A Jolly Outing With Kids By Toy Train In Darjeeling

Toy Train Joyride -

 Darjeeling to Ghum & Back

Toy train joy rides operate from Darjeeling Railway Station. It's a 2-hour round trip from Darjeeling up to Ghum and back covering a total distance of 14kms. There are four such round trips in a day, two in the morning half and two in the afternoon. The train stops for 10 minutes at the Batasia Loop. At Batasia the train makes a loop around a wonderful manicured garden. The view of Darjeeling town and the snow peaks of Kanchenjunga from here are unparalleled. The War Memorial built in honor of the Gorkha soldiers who sacrificed their lives is located at the center of the Garden.

Ghum is the highest altitude station on the Darjeeling Himalayan Rail track. Altitude of Ghum is 2225.7 meters (7407 ft). Here the toy train stops for 30 minutes for a visit to Darjeeling Himalayan Railway museum. The DHR Museum is located at the station premises. The highlight here is the oldest toy train engine - The Baby Sivok. The entree fee to the museum is included in the ticket price. DHR sends by post a certificate validating your ride on the toy train so that you can cherish the memories of your ride.

Toy Train Joyride Schedule

Train No.: 52546, Departs: 8am, Returns: 10am, Diesel Engine

Train No.: 52548, Departs: 10:40am, Returns: 12:40pm, Steam Engine

Train No.: 52549, Departs: 13:20pm, Returns: 15:20pm, Steam Engine

Train No.: 52547, Departs: 16:05pm, Returns: 18:05pm, Steam Engine

Update September 2016: Effective 10th September 2016, 3 additional steam engine hauled toy trains are being introduced for joy rides (mostly targeting the high season of Puja). The timings are 8:00 (diesel), 10:30 (steam), 10:40 (steam), 11:00 (diesel), 13:10 (steam), 13:20 (steam), 13:30 (diesel), 16:05 (steam), 16:10 (steam). 

There are usually two first class coaches provided in a steam engine train, while three first class coaches in diesel engine joyride toy train.

TIP: Note that during high season, there is a lot of rush for this ride and you should try to book well in advance. Don't plan to buy the joyride tickets after you reach Darjeeling because you may not get them. Just in case you don't get the joyride tickets, an alternative plan is to buy a ticket on the regular morning toy train operating between Darjeeling and Kurseong, which too goes via Batasia and Ghum. Get off at Ghum and take a shared jeep back to Darjeeling... almost similar experience as the joy ride. However this is a diesel engine hauled train and not steam engine. You can buy tickets online through Indian railway site irctc.co.in.

Toy Train Joyride Fare (Updated September 2016: Fares effective 18th February, 2015)

Diesel Engine Rides: Rs. 630/-. All first class seats.

Steam Engine Rides: Rs. 1,415/-. All first class seats.

NOTE: 

1) Above are round trip fares Darjeeling-Ghum-Darjeeling. 

2) No concession in Darjeeling Toy Train Joy Rides to Children of age 5 or above, neither to senior citizens. No tickets required for children below 5 years. 

3) The first train in the morning at 8am is the diesel engine hauled train while the rest are steam engine trains. The fares of Steam Engine puled trains are higher because they represent the original heritage trains and their maintenance cost is also higher. Fares include admission to the DHR Ghum Museum.

Source: Darjeeling tourism

Kapildhara Falls – It Has Several Caves Where Saints Meditated In Olden Days

KAPILDHARA FALLS

AT

ANUPPUR

Kapildhara waterfall is located in the Amarkantak district of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It lies at a distance of 6 kilometers from the Narmada Kund. The holy waters of the River Narmada plunge from a height of about 100 feet, from the ground level. This cascade gets its name from the famous sage Kapil, who had resided at this place and performed severe religious austerities.

Kapil muni is said to have received the divine light at this very place, according to the ancient scriptures. He had also written ‘Sankhya Philosophy’ an advance treatise on mathematics in the Kapil ashram. Kapildhara is set amidst majestic mountains, dense forests and low lying hills.

The mountains surrounding the Kapildhara waterfall have several caves within them, where many saints have meditated and attained salvation, during the ancient times.

The Kapildhara falls are created by the River Narmada, which originates at the Narmada Kund. Two other rivers Kapila and Erandi, join the Narmada River to form the Kapildhara falls. Though the falls can be visited all year round, the best time however remains the months of September to January, the post monsoon period. En route to the falls, one can come across the Achanakumar Tiger Reserve.

The waterfall is prominently set amidst the forests, known as Kapilvan. According to Hindu mythology, sage Kapil had tried to stop the reverse flow of the Narmada River from this point.

Kapildhara is the first waterfall from the Narmada Kund, on the banks of River Narmada. Though the waters jut down with a tremendous force, the depth of the pool underneath is only 20 to 25 feet. It has become difficult to reach the waters, as the steps that led to them have been washed away by the floods.

One needs to beware of the monkeys and langurs that frequent the falls! The people, who visit Kapildhara falls, usually collect the stones from the holy river waters, which are worshipped as shivlings, called Narmadeshwar. The pilgrims also worship the footprints of Lord Kapileshwar Shiva and the sage Kapil, at the Kapil Ashram.

Jabalpur is the nearest airport to Amarkantak, at a distance of 245 kilometers. Amarkantak is the origin of the Rivers Narmada and Son.