Commuters carry forward Dussehra celebration on Mumbai-Pune train

On Monday, the Singhnad Express, decorated with flowers and balloons, reached Kalyan station. Around 20 passengers, carrying decorative items and snacks, were waiting to board the train.

Prashant Dandekar, 51, a resident of Kalyan, has been travelling by Sinhagad Express to Mumbai for work since 1989.

Passengers said the ‘tradition’ of celebrating Dussehra in the Singhnad Express began around 1990. (HT Photo)

Every year, a day before Dussehra, he takes flowers and balloons to decorate the train and celebrate the festival with his co-passengers.

Sinhagad Express runs from Pune to Mumbai and reaches Kalyan around 8.55am. Many office-goers from Kalyan board this train.

On Monday, the train decorated with flowers and balloons reached Kalyan station. Around 20 passengers, carrying decorative items and snacks, were waiting to board the train.

“The train is like our second home. We spend two hours on train every day. The regular commuters have become family,” said Dandekar.

Passengers said the ‘tradition’ of celebrating Dussehra in train began around 1990.

“Passengers started decorating the train in Pune. At every halt, when more passengers boarded the train, they too decorated it. So, by the time the train reached CSMT, every compartment was decorated with flowers, balloons and ribbons,” said Dandekar.

The passengers distributed sweets and snacks.

Arun Manore, 58, another commuter from Kalyan, who also travels to Mumbai every day, said, “We greeted everyone with apta (or bidi) leaves and distribute sweets.”

Regular commuters travelling by local trains, too, celebrated Dussehra, a day before the festival like every year. This year’s celebration was different.

Commuters spread the message of cleanliness by collecting all thrash after their celebration.

“Often boxes and plastic bottles are thrown on tracks. We spread the message to keep coaches clean,” said Sandeep Nair, 34, regular commuter from Thakurli to Ghatkopar.

Women commuters, who boarded Karjat-bound local from Thane, carried garbage bags on Monday. “We ensured that waste is collected in paper bags and disposed in garbage bins. We often see tracks littered with garbage. We are spreading cleanliness message among commuters,” said Shreya Sen, 29, who boards the Thane local from Karjat every day.

Inputs from Ankita G Menon