Chapter-19
Ara and Railway
Ara—The town (earlier spelt as Arrah) is flanked by Ganga river on the north and Sone river on the east. Gangi , a short tributary of Ganga passes through the outskirts of the town. Ara is the Administrative headquarters of Bhojpur district named after Raja Bhoj whose Navratangarh Fort lies in ruins at the village of ‘New Bhojpur’ of Buxar district , 3 kms north of Dumaraon railway station. Both the rivers viz Ganga and Sone are perennial source of surface water to Bhojpur district .Its low-lying rich alluvial plains owe their fertility to these rivers and the network of canals nurtured by one of them. Koelwar station on the west bank of Sone river ( famous for its quality building sand ) is 13 kms from Ara. When a Down train stops here the locomotive stands on the bridge while the rear coaches occupy the platform presenting a spectacular sight. The rail-cum-road bridge (with rail on the upper deck) built in the thick of war of Independence around 1857 has stood the test of time . Ara Chhapra road bridge on river Ganga is reported to be the longest (1920m) multi-span extradosed bridge in the world. The approach road to this bridge takes off from the Patna-Ara-Buxar National Highway near the village Sakaddi, about 10 kms east of Ara.
The voyage to Mauritius- About half a million impoverished persons mostly from the Bhojpur speaking regions of Bihar (erstwhile Shahabad, Saran & Champaran districts) and Eastern Uttar Pradesh sailed from Calcutta port to the Immigration Depot (‘Apravasi ghat’) of Port Louis on the Indian ocean island of Mauritius ,between 1834 and 1920, to work as indentured labours in the Caribbean islands of Mauritius, Trinidad, Tobago, Guyana, Surinam and Fizi. Even after the indentured period was over majority of them would not return. They opted to stay back. A significant portion further migrated from the Dutch colony of Surinam to Netherland. The Indian government built a memorial at Kolkata in 2011 as a tribute to the pioneering spirit, endurance, determination and resilience of the hapless labours. On the destination side , whatever remains of the ‘Apravasi ghat’ was declared as UNESCO World heritage site in 2006 and is now carefully preserved. The descendants of these migrant labours have made significant contribution to their adopted countries. The blessed ones holding important positions in their new abode have been visiting their ancestral villages in Bihar in search of their roots.
The landmarks of Ara-I spent my childhood at Ara where my father was an advocate practising in the Civil Court. The school education was received at local Bhuneshwar middle school and H.P.D. jain school. For I.Sc I joined H.D.Jain college . Then came the moment for me to be away from my home for pursuing B.Sc (Engineering) course at Muzaffarpur Institute of Technology.
Some of the iconic structures which have left indelible print in my mind included my schools & college, the kutchery post office, the civil court, canal lock, Railway station.. Ramna maidan is an extensive urban playground & park where we watched football matches, Independence day & Republic day celebrations. Aranya Devi is widely considered as the Presiding Deity of Ara. The area around it is the hub of trade and commerce. Sidhanath Mahadev temple is an old place of worship and celebrations , attracting huge crowd on ‘MahaShivratri’. Situated by the side of Gangi tributary it is sometime subjected to distress by the floods in case of high rise in Ganga water level. To relive the past I once stepped in the courtyard of Sidhnath Mahadev temple after a long gap. It was a nostalgic visit to a sacred place where I had set my feet in the affectionate company of my Parents and siblings on MahaShivratri for a number of years. I also recalled that the Parents had performed traditional rituals in its premises in 1983 after completion of ‘Chardham Yatra” (pilgrimage to the four holy sites).
In earlier years we lived at Mansa Pandey Bagh locality near the old police line chowk in an humble house on Chausa-Koelwar road . The activities of the police personnel specially the hourly ringing of the bronze disc struck with a wooden mallet followed by sound of bugle, the fun and frolic of Holi and singing of folk songs in the premises of the adjacent temple held great charm for us. Our new home ”Nandan Kunj” a few blocks away came into being in 1964. By this time the police line had shifted to a new place and its assets wore a deserted look. The railway station, situated 2 kms from our house, was compelling destination for us. To feel the sight and sound of the trains, we periodically covered 5 UP (Amritsar Mail) and 11 UP (Howrah-Delhi express) in our morning walk while the evening walk was designed to cover 40 DN (Janta express) ,12 DN (Delhi-Howrah express) and 14 DN (Sealdah express)..
Ara canal lock—Ara canal originates from Dehri-on-Sone. Earlier there was an anicut on Sone river at Dehri-on-Sone which was subsequently abandoned after construction of Sone barrage at Indrapuri, 8 kms upstream of it. Father said that there was a ferry service between Ara and Dehri-on-Sone on the Ara canal. For this purpose, lock gates were provided across the canal. The water spilling over these gates presented an attractive sight during monsoon.
There existed a canal siding from Ara station to the canal ferry ghat on which the rake of Patna- Ara shuttle was stabled during night hours. The same was done away with after remodelling of the yard.
Ganga river ghats in Bhojpur district--The historic Sinha ghat is 15 kms from Ara town. For a number of years we had visited Sinha ghat in the company of close relations, in a bullock-cart during ‘Mesha Sankranti’ or ‘Hindu Solar new Year’( 13th or 14th April) when the Sun transits the zodiac sign of Aries from Pisces . After some 30 years , in the company of near ones I undertook a car journey to Sinha ghat . Ganga river has receded northward but the road has not been extended to catch up with it . As a result we had to leave the car and trudge through diara land for a couple of kms to reach the river bank. Upstream of Sinha ghat is the famous Mahulighat where a pontoon bridge has been provided to connect Sitabdiara, the birth place of Loknayak Sri Jai Prakash Narayan. Construction of jetties at these two important ghats for benefit of local farmers and traders has been mooted . Potential for developing the 5.5 kms stretch between these two ghats along Ganga is simultaneously being explored so as to make it a tourist and religious destination for people visiting Bhojpur district. The Ministry of surface transport is also seized with the idea of construction of a high level concrete road bridge over Ganga at Mahulighat to connect Ara and Ballia.
Ara Landing ground—Situated about a km away from my home it is a modest airstrip. A small goomty and a wind cone at one end of it and some signs made of paved concrete on the ground remained for a long time. Till such time it becomes functional it is freely used for playing games, jogging and relaxing in the greenery on its periphery.
Concrete boundary wall has been recently provided on its four sides raising hope that in near future Ara may witness Short Take-Off & Landing (STOL) air services. In our childhood days the adjacent mango orchard held extra attraction for its offering of mango ‘tikola’ ( unripe-early stage mango) during summer
During my visit to Ara in 2007 it was disappointment to see some iconic structures in a decrepit condition. The Bhuneshwar Middle school, where I had studied in the late forties, was in ruins. Mohan cinema which was known for its ‘Mohini parde’ (enchanting screen) was demolished and replaced by a new structure after years of gap. But Rupam cinema remembered for its ‘Rupahale parde’ (Silvery screen) was razed never to rise again as cinema. The Ara Kutchery post office , with its characteristic wall-embedded brass-lined letter box , had deteriorated for want of care and abandoned in a dilapidated state.
Religious discourse- From time to time enlightened priests from ‘HardeoJi ka mandir’, Vrindaban visited Ara and stayed at the house of a renowned advocate of our locality (Mansa Pandey Bagh) for religious sermons ,which was attended to in good number by the local dignitaries. Committed to our studies we were short of time for such pastime . However our lust for the offerings of fruits & home made sweets served at the end of the discourse prompted us to report at the venue at appropriate time. These are now a matter of history.
The Collectorate pond- Built by the British for boating and merry-making today it has an Anglican church, a temple and a mosque on its three sides and barracks of Mounted Military Police on the fourth. Its ghat is now a popular spot for celebrating Chhath festival . On this occasion the youngsters pleasured in kite-flying in the adjacent Ramna maidan. With the passage of time the number of devotees performing Chhath at this pond has been steadily increasing but corresponding development of utilities, amenities and facilities for the devotees and merry-makers is lacking. Recently there is some thinking to restore its past glory.
Ara Civil court-- Father practised here virtually for 60 years from 1924 to 1984 during which he had gained recognition of his knowledge of surveying & mapping as well as Rulings on land dispute cases. In his centenary birthday year (1997) he was felicitated in the Bar of the court in gracious presence of a Judge of Patna High court. Father’s portrait is displayed in the Bar in his honour.
The K.G.road—The road named so starts somewhere near the Anglican church and after passing through the government girls high school ends near Ara club. Very few know that K.G. stands for King George V who, while travelling from Kolkata to Delhi in 1911 to attend Coronation Durbar, had stopped at Ara for a day to offer prayer at the church (formally known as the Church of George V) built for him, south of the Collectorate pond.
Ara House-- It is the place where Veer Kunwar Singh kept hostage British officers for 7 days during 1857. During our childhood days we often visited this neglected house looking for the tunnel through which the great warrior communicated between Ara and Jagdishpur during the National movement. By a sheer coincidence the then Chief Justice of Patna High Court Sri L. Narshimha Reddy visited Ara house in 2015. He evinced keen interest in the monument and asked the state government to revamp the site, explore the possibility of reopening the tunnel and develop it in a museum so that it could attract tourists. The new generation is ignorant of the history of this building and the great freedom fighter to whom it is dedicated. Ara House now forms a part of Maharaja college.
Ara Railway station- It is situated at a distance of 593 kms from Howrah and 50 Kms west of Patna Jn on the Main Line section of the East Central railway. A Reduced Level (R.L.) of 192.998 m above the Mean Sea Level appears on its name boards. Conventionally the railway has been maintaining benchmark at a station in the form of a ‘chiselled arrow below a horizontal line’ at the centre line of the station building. The Reduced Level of this benchmark is reflected on the station name boards. In our school days there were two broad gauge platforms and one narrow gauge platform for Ara -Sasaram Light Railway. On its closure in 1978 the third broad gauge platform appeared in its place.
Recently another platform (no-4) has been added on the south side with a station building and circulating area.
Ara-Sasaram Light Railway --Since 1918 there was a Narrow gauge (2 feet 6 inches) railway line connecting Ara with Sasaram owned & managed by the Martin Burn & Co. The narrow gauge track accommodated on the berm of the District board road passed through the rice bowl country irrigated by a network of canals & their distributaries. Tank locomotives made by Hunslet Engine & Co, Leeds (England) and Avonside locomotive works, Bristol (England) hauled the trains at a slow speed of 20-30 Kmph.
The Light Rly was not only a great service to the people of Bhojpur & Rohtas districts, but it also exemplified their lifestyle. There was a popular Bhojpuri song describing the train journey from Ara to Sasaram. The cultural groups of the villages situated on this line used to sing it amidst play of country musical instruments. But these vibes are all relegated to the past. Sadly, for the ‘Bhojpuris’, the ASLR was closed in 1978 because of continuing loss. The track, signalling gears and the rolling stock were sold by the Company. The staff were absorbed in the E. Rly system. but nothing was done by the E. Rly to acquire some of the assets (loco/coaches/wagons/semaphore signal arms) as items of heritage. The surviving overhead tanks and the station name boards are under the process of extinction Interestingly the substructure of a few canal bridges have been spared from demolition. Some of the abandoned station buildings were taken over by the State Govt. for setting up civil offices and police stations. Others were acquired by the local people. The N.G. station complex at the two termini (Ara & Sasaram) were razed to make room for new platforms and the yard lines. Ara and Sasaram ceased to be junction station and restoration of the line to a wider gauge was forgotten.
After years of representation & struggle by the suffering mass, construction of a B.G. line between Ara & Sasaram appeared in the pink-book of 1997 with the remark “subject to approval by the Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs”. It was, However, a great relief that it was approved with the efforts of the Rly Minister. It was intriguing to find that there was to be no crossing station 40 kms stretch between Ara and Piro. I prevailed upon my ex colleague who was then CE (Con) of this project to make out a case for Garhani being designed as a crossing station. He obliged me by processing it as Material Modification. I was happy to learn that the Railway Board approved the proposal. The construction work started in the coming years. Sections were completed & opened in phases between 2006 and 2009. The entire 98 kms stretch between Ara & Sasaram was completed in 2009 and opened for traffic after depriving the people of Bhojpur and Rohtas districts of an existing facility for over 30 years.
First phase between Bikramganj and Sasaram -It was opened on 10th of December 2006 in an extravagant function organized at Bikramganj station.
On the eve of opening the then GM/E.C.Rly Sri S.K.Vij ,who came to know of my past association with this area, approached me to make available some materials for the brochure to be brought out for the inaugural ceremony. I had some memory of the narrow gauge trains on which I had travelled from Ara to Garhani, Piro, Hasanbazar, Bikramganj and Dehri-on-Sone a number of times. Father had preserved some photographs of the ‘Chhoti line’ trains. I had collection of the snaps of the abandoned station buildings and name boards taken in the recent past .It was my pleasure to share these materials with him. The E.C.Rly had kindly accommodated all the photographs in the brochure. The inaugural train had an open wagon attached to it on which folk artistes appeared regaling the curious on-lookers with their artistry.
The second phase between Piro and Sasaram- It was dedicated to the people on 22nd November 2008 in a lavish function held at Piro station attended to by a large number of village folks.
The Honourable Minister of Railways, who signalled the inaugural run, announced
that rake unloading facility would be developed at Piro station.
The complete work between Ara and Sasaram- It was commissioned on 27th February 2009 in a function held at Rajendra Nagar station. Movement of the inaugural goods train from Ara station was signalled by remote control.
However, for inexplicable reason there was further delay in opening the entire section for
passenger traffic. The first passenger train from Ara to Sasaram ran only on 31.10.2009.
It took over 3 decades to fulfil the aspirations of the people of Bhojpur belt . During this
Period, nurturing their dreams to hear the whistle of a passing train through their village,
an entire generation of the children grew up to attain maturity.
The new alignment from Ara runs on the right side of the state highway, crosses it near the
old Kasap station and then runs on the left side of the state highway. It enters Sasaram
station from east side as against the entry of the old narrow gauge line from the west side.
Kasap, an station on the ASLR was omitted. Dhanauti has come with a new name of Nagri.
The interstation distances are erratic, some as small as 1 km, while the distance between
successive station of Udwannagar & Garhani is as long as 13 Kms.
Development of Ara station- Since my childhood days I have been witnessing and enjoying the conventional way of informing the waiting passengers of the train on line. A piece of rail with a notch at one end hangs near the ASM office. When the ASM grants permission to approach for a train the porter comes out to produce a ringing sound by to and fro motion of a steel rod in the notch. He ends up by striking the rail piece from outside once meaning an up train (arriving from Patna side) or twice meaning a down train (arriving from Buxar side). The station was robbed of its glory after closure of the Ara-Sasaram narrow gauge line in 1978, to be regained after 3 decades. A perceptible development at this station in the recent years was construction of a new two storied block to house the second class waiting hall-cum-booking office and improvement of the circulating area, on the north side. While in service I had planned for some traffic facility works and passenger amenity works for Ara station, but I could not get them through. Years after retirement, a relation of mine from Ara approached me and requested for some materials for development of Ara station. I was happy to share the available materials with him although not very optimistic about the outcome. But I was wrong. In a couple of years, works like a new 6 m wide foot overbridge, a coaching complex, a new platform, a new two storied station building with approach from the south side appeared in the rail budget. It was a blessing to the rail users of Ara. Sri Ramesh Kumar Jha s/o my colleague late Shyam Nandan Jha, as DRM/Danapur and attended functions in connection with foundation laying/opening ceremonies. One day he asked me, “Uncle, I am surprised who feeds the local MP with ideas of new railway works at Ara?” For creating new facilities, substantial area of railway land was called for, but this was not perceptible. I remembered that consequent upon closure of Ara-Sasaram light Railway, a large area of land belonging to it was acquired by the E. Rly. This was now needed to implement the sanctioned scheme. Accordingly, I requested the DRM/Danapur and the PCE/ECR for proper demarcation of the acquired land & its protection with R.C.C boundary wall as a prelude to starting the main works. It was a satisfaction for me that my suggestion received due attention.
Ara- Bhabua road-Mundeshwari dham new railway line (122 kms)
The project envisages construction of a broad gauge line from Ara to Bhabua road ( on the Grand Chord) and onward a spur to the Mundeshvari dham. Located on the Mundeshvari hill of Kaimur plateau. Mundeshwari Bhavani temple is an ancient temple dedicated to the worship of Devi Durga. It is an Archeological Society of India protected monument since 1915. The inscriptions made on this temple is of the middle 389 A.D testifying its ancestry. The stone carvings are of Gupta period (335 C.E. -455 C.E.). The project was included in the rail budget of 2008-09 but could not take off as yet for want of funds. A 425 m ropeway has been planned at Mundeshvari hill by the government of Bihar to facilitate the passage to the famous temple atop the hill, which is presently reached by climbing around 950 steps
Ara-Suremanpur-Ballia new railway line (65 kms) --Survey for construction of this new line was included in the budget of 2021-22. Bakulha is a station on Chhapra-Ballia section , opposite to Ara Jn. Reportedly two alignments have been surveyed:-
Ara Jn-Ganga bridge at Mahulighat-Suremanpur/Bakulha-Ballia.
Ara Jn-Ganga bridge at Nainijore (BXR district)-Ballia
The rail line, if materializes will be a boon to the people of Bhojpur, Saran & Ballia districts who have great linguistic, social and cultural identity.
Sasaram and Ara bypass lines- For seamless movement of freight trains between
Dhanbad coalfield and Chausa thermal plant ( near Buxar) via Ara- Sasaram line
without engine reversal at Sasaram and Ara , the following rail connectivity were
sanctioned (A) Sasaram bypass line between Karwandia (on G.C) and Sasaram Link-cabin
on Ara-Sasaram line (B) Ara bypass line between Jagjiwan halt (on Main Line) and Ara link-
cabin on Ara-Sasaram line.