A journey of the heart: One Sri Lankan officer’s transformative train adventure through India
Saman Athaudahetti, a retired Sri Lankan officer, embarked on a transformative train journey across India, inspired by the extensive railway network. His travels through 17 states and nine railway zones allowed him to document the diversity of experiences and cultures encountered along the way. Athaudahetti plans to publish a book capturing the essence of Indian Railways, supported by the India-Sri Lanka Foundation.
- ▪Saman Athaudahetti has traveled to India 30 to 40 times, primarily for work, but this journey was a personal dream.
- ▪He covered significant railway stations, including Ledo in Assam and Gorakhpur junction, while documenting his experiences.
- ▪Athaudahetti noted improvements in cleanliness and digitization within the Indian Railways over the past decade.
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A retired government officer in Sri Lanka, Saman Athaudahetti is well known in the island’s political, literary, and cultural circles for his many avatars — as adviser to former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, additional secretary when Wickremesinghe was Premier, and as television presenter, author, and lyricist. Despite several official visits and holiday trips to India, it is only post-retirement that he was able to earmark time for this “dream”.“I must have gone to India about 30 to 40 times, mostly for work. I did manage to do a few holiday trips, and I had the chance to travel by train…I found it simply amazing,” he says, speaking to The Hindu in Colombo. Like India, Sri Lanka’s own railway network was built during British colonial rule.
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