouth, "Sir, shall we leave? Swami, Horadonave?" For which the Magistrate told him whispering, "Anyway, the train is already late; shall we wait for a couple of minutes more, noticing that I had not come yet." The guard Venkat, who was my school - mate, told me this later. Can this happen these days? No system of Railway Magistrate or his Compartment. I am told there is no such Railway Magistrate deputed from State Judicial Service to Railways. Nowadays, the Railway offenders are produced before the regular Magistrates in their courts at an allotted time and days in the week.

Trip to Melkote:
One day we four or five including the Magistrate decided to visit Melkote and cut short our journey at Pandavapura alighting from the train to reach Melkote. I had asked my jeep to wait for me there as I had an official programme in Melkote. I took them also in my jeep. After visiting the temples and Karunodaya (a rehabilitating house for disabled persons run by Sarvodaya leader Surendra Koulagi) we had a typical meal of Melkote (arranged by a local Iyengar family) consisting of puliyogare and a special kind of sweet dish called “manohara” and returned. The meal was so delicious that Prof. Rangaswamy Iyengar, who was familiar with this food and with a full stomach, blessed the family saying “Shabash, may you live happily ever”.

I cannot forget this interesting rail travel with these persons and such interesting incidents even after over 40 years now.

K. Vijay Kumar,
Former Jt. Director of Information & Publicity
E - Mail: kumarkv59@gmail.com

Click here to go to the main page of Star of Mysore.
Click here to go to the main page of Mr. K. B. Ganapathy.
Please send your opinions, feedbacks, articles to shshenoy at yahoo.com