MB#68: 𝘼𝙡𝙡-𝘽𝙤𝙮𝙨 𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙥 𝙩𝙤 𝙈𝙮𝙨𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝘿𝙪𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙝𝙧𝙖.

[MemoirBlogthon #68] In 1968, my father took my younger brother and me on an unforgettable "all-boys" Dussehra trip. The journey climaxed with the spectacular Jamboo Savari procession in Mysore, but the true test of our bond came later, during a terrifying moment of being stranded on a deserted, darkened platform at Madras Railway Station.

MB#68: The Royal Procession at Mysore In All-Boys Trip

The Mysore Dussehra, The Empty Platform, and the All-Boys Trip

Dussehra in a middle-class Hindu home meant intricate pooja programs, so in October 1968, my mother and sister stayed home. This left my father, Sri Susarla Subrahmanya Sastry, to plan an "all-boys" trip to Mysore for my younger brother and me.

The journey was an adventure itself: an overnight train from Vijayawada to Madras, followed by the majestic Brindavan Express to Bangalore. We stayed at the famous Woodlands Hotel, known for its lawns and vegetarian cuisine. My engineer father’s first order of business was to buy a tennis-court rubber ring at the hotel store, ensuring we could play on the expansive lawns, turning the hotel into our personal playground.

For three days, we saw the sights of Bangalore—the Vidhana Soudha, the natural beauty of Lalbagh, and, true to his profession, the **Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum.

The main event began on the fourth day, Vijayadashami, the final and most important day of the Dussehra festival. We drove to Mysore and were hosted by my father's friend, Sri Raghavan, a Divisional Engineer in Telephones. Given their positions, our entry to the main road opposite the Mysore Palace was hassle-free—a miracle, as lakhs of people thronged the area.

We found our designated spot on the footpath. Sri Raghavan laid down two bedsheets, and we settled in for a five-hour vigil to witness the spectacular Jamboo Savari procession. The Mysore Palace was extensively illuminated, and the parade of decorated elephants and royal regalia—a tradition continued by the Wadiyar family—was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the victory of righteousness over evil.

We returned late that night, tired but filled with the images of the regal spectacle. The entire trip felt like a culmination of my father's careful planning and generosity.

The Deserted Platform

The next day, after a sumptuous Karnatak-style breakfast, we began our return journey. The train from Bangalore brought us back to Madras Railway Station around 9 PM. We had two hours until our connecting train to Vijayawada.

My father asked my brother and me to sit on a bench on the last platform, guarding the luggage, while he went to check our sleeper tickets and grab dinner. The platform was busy then, full of lights and travelers.

But after half an hour, the scene changed drastically. The newly arrived train was pulled back to the yard, some platform lights were switched off, and the vast, long platform suddenly emptied. There was no one visible except my brother, the luggage, and me. We felt completely alone, stranded in a desert of concrete and darkness. My brother began to cry, and a genuine fear set in.

I remembered my mother’s instruction for such situations: recite slokas praying to God. I did so immediately.

Miraculously, moments later, my father was seen walking toward us, food packets in hand. Upon seeing him, the panic instantly vanished. We felt we had survived a major, untoward incident. He was visibly concerned when I described the horror of being alone in that dark, deserted space. He realized he should have taken us to the crowded ticket counters instead of leaving us at a secluded spot.

That Mysore trip was a perfect contrast: the ultimate high of a royal procession and the absolute low of deep, primal fear. It taught me that even the most meticulous planners—like my father—can make errors, but his return reaffirmed his role as our constant, unwavering anchor.

MB#68: Quiz

MB#68: Question: The author's engineer father bought what sports equipment upon arriving at the Woodlands Hotel in Bangalore to let the kids play?

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• A. A cricket bat and ball.
• B. A badminton shuttlecock set.
• C. A tennis-court rubber ring.
• D. The object in question is a skipping rope.

MB#68: Quote

"A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society." – Billy Graham