A Banquet on Wheels

Here I was telling myself just the other day, “No more eating for my tongue (taste). Am strictly going to eat for my stomach (just what is needed)!” But no sooner had we settled into the long forgotten Vaigai Express, once the pride of the Madurai-Chennai rail tracks, than my resolution went for a toss, right out of the window as it were! What started with the Pantry car’s simple yet beloved breakfast offering of idli-vada-pongal- poori- coffee, went on to become a delightful deluge of gastronomical delights (for me at least). With all resolve gone and all caution thrown to the winds, I shamelessly let my passion for food dictate the rest of my journey. Hold on now will you, my dear friend, for before you take me to be a glutton, let me assure you that I am what you would call, a connoisseur. The gourmet in me, can, at times become a gourmand too. But, by and large, I’d rather stick to being a ‘connoisseur of sorts.’ The seven-hour journey from Madurai to Chennai put paid to my perfectly orchestrated mind-body coordination of recent times. Each time the bearers of the assortment of my favourite fabulous foods walked down the aisle, my olfactory senses seemed to have a sudden surge of life just inhaling the ambrosial aromas!  Bread-omelette, medhu vada, paruppu vada, boli, cutlet, sandwich, biscuits, tea, coffee, soup, juices, etc., etc. inadvertently found favour with most of us in my compartment, and more especially, with yours truly! Any shame or guilt at having bid goodbye to my so-called resolution took a back seat in the face of the food fantasy that pranced before my ever-appreciative eyes (drooling tongue goes without saying, right?). Now don’t tell me that you’ve never given into “sensations sweet” such as this, because you know the truth, don’t you! And no, this does not mean we have no self-control, it’s just that we are human beings who can be very disciplined and at the same time, give in to the little joys of ‘happy hogging’ now and again – a ‘cheat day’ in today’s parlance.

With the arrival of the newer, faster trains on this section, the dear old Vaigai seemed to have lost some of its sheen. Nevertheless, it still runs to full capacity, it’s Pantry car doing great business catering to the needs of its passionate, pleasant, patrons. Today makes many years since we travelled by the wonderful Vaigai, and I joyfully let myself reignite the sheer bliss of travelling in a train that has a Pantry car, the aromas of the various food items wafting through the nostrils of each coach, wooing everyone with the promise of great taste that is budget friendly as well. In my opinion, no train that serves meals can come near the Vaigai and its fabulous array of foods that help make a ‘cheat day’ worth its while.

 

The vibrant Vaigai and the peerless Pandiyan that held sway in the 80s and 90s- the day and night Kings on the tracks, though still running to full capacity, find themselves relegated to the background – uncared for and unkempt too to some extent. My hope is that the introduction of the newbies should not spell neglect of those that continue to do their duty to the best of their ability. These trains (read every train), like human beings, should be given the due respect and care they need. A fresh coat of paint, neat interiors, clean washrooms, and be treated on par with those that are recently introduced is all that they are asking. Taking good care of the old that have served us well will go a long way in building a homogenous, organic society. Never have I ever felt the tug of a long-lost love like when I set foot in the Vaigai after what seemed like ages! I do hope you know that I am still talking about the train and not the river which was once the boast of Madurai, but now a mere dry river bed for most part of the year!

 

I better wind up my dreamy story of the resurrection of my love and respect for this beautiful train as we are chugging into Egmore, the train’s destination and ours, but not before letting you know that the Vaigai with its variety of food, actually makes one feel like a king at a banquet!