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Solo run to Singrauli

After working Monday thru Saturday like a dog when Sunday came I told Atul that we

would go out for a long drive to the Singrauli hills.

For a new comer in this region 'Singrauli hills' could sound most convenient but for the

native people it is the whole Singrauli district which is full of hills. Yes , these are man

made hills created by the pile of overburdens of coal mines over the last 20 years.

Sunday, in this idyllic township is not a very different day even most of the bosses

religiously go to office during the first half. My colleague Atul pursued me to go in the

2nd half but I said 'no'. Finally he was called by his boss and I left on my own.

9:30 AM, I was about to take the short cut through the plant back yard when I just

swerved my car towards the main service building area. It looks deserted at this hour,none of the bosses has arrived so far. Oh ! A monkey family of 5 members are sitting

near the fountain. They did not care to pay any attention to my car. The sun rays in this

chilling morning is very soothing.

I pushed through the rustic village road towards the Dadhicuwa mines. The township of

the Northern Coal Fields started. The small looking low ceiling quarters invariably

reminds me the miners quarters during the British era. But these are of course bigger

quarters. People grow vegetables at their back yard. The shopping complex is small.

Most of the shops are either cloth store or the utensils store besides a few small eateries.

The road divulges into a junction where a big tree is standing in the middle. I went

straight as it points towards the Singrauli rail station. On the way I crossed the deserted

GM office of the NCL and then as I reached the main road ,the typical jungle of Mines

area started.

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As I moved further to my left comes the huge abandoned mines which have turned into a

blue water lake now. It is visible from a very long distances. Beyond the hills lays the

huge man-made-hills.

The way to the Singrauli station is quite winding and serpentine. There is a huge hair pin

bend where the road rises almost 6 meters.

The leaning tree on my right is just before entry to the Jayant mines area. The road is

absolutely good & deserted on Sunday morning and driving is a real pleasure among the

woods.

Mercedez and Ashok Leyland service workshop for the dozers & dumpers used in the

mines come to my left. I move further .

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On the way I find a few small temples or canopies for the local deities. Small bells are

hanging in front of these temples. These small temples are the hearts of these local

villages. They do nothing but invisibly control the entire culture of these small villages.

I took rest in one of these temples. It was spotlessly clean and the flower of morning

offerings was still there on the alter. I rang the bell thrice to mark my respect for thisunknown deity and then moved further.

Next 20 minutes I drove on this silent road. The murmuring sound of the jungles on both

sides was filling my mind & body. The temperature his risen to 16 Deg Cent now. Some

parrots are moving past over my head. Their sounds reminds that this is their area. The

Singrauli rail station appeared at the turning.

One platform ticket please - The clerk at the ticket counter was little surprised. The

station has no overhead shade , no light , not even a full boundary wall, Obviously

nobody asks for platform ticket here nor does he keeps it . Instead he offered me a ticketto the next station which can double as platform ticket.

The station is actually coal yard for the NCL , the last line is used for the only platform

of Singrauli station. Daily one passenger train goes to Varanasi apart from three other

mail trains towards Howrah , Jabalpur ,Lucknow , Bhopal and Patna.

On my left is the coal shunting yard while on my right is the breath taking outside viewof the Singrauli station. The otherwise dirty station is most unique in it's appearance and

location. The serene beauty & the presence of luscious greenery has made it special in

this land of black diamond.

It's beautiful .

S. Bera

Vindhyanagar