Skywatch Friday- A short visit to Dehradun

I recently went on a very short trip to Dehradun. Dehradun is the capital of the state of Uttrakhand. I took a Shatabdi train which takes about six hours to cover a distance of about 317 kms in about six hours. I reached Dehradun at about One in the afternoon and did the work that I had gone there for which finished in the evening and my train back was still a few hours away. I had booked my return journey by Mussoorie Express which takes about double the time compared to the Shatabdi but then you can sleep for the night and reach Delhi in the morning. So I decided to walk in the city to while away the time.

The iconic Ghantaghar or clock tower of Dehradun

I headed towards Ghantaghar (clock tower) which is an iconic structure of Dehradun made during British days. In fact one can see lot of the clock towers in several towns across India. They are normally in the centre of a town.

Paltan Bazaar, Dehradun

Next to the Ghantaghar is the Paltan Bazaar. On any given day it is very crowded and though the whole market is a pedestrian zone still walking in the market gives you a feeling of going to a crowded fair! While going towards this place on the Gandhi Road I observed several restaurants specifically serving non-vegetarian food near the mosque area. It was still some time for dinner time so I did mark one of them – Ali’s - to return later to try out the food there. But that I would write in a separate post.

Sunset in Dehradun

While walking around dusk time the sky and the clouds turned fabulous.

Every cloud has a silver lining - Dehradun

The sky gave a red tinge and as the phrase goes – every cloud has a silver lining – I did get to see the clouds with silver lining! 

Dehradun Railway Station

The Dehradun Railway Station building also is quite old (opened in 1899) and in front of it I could see several Ambassador cars which have almost disappeared from the metros but still ply in smaller towns. 

This post is part of Skywatch Friday.

Would you like to have a separate waiting room to yourself?

Would you like to have your own personal and private waiting room at a railway station instead of the overly crowded ones that all of us have experienced when we travel?

The Royal Waiting Room, Hua Hin Railway Station, Thailand

Well yes you can have one provided you are the King. I was staying in the Amari Hua Hin Hotel and went to see the Hua Hin Railway Station which is just 10 minutes drive from this hotel.

The frontal view of the Royal Waiting Room

I saw the Royal Waiting Room at the Hua Hin Railway Station constructed in the beautiful Thai style meant only for the King of Thailand. The front side of this structure has a huge portrait of the king.

The Hua Hin Railway Station, Thailand

Hua Hin is the regal laid back beach town about 195 kms south of Bangkok. It takes about three hours to reach Hua Hin from Bangkok. It is also the summer residence of the King of Thailand and during my stay at Hau Hin I noted that he was also residing there and one could see naval ships on guard on the Gulf of Thailand.

The beautiful ticketing counter at the Hua Hin Railway Station

The station itself, besides the Royal Waiting Room, is also built in the Thai style. Built in the reign of King Rama VI in gingerbread style, the station is one of Thailand's oldest railway stations. The station building along with the Royal Waiting Room is entirely made of wood and has vibrant colours and even the lamp shades are beautiful.

An Old engine on display at the Hua Hin Railway Station

Though it is a very small railway station but it has been well kept and is worth seeing with manicured gardens and an old railway engine on the other side of the platform whereas old classic bogies have been kept in the front. The ticketing counter is also well maintained. 

A woman vendor selling dumplings at the Hua Hin Railway Station

I also saw this woman vendor selling her dumplings to the customers when a passenger train arrived. Unlike unkempt vendors seen on Indian stations this woman was smartly dressed and overall presented a neat and hygienic look.

Also read: Phraya Nakhon Cave in the Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park in Thailand