Book Review - Chai Chai By Bishwanath Ghosh

One fine evening, as journalist/author Bishwanath Ghosh, while travelling in the Gorakhpur – Trivandrum Express from Kanpur to Chennai (then Madras), stepped out at Itarsi Junction to stretch his legs and relish a cup of tea, he realized that there were many such junctions, places where numerous trains halt every day, but not much is known about these junctions. Most travelers are familiar with the halts and the names of these stations, yet not many know about the history, culture and lifestyle followed at these places. This gave an idea to the author to write a book on places, specifically junctions, where trains and travelers halt briefly but whose by-lanes, cities and towns remain unsung. The book is a travel-memoir, one can say, of the author’s brief tryst with Mughal Sarai, Jhansi, Itarsi, Guntakal, Arakkonam, Jolarpettai and Shoranur. – all junctions that connect one place to another and yet most travelers stay unconnected with. The author has crafted a wonderful narrativ...