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Indian train names have an interesting history. Mostly, trains get their names from the source and destination station or area. Sometimes they are named after an event or character. We all know that. However, to my surprise, there are many Indian train names derived from Indian literature. Poetry and authors. Come with me to learn about some of them:
The names of Indian trains are inspired by literature
1. Kamyani Express – Mumbai to Ballia in Bihar
It is named after Kamyani, written by Jaishankar Prasad from Varanasi in 1936. It is a famous name in modern Hindi literature. His most famous works, KamianiIt is an epic poem that tells the story of the great flood. Its central characters are Manu, Shraddha, and Ida, who represent the human soul, love, and rationality, respectively. It also represents the trinity of knowledge, action and desire, or Ichcha, Gyan and Kriya Shakti, which are three basic forms of energy required to achieve or create anything.
The Kamayani Express connects Mumbai with Balia in Bihar now but initially connected Mumbai and Varanasi, Jaishankar Prasad’s city.
2. Gitanjali Express – Mumbai to Kolkata
Gitanjali Written by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore in 1910 it needs no introduction. It is this creativity that earned him the Nobel Prize in Literature. It is a collection of poems that present divine love offerings. They are part of Rabindra Sangeet. I hope to read it in the original Bengali one day, because translations can never do it justice.
The train connects Mumbai with Howrah – the main station of Kolkata, the city of Rabindranath Tagore. You can still visit his house at Jorasanko Thakurbari in Kolkata. It covers nearly 2,000 km taking you from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal and connects two of the oldest railway stations in India.
3. Amrapali Express: Katihar in Bihar to Amritsar in Punjab
Amrapali was the nagarvadu or royal concubine of Vaishali in present-day Bihar. She lived around 500 BC and was the first female to take diksha in Buddhism. Amrapali hosted a huge meal for the Buddhist monks and followed them to become a bhikkuni. It was named Amrapali as it was found at the foot of a mango tree in the Royal Vaishali Gardens. Her story was immortalized in the famous novel Vaishali ki nagavadhu By Acharya Chatursen.
The train covers around 1,800 km in over 38 hours, passing through the states of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
4. Basava Express – From Mysore to Bagalkot in Karnataka
Basava, known as Basavanna and also Basaveshwara, was a poet-philosopher who lived in the 12th century AD when it was the present state of Karnataka. He was born into a Shivite family of Bagwadi in Vijayapura district and was named Basava, which literally means Vrishabha or bull, in reference to Shiva’s vahana. Being an ardent devotee of Shiva, he started the tradition of wearing a linga on himself. Basava’s path later gave birth to the Lingayata tradition. I had a look at this track at Gangamwadi Mutt in Varanasi. He also served as the minister of the Kalachuri kings. His poetry is still sung in the form of Vachanas even now.
The train covers around 1000 km in 22 hours, passing through Bangalore, Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh and Vijayapura which we also know as Bijapur. Yes, the train also stops at Bagwadi, Basavanna Town.
5. Jnaneswari Express – Kolkata to Mumbai
Dnyaneshwari or Jnaneswari is the commentary on the Bhagavad Gita written by the Marathi saint and poet Dnyaneshwar during the 13th century. It is the most famous and oldest known holy book in Marathi. Dnyaneshwar Maharaj lived at Alandi on the banks of the Indrayani River, where temples dedicated to him and his works can still be seen. You can visit it easily from Pune.
This train appears to complement the Gitanjali Express, which also connects Mumbai and Kolkata.
It covers about 2,000 km in 32 hours and passes through Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
6. Tulsi Express – Ayodhya to Mumbai
Goswami Tulsidas He was a great saint-poet who lived in the late 15th centuryy To early 16y CE in Awadh District UP. We all know him as the author of Ramacharitmanas – an epic retelling of Valmiki’s Ramayana in Awadhi. He also gave us Hanuman Chalisa and many other creations like Vinay Patrika. Tulsidas ji was born on the banks of the Yamuna but spent his final years in Varanasi. You can still see his house overlooking the Ganges as well as Tulsi Akhada who is still going about his business.
The train connects residents of several states like Maharashtra, MP, and UP with Ayodhya – the city of Sri Ram, the hero of the Ramayana.
7. Thirukwal Express – Kanyakumari to New Delhi
Thirukkural is classical Tamil poetry consisting of 1,330 rhymed couplets called chorales, each consisting of seven words. Composed around 200 BC, Thiruvalluvar is one of the first works to focus on ethics in India. Thirukkural explains various aspects of life and is one of the most important works in Tamil. You can see the tall statue of Saint Thiruvalluvar erected near the southern tip of India in Kanyakumari. Its 133 feet high signifies the 133 Thirukkural chapters or athikarams, and the three fingers signify the three themes of morality, wealth and joy.
The train covers about 3,000 kilometers in 47 hours and crosses the length of India, passing through 6 states.
8. Padmavat Express: Delhi to Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh
Padmaavat It is an epic poem written by Malik Muhammad Jayasi in 1540 AD. He belonged to Jais town in Rae Bareli district of UP. This Awadhi poem is a fictional account of the historical attack on Chittor by Alauddin Khilji. He talks about the beauty of Rani Padmini, wife of Rawal Ratan Singh from Chittorgarh. The story comes alive when you visit the historic Chittorgarh Fort in Rajasthan.
The train covers a distance of 660 km in about 12 hours, taking you across the plains of the Ganges and passing through the city of Gayasi.
9. Matsyaganda Express – Mumbai to Mangalore in Karnataka
Matsyagandha literally means fish smell. It seems to be an appropriate name for the train that runs along the western coast of India or the Konkan coast. Fishing is an important industry on this coast, so the name is quite appropriate. But there is a literary connection as well. Matsyagandha is one of the names of Satyavati – the huntress who was the queen mother of Hastinapur in Mahabharat. There is a famous Narendra Kohli novel called Matsyaganda.
The train covers about 1,200 kilometers in 18 hours.
10. Aranyak Express – Kolkata to Bahgodia in West Bengal
Aranyak It means the forest. It is a famous novel by Bengali writer Bibbutibhushan Bandhopadhyay. He is best known for his autobiographical novel, Pather Panchali It was made into Apu Trilogy films by Satyajit Ray. Aranjak highlights the contrast between city life and forests.
The train covers a distance of just over 300 kilometers in five and a half hours.
11. Godan Express – Mumbai to Gorakhpur
Jodan It is a popular Indian novel written by Munshi Premchand. This novel was published in 1936 as Premchand’s last creation, and has been made into a film as well as a series. It is one of the first Indian literature books that most people pick up.
The train covers a distance of 1,730 kilometers in 34 hours.
12. Tapaswini Express – Puri in Odisha to Hatia in Jharkhand
Tapasvini means female ascetic and is also a literary masterpiece of the famous Odia poet Gangadhar Meher who was born in a family of weavers.
The train covers about 700 kilometers in 16 hours.
13. Gurudev Express – Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu to Kolkata
Gurudev is the common name of Rabindranath Tagore – a Bengali poet, novelist, musician, playwright, and Asia’s first Nobel laureate who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913 AD.
The train covers a distance of 2,600 km in 46 hours, passing through West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and then ends back in Tamil Nadu.
14. Hatti Bazaar Express – Kolkata to Saharsa in Bihar
Hatey Bazare is a novel by Bengali author Bolai Chand Mukhopadhyay who wrote under the pseudonym Banaphool and came from Purnia in Bihar. This doctor’s story has also been made into a movie.
The train covers a distance of 600 km in 16 hours between the states of West Bengal and Bihar.
15. Agnibena Express – Kolkata to Asansol
Agnibena is a collection of 12 poems written by Kazi Nazrul Islam in 1922.
The train covers a distance of 200 km in three and a half hours and stays within the state of West Bengal.
16. Kifiyat Express – Azamgarh in UP and Old Delhi
It is named after Kaifi Azmi – a poet, film lyricist and songwriter who hails from Azamgarh.
The train covers a distance of 800 kilometers in fourteen and a half hours, mostly in Uttar Pradesh once it leaves Delhi.
17. Canary Express – Howrah-Digha in West Bengal
This poem was named after the famous poem Al-Kandari Hoshyar By Kazi Nazrul Islam. Al-Kandari It means the captain of the ship Hoshyar It means being vigilant. Kazi Nazrul Islam is the national poet of Bangladesh.
The train covers a distance of 186 km in just over 3 hours.
18. Padatech Express – Kolkata to New Alipur Duar in West Bengal
Subhash Mukhopadhyay was a 20th century Bengali poet. His first collection of poetry was called “Badatik” or “Foot Soldier”.
The train covers about 700 kilometers in about 14 hours.
19. Rupasi Bangla Express – Santragachi to Purulia in West Bengal
Jibanananda Das is a famous Bengali poet known for his poem Rupasi Bangla, meaning Beautiful Bengal, written in 1934.
The train covers a distance of 330 km in 6 hours and passes through West Bengal.
20. Tutari Express – Mumbai to Sawantwadi in Maharashtra
Titari, which literally means trumpet, gets its name from a Marathi poem by Krishnaji Keshav which inspired many to struggle against British rule. One of the few Indian train names that has roots in the freedom struggle.
The train covers a distance of 650 km in 10 and a half hours, traveling along the Konkan coast.
21. Janadevata Express – Kolkata to Azimgunj in West Bengal
It is named after the Bengali novel Ganadevata by Tarashankar Bandyopadhyay.
The train covers a distance of 280 kilometers in more than 4 hours.
Do you know any other Indian train names inspired by literature? Or would you like to name trains after your favorite author or literary work? Tell us in the comments below.
