“Station Mahotsav” was held at the Mysore and Shivamogga railway stations on Friday to create public awareness on the history of the founding of the railway systems.
The event in Mysuru marked the inauguration of the building on December 1, 1881, and the authorities said that the objective was also to create awareness on its heritage assets like railway stations, system equipment etc.
The Mysore Railway Station was formally inaugurated on December 1st, 1881 and the 86 mile long metre guage project played a crucial role in connecting Bengaluru City and Mysuru. While the work on the entire stretch was completed in February 1882, the station to receive the train was completed a few months earlier.
“It is important to note that this railway line initially served as a famine relief initiative. Its primary objective was to transport fodder to remote areas and engage individuals in the construction of the railway line in exchange for grains as wages,” according to the railway authorities.
The event also highlighted the pivotal role of the railways in fostering connectivity and thereby ushering in an era of development and progress of Mysuru in social, economic, and cultural fields.
The ceremony acknowledged the contribution of key individuals who served with distinction on this Railway in the past and are involved in taking forward the legacy.
Ms. Shilpi Agarwal, Divisional Railway Manager, South Western Railway, Mysuru Division inaugurated the event. She acknowledged the vision and foresight of the erstwhile rulers of Mysore Kingdom for establishing the railway system in the late nineteenth century. Ms. Agarwal said this brought about qualitative change in the lives of people of the region which was witness to recurring famines.
Commenting on the future, she said Mysuru Railway station was on the threshold of becoming a world-class station shortly providing modern amenities and enhancing the travel experience of the passengers significantly. There was also cultural programmes by students of Lalitha High School, Yadavagiri, to mark the event.
Shivamogga station mahotsav
A similar event was held at the Shivamogga Town Railway Station commemorating the opening of the metre gauge railway line from Birur to Shivamogga on December 1, 1889, and the Shivamogga railway station received the first passenger train which chugged and covered 37.92 miles on its inaugural run.
That the erstwhile rulers of Mysore Kingdom understood the advantage of rail connectivity to fight famine can be assessed by the number of new lines that were inaugurated in quick succession.
“Between 1890 and 1899, the metre gauge line from Yeswantpur to Dod Kurugod, broad gauge section known as Kolar Gold Fields Railways, extending from Bowringpet to Marikuppam, and the metre gauge line from Birur to Shivamogga were all constructed by the State,” according to the railway authorities.
Rajkumar, Assistant Commercial Manager, South Western Railway, Mysuru Division inaugurated the event and senior officials of the railways were present.
