Koraput to Cuttack via 132KV Line: A travel down the memory lane

As a young man in eighties, I had to often travel from Koraput to Cuttack by the most preferred and
probably only other mode of transport: - The rickety ubiquitous OSRTC Bus via the Koraput-Laxmipur-
Rayagada-Digapahandi-Berhampur-Bhubaneswar-Cuttack route. It was an arduous journey 515KMs
where one was condemned to sit glued to the seat for about 16 to 17 hours while the bus crawled up n
down the mountainous narrow road. Every time the bus negotiated a curve, the passengers were
pushed in the opposite direction and had to grab at anything at arm’s reach to continue sticking to their
sitting place. It gave just a second of breathing space as the next turn invariably was in opposite
direction and one had to grab at something else to maintain the position. Added to this were
innumerable tosses in vertical direction whenever the bus fell into potholes or rolled over humps. The
degree of toss one was subjected to depended, on where one’s seat was located inside the bus. Farther
from the front, bigger would be the toss. Once in a while someone hitting the roof of bus and shrieking
partly due to panic and more due to fear of cracking the skull or snapping the spine made all passengers
to curse the driver in unison, yet, the driver was so used to these regular doses of uncomplimentary and
unsavory appreciations that he hardly took notice of the barrage of cacophonous voices coming his way
and he remained focused on the ever changing road with unregulated mixed traffic. Taking a sweet
revenge was game for him. If he wished he could take punitive measures at all those voices from the
rearmost of the seats by not slowing down at the next hump. And he was all done. The passenger took
elaborate pains to book the seat sufficiently in advance so as not to fall victim to the last rows of seats.
But, as is the way of the world, one was to often reconcile to fate and brace up to travel in the most
notorious row of the last seats which was called BALCONY seat borne out of Stockholm syndrome.

But, the journey had few points of halt when one could mend one’s state of being and use the space as a
breather to return to as much normalcy as possible. As the bus stopped at a halt point near a hotel,
passengers alighted from the bus. The first thing that greeted them was the putrid smell of burnt rubber
from the tyres of the bus. It was this unmistakable odor that complicated things for few who had
tendency to vomit. But all passengers wished to use this time available. The more experienced
passengers were seen crowding the eateries where the bus stopped to feed themselves of snacks, hot
tea, bananas and buy something more to use till next stop. The women and other “not so experienced”
ones were seen hunched and pouring themselves out by the side of the road and vomiting every morsel
of food they had taken during the lunch. The time of stop just depended on how quickly the driver of the
bus finished his complimentary snacks provided by the hotel owner who was grateful to the bus staff for
patronizing his eatery.

The road was called 132KV line due to various reasons. The term “132KV” signifies a term used in power
transmission voltage. True to its name the road ran parallel to a 132KV cross country transmission line
and was probably constructed to facilitate erecting the transmission line and later on to maintain it. That
is how the road came to be known initially and it struck to public imagination and remained to be used.
People of this part of state are mostly devoid of any imaginative pursuits and their political masters are
also equally clueless about most things of life. Else there would have been some attempt to find a catchy
name to call this lifeline of the road replacing the drab “132KV Line” tag. The major stoppages en-route
was Laxmipur for Snacks, Rayagada for Tea, Digapahandi for Dinner and then the last at Cuttack.
Bhubaneswar in those days was just another stop and was not the nerve centre as it is today. Busses
usually started at 2PM or 3 PM and reached Laxmipur at 4 to 5PM. The winding roads of Kakiriguma to
Laxmipur ghat had induced little fatigue in most of them. What added to misery of the passengers were
not only the jolts, tosses, pushes inside the bus but also the foul smelling diesel smoke mixed with odor
of burnt rubber and dust from the road set turbulent by other vehicles on the road. Enjoying such a
journey was unthinkable and one only wished the journey somehow to end.

Condemned to be in such a situation and knowing well that there will be no respite to the unpleasant
experience; every passenger devised a way to handle it and make it as tolerable as possible. Those were
not the days of “walkman” a wonder companion to have with.

At a personal level I always enjoyed the journey. It was a great experience to sit at the window side seat
and simply soak oneself with the great sight outside. The virgin forests, Blue Mountains, jungle streams
all presented in a ever changing stage before me. As the evening and then night fell engulfing everything
in darkness, you could see the shining moon looming over semi-dark valleys. It was both scary to look at
them and enjoyable since you knew that you are witnessing them though safe confines of your bus. It
just made immense sense to run your imagination wild and think of you being lost in those dark jungles.
The moment you felt your fear overpowering you to make you numb, you simply flipped a switch to
come back to reality, the reality of a foul smelling bus belching smoke, diesel and dust in equal measure.

There were many fables doing rounds in towns of Koraput about busses hitting at SAMBHAR ( A type of
Wild Deer in Jungles of Koraput) , accidents and near miss accidents, sighting of tiger (often imaginary),
of passengers left in middle of ghat roads in dead of night. Two stories were of special interest to many
of us. There was a river bridge at a place called Gumuda between Rayagada and Digapahandi whose
middle span was washed away by flash flood and the first bus to come that way was from Koraput. It
was late evening and there was no light except the headlight of the bus. The driver could see the missing
span in last second and applied the brakes with all his strength to stop the bus but in vain. With god’s
grace, the bus screeched to halt with half of it hanging mid-air. Imagine the commotion that might have
followed. Every second there was possibility of bus toppling over and falling to river bed down below.
The bus was in a precarious balance. The legendary driver of the day saved the situation by asking
passengers not to panic and move out of the bus starting from front row to improve the balance. No
passengers were hurt in that accidents and the event became a gripping tale of sheer luck, presence of
mind on part of driver.

The other story was that of a bus hitting at a big sambar(Wild Deer) passing the road. It might have died
or in a critical condition. After a lot of discussion wise passengers decided to make best use of the
situation. The body of the sambar was lifted to top of the bus. Next day upon arrival at destination, the
sambar landed on dinner table of many people in the town. Then there is also story of a passenger who
got down somewhere on the ghat road in dead of night to relieve bladder which was a regular thing for
these long distance travels. Usually the helper of the bus kept a mental note of how many passengers
have alighted and before resuming the journey to make a head count and throw a question at no one in
particular to check if everybody has returned. On that day, other passengers finished their act quickly
and got into the bus. But, before this poor ill fated man could complete his act, the bus started moving.
The fellow might have panicked and might have yelled or ran after the bus, but it didn’t stop. There are
many versions of how the story ended but just imagining the plight of the man madly running after the
bus clutching at his pants one could laugh ones belly out.

By now, our bus has reached most important stop on its way. Digapahandi is just before next major stop
of Berhampur. Digapahandi has few hotels to serve dinner to passengers. The stop here is for about 40
minutes as the second driver of the bus takes over the charge. Taking advantage of the longer period of
halt, many other varieties of shops also aim to do brisk business. One would find many shops selling
audio cassettes and they specialized in making on the spot 60Minutes cassette of your choice. Each shop
would have a speaker at entrance of the shop blaring golden oldies of bollywood and I wa always
attracted to these shops. Somehow I had a liking to the ambience. To this day I remember specific songs
and I am tempted to list a few for you to hum and enjoy.

1. Tere ghar ke samne ek ghar banaunga

As a habit I avoid taking foods in hotels where I have little confidence about hygiene and while other
passengers had their dinner, I strolled around the place listening to this soothing music playing from
their systems. In hind sight I now think, there must be a connoisseur of good music amongst those little
music shops. How else did they make such an indelible impact on my memory that I find it inseparable
from my recollections of the travels? The songs made a surreal impact on travelers like me and I picked
up tunes from the place and hummed to myself all through rest of the journey.

Travelling in any form instills a sense of tranquility in our mind. You know that however important a task
might be, however pleasant or unpleasant situation you may be looking forward to after arriving at your
destination, you can do nothing about those pressing matters while you are travelling. So that
incapability to do anything created a moment of bliss in you. Your Mind becoming free of worries (After
all what worries would trouble a young man?) allowed you to do a lot of introspection. And you let your
mind loose, let it wander; let it bloom in all infinite possibilities, in all infinite colors one can imagine.
You could make an interstellar travel, see the event horizon from close quarters, and sweep back to
earth, next moment you could fly over rain forests of Amazonia la superman style or simply doze off
constantly falling over your co-passenger’s shoulder. The dinner at Digapahandi made everyone sleepy
and if you consciously didn’t take a decision to remain awake and peer through your window at the
dark/semi-lit countryside passing by you you tended to sleep. Hereafter the journey was less eventful till
the crack of dawn. You now found yourself on the great coastal plains of Odisha and the state capital;
was merely few kilometers away. In those days Bhubaneswar was not so much significant in people’s
life as it is today. The bus would enter Bhubaneswar make a brief halt at the now non-existent old bus
stand and proceed to the final destination at Cuttack. The bus would cross ling bridges over famed
rivers of Odisha starting with Kuakhai immediately after Bhubaneswar to Kathajodi just before Cutttack.
The passengers would then thank god for a safe n sound passage of 500+ KMs from a place at 3000 feet
above MSL winding down through dense forest to a place at sea level, from a sedentary life to a fast
paced ever active society, from simple straight forward people to a society where people were street
smart, ever ready to outsmart you, from a life of year round cool ambience to that of a hot n humid
suffocative climate. The first reaction after alighting from the bus would be the humid weather that
made you sweat profusely and mentally one would start missing Koraput, My Koraput, Dear Koraput.

Pradipta Das : Oh so nicely narrated...share rest of journey too. Very interesting... please continue..nice
to know your favourite songs.too.

Saroj Praharaj : A fine writer. Eagerly waiting for the rest of the story. Do you write poem also ? You are
description of the journey is lively. Everything said in it I have personally experienced.Don't conclude in
few parts. We need a long. ... drive story.

Munfif Banarjee : Splendid masterpiece. Awaiting the continuation. Is it? I thought I summed up my
liking for your writing, with just one emoji...with lots of love for you...inspite of being busy at that
moment, I read, liked and acknowledged the same, of course if it all has any value to you...? These
stories drag us to our 'wild' past that only those who experienced, can feel the pulsating scintillations...
Thankyou Sunil. Truly it (Koraput) is my Koraput..our lovely abode. I get dissolved into the flow, that
your descriptions, provide... It shall be another thriller, then...Truly, you had taken me for a fascinating
ride down the memory lanes that I had left behind, three decades back.

Amita Kutty : Sunil... your beautiful vivid writing skills took me down memory lane.. I was literally
experiencing being tossed around inside the bus with the drivers sharp turns and take offs on humps
and potholes. Was the journey just 2 hours??? Wondering how you saw the beautiful moon admist the
valleys at 5pm..Sunil please blog these writings for public to access them

G.Praharaju : Excellent write up, the language of narration made to feel like , (self) performing bus
journey. To be frank.. so far I was under impression that 132 KV line refers to the railway line which
runs in front of our Landiguda college.

Shakti Shankar Pati : Sunil, Fantastic write up.The accident you narrated was in way back in1982 at
Gumda bridge ,a miraculous escape. You can go for regular columnist in newspaper

Laxmi Narayan Ratha Kuna: What a lively narration Sunil...I like your writing skills and style of
narration. I am also one of the privileged people who experienced such journey

Manoj Pradhan : Sunil, really what a narration... Maximum of us had travelled on that path & feelings
are same as per your description.. Lots of emotions... Please describe the whole journey... Super,
supreme.. Sunil
Kranti Singh: Let your wish b true.... 🙏🙏😍😍😍 O went through your article... it's indeed.....very nicely
organised....with the feelings.

Debasish Bhattacharjee Beautifully written piece...I was surprised that I could not stop reading such an
elaborate narration so early in the morning! It was unputdownable and filled with the expectations of
reading the unexpected. I would request you to convert this to an audio story as well...if possible with
some background ambient sound. People will love to listen to it as much as they have loved reading it.
Keep going and all the best 

Jenson Khosla Excellent and thrilling travellogue, loaded with real life humour. Thoroughly enjoyed reading a
thrilling experience. Brings back memories of hearing the news of the valiant driver of the OSRTC Bhanjanagar-
Sunabeda Bus who with his presence of mind saved all the passengers from which could have been a total
devastation. Thanks Sunil Bhai for taking us through a beautiful experience

Kedar Mohapatra A good chunk of sunabedians and koraputians have used that mode of transport , very
nostalgic.

Alex Tanner This is a very entertaining piece of writing. The discomfort and romance of a long bus journey late at
night. I have done some too. I remember a bus trip from Panama City to Costa Rica. We sat on the back seat. It was
crowded and so hot my bare arm was sticking to the arm of the woman next to me. Last year we took a bus from
Port Hedland in Western Australia to Broome overnight. Most passengers were aborigines or backpackers. It was so
comfortable and air-conditioned.

Bhogi Gondalia Wow, Sunil Biswal fantastic and great milestone to milestone account..I could never remember
in this details, my similar but tiny journey from jkroad to daitari iron ore project - then project from 1965 to 1969
before Daitari- Paradip Express way was built ..we use to have just 100 km or so real tough mini bus ride or small
covered truck or if lucky then jeep thru Orissa Mining corp.your story practically took me to koraput via 132KV
( we had only 33kv :-)

Uma Patra Fantabulously fantastic expression from the core of the 💓. Thank you dear Sunil Babu for giving an
opportunity to read your mind n pen.

Abhijit Maitra Your expression is beautiful. I travel a lot on this rout frequently in 80 and 90.i love kora put roy
gara simligura jeypore makan giri Umerkot.that is dream to me always

Mrutyunjay Sarangi Sunil babu, such a nice, nostalgic piece. Will you permit me to publish it in LiteraryVibes?
If yes, please send the write up and the pictures in my email address mrutyunjays@gmail.com (You already have it.)
Please attach a photograph of yours with a short biodata. You can start a regular column of your various
experiences, including the pieces you have written on the important places around you, the ones you have visited
and many other interesting episodes of life. Your English is impeccable, sweet and captivating. Congratulations.
Mrutyunjay Sarangi

Mrutyunjay Sarangi Thank you Sunil Babu. Looking forward to your articles in LV. You write really well. You
have a flair for creative, entertaining writing. Don't let it go waste.

Sangram Mudali Awesome writing! Unstoppable till the last line. Reminds one of NOIDA :suppoaed to be a
Development Authority but turned to a town.

Manoj Kumar Panda Recharging child hood Journey one most memorable summer Before raja sankranty Taking
jackfruit

Susantkumar Dash I was in koraput district for 35 year. You just narrated all the things which all I felt those
days. In my school days, we used to come to our village in summer vacation from there. You have enlightened that
memory once again. We have left koraput district 12 years ago, but my 💜❤ is still at there. All I have there is some
wonderful memories of my childhood, my school &college days and above all some very good friends

Suresh Kumar Beautifully written... Though I was never a part of such journeys...but you made me live the
journey...
Good one with right doses of humour, the true plight of passengers, the excitement hidden beneath makes with
article worthy reading and more so treasuring it.
It is quite surprising and very sweet to know about your writing skills as I have known till now you as an
engineer..😉
Keep writing and bring back the life in to the memories

Minati Mallick Awesome description of sweet memories and intense feelings. Missed the chance to dive deep in
to wild imagination of lost in dark dense jungle from the window seat. Tendency of travel sickness came in the way
though opportunity was there. Anyway I visualise now through your writings, the beautiful Koraput. Thank you dear

Susantkumar Dash I was in koraput district for 35 year. You just narrated all the things which all I felt those
days. In my school days, we used to come to our village in summer vacation from there. You have enlightened that
memory once again. We have left koraput district 12 years ago, but my 💜❤ is still at there. All I have there is some
wonderful memories of my childhood, my school &college days and above all some very good friends.

Anup Kumar Mohanty Nice elaborate description of sufferings of the passengers during those days. The
memories got refreshed when I recently travelled through this so calles KV line due to the ban on inter state
movement of traffic due to lockdown. It was almost a journey on this road after 25 years and the road condition has
changed a lot. It's really a plesure now to travel through this road as it haa become wider and no more pot holes. The
buses can run via this route without paying hefty inter state charges to Andhra Pradesh and toll taxes . The KV line
may take slightly more time for buses as there are many ghat roads on the way. Anyway it's good that now we have
an alternative to reach the coastal area from the Koraput region.

Re: Koraput to Cuttack via 132KV Line Mrutyunjay Sarangi  Tue 6/2/2020 12:44 PM
To:  Sunil Biswal <sunilbiswal@hotmail.com>
Thank you Sunil Babu,
A really interesting reading.
Please write regularly, you have a flair for entertaining writing. 
You should send one article every week. Your FB page shows so many interesting writings! And on so
many topics. Please develop them and send them. Write some more also on new topics. Starting with this
week, let's see a piece from you on the pages of LV every week.
Please make creative writing a hobby. You will find it fascinating. It will also provide entertainment to so
many readers.
Thank you for your kind words about my writing. For the last two years I am doing only that, but I still
have a long way to go. For the last few weeks I am unable to post stories in FB, it doesn't get uploaded. I
get a comment Oops, something happened, unable to post your story. I don't know why. Please
visit http://www.positivevibes.today/article/newsview/304 and http://www.positivevibes.today/article/news
view/305 for two of my latest stories Red Dreams and Monalisa, O, O, Monalisa. I am sure you will like
them. 
Warm regards, MS