the first world war adventures of nariman karkaria

I was feeling hungry once again as I had not had anything except for cups of tea since we left Manchuria. There was even a tunnel to cross over from one platform to another. There were all kinds of facilities underground, including the ticket office, telegraph office, waiting rooms and a refreshment room. What looked like a small place from the outside turned out to be quite an impressive railway station once you entered it. People were running hither-thither with their bundles and bags. As one descended the fifty-odd steps, it was like entering a fish market. This was the portal to enter the station that had been built underground.

I went towards the little building, trying to figure out what it was. Wow! But there was nothing I could see except a small structure in a dilapidated condition.īut what is this? I could hear voices floating in from all directions though I could not see anyone. Finally at 6.35, I could spot Irkutsk station as we edged towards it. I kept looking at my watch often, waiting for six o’clock in the evening when we were scheduled to reach Irkutsk, the capital of Siberia.

I was rather excited about visiting Siberia it is not something one does every day. We are going to board the train to Siberia, which leaves at nine in the morning. An excerpt from ‘The First World War Adventures of Nariman Karkaria: A Memoir’, translated from the Gujarati by Murali Ranganathan.įrom Manchuria station, a separate line goes towards Mongolia and Inner Manchuria, but we have nothing to do with it.

The first world war adventures of nariman karkaria