Bhubaneswar, September 6, 2026:
The morning train carried its usual passengers, but this time it also carried something less ordinary—books, poems and a hundred people who had decided to spend a day travelling not just across Odisha, but through the world of words.
For the readers and writers who boarded Train No. 68429 Bhubaneswar–Daspalla MEMU on Sunday, the journey became a moving literary gathering. Around 100 participants travelled as part of the Rail Reading Campaign “Gift A Book”, organised by East Coast Railway in association with Walking Book Fairs, Bhubaneswar.
Adding to the literary significance of the journey, eminent writers Jerry Pinto, Sarat Chandra Das, Christoph Ransmayr, Aakriti Mandhwani and Chandrahas Choudhary joined the participants, sharing their poetry, thoughts, literary experiences and reflections with fellow readers and passengers. Their presence transformed the train journey into a unique space for interaction between writers, readers and lovers of literature.
The campaign transformed an everyday train journey into an invitation to pause, read and connect.
Soon after the train left Bhubaneswar, books found their way into the hands of fellow passengers. Around 200 books were distributed free of cost, turning a simple gesture of giving into an invitation to discover or rediscover the pleasure of reading.
Inside the coach, the usual rhythm of a train journey gave way to a quieter atmosphere. Participants settled down for a collective silent reading session. Phones were encouraged to take a back seat as books, writing, poetry, music and conversation took centre stage.
The presence of distinguished literary voices added another dimension to the journey, as participants listened, interacted and exchanged ideas on literature, life and the power of storytelling. Poetry and thoughts shared by the writers blended naturally with the movement of the train, making the journey itself a part of the literary experience.
The journey did not end when the train reached Daspalla.
At the railway station, the platform itself became a literary space as participants gathered for “Poetry on the Platform”, where writers and participants shared poetry and literary expressions in the unusual yet evocative setting of a railway platform. Later, on the return journey to Bhubaneswar, conversations continued over the distinctly local touch of “Mudhi Masala on the Train.”
The campaign was inaugurated by Shri Parmeshwar Funkwal, General Manager, East Coast Railway, who also joined the participants on the literary journey.
What made the day special was its simplicity. There was no elaborate literary auditorium, no formal barrier between reader and writer. There was a train coach, a railway platform, a book passed from one passenger to another and conversations that grew naturally along the journey.
For some passengers, the free book they received may have been the beginning of a new story. For others, it may simply have been a welcome companion for the next journey. But the gesture carried a larger message—that reading need not remain a solitary activity confined to homes and libraries; it could find a place in the middle of everyday life.
The “Gift A Book” campaign thus turned the railway into more than a means of travel for a day. It became a space where people could slow down, exchange ideas, listen to literary voices and share the simple pleasure of a good book.
