SLICE OF LIFE

For those seeking a taste of India's diverse cultures and landscapes, few experiences can rival a ride on the Indian Railways,

- Monisha Rajesh

With a creak and a jolt the Mandovi Express eased away from the platform, stragglers and vendors hopping down from the doors as latecomers jogged and leapt aboard. I peered through the bars at the early-morning skies, rumpled with neonpink balls of fluff. The domes of Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus had disappeared and we were now barrelling out of the megacity, long horns and the rapid thump of wheels letting us know we were headed south. It was my third time on this service, without a doubt my favourite train of all Indian Railways.