Joy, Music and Pride Mark First Nagpur–Pune Vande Bharat Journey
2
Nagpur: Platform 8 came alive with music, colour, and cheer on Sunday morning as the first Nagpur–Pune Vande Bharat Express rolled out on its inaugural run. The historic journey, flagged off with fanfare, took the first lot of passengers from Nagpur to Badnera, offering them not just speed and comfort but also a sense of pride in India's progress.
Bands played patriotic tunes, children waved excitedly, and travellers soaked in the 'Music on Wheels' atmosphere. A special train was arranged from Badnera for the return trip while another lot boarded the semi-high speed train for the next leg of joyride till Bhusawal. A few passengers had been allowed to travel till Pune.
Among the youngest voices of excitement was Aarvi Meena (14) from Poddar World School. "This is my first Vande Bharat experience, honestly, it's excellent! The intercom features make you feel assisted and safe throughout the journey.
It's super safe, super fast, and comfortable," she said, seated with her family. Her father, Hukamchand Meena was one of the train managers.
The atmosphere inside turned festive as the train touched a top speed of 130km/hr. Sanjay Waghmare, Central Railway auditor, kept passengers enthralled with patriotic songs, supported by the Harmony Group on keyboard, octopad, dholak, and percussion. "We also performed on the Nagpur–Secunderabad Vande Bharat during its inauguration," a group member shared.
Seventy students from Kendriya Vidyalaya joined in, waving flags and singing along. "Nice feeling," smiled Suraj Singh, as children played and posed for pictures. Teacher Divya Dadwani said, "It's my first experience. Really proud to be part of the inaugural run. Like Vande Bharat, India is also running fast."
Event manager Anjali Rautia, travelling with her father, whose firm provided the onboard music setup, held quizzes for the children.
"I'm very amazed. These kids bring glory," she said. Another KV teacher, Vaishnavi Uparkar, noted, "The kids prepared drawings of 'Made in India'… and this train itself is Made in India. It's a journey of India's development."
For Simran Khande, physics teacher at KV Ajni, the comfort was unmatched. "Other trains are not so comfortable. This is a big achievement," she said.
Sports coach Ayush Agrawal was travelling with 12 basketball players heading to Pune for a tournament.
"This has raised the bar of train journeys," he remarked.
According to Sandeep Dutta, additional GM, IRCTC West Zone, "This is a long haul 12 hours journey. We expect more sectional travel than end-to-end. In the future, a sleeper version and overnight timings are likely. This is a sign of Unnat Bharat."
As the train sped ahead, blending comfort with celebration, it carried more than passengers, it carried the spirit of a nation on the move.
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Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
Joy, Music and Pride Mark First Nagpur–Pune Vande Bharat Journey
1 2 Nagpur: Platform 8 came alive with music, colour, and cheer on Sunday morning as the first Nagpur–Pune Vande Bharat Express rolled out on its inaugural run. The historic journey, flagged off with fanfare, took the first lot of passengers from Nagpur to Badnera, offering them not just speed and comfort but also a sense of pride in India's progress. Bands played patriotic tunes, children waved excitedly, and travellers soaked in the 'Music on Wheels' atmosphere. A special train was arranged from Badnera for the return trip while another lot boarded the semi-high speed train for the next leg of joyride till Bhusawal. A few passengers had been allowed to travel till Pune. Among the youngest voices of excitement was Aarvi Meena (14) from Poddar World School. "This is my first Vande Bharat experience, honestly, it's excellent! The intercom features make you feel assisted and safe throughout the journey. It's super safe, super fast, and comfortable," she said, seated with her family. Her father, Hukamchand Meena was one of the train managers. The atmosphere inside turned festive as the train touched a top speed of 130km/hr. Sanjay Waghmare, Central Railway auditor, kept passengers enthralled with patriotic songs, supported by the Harmony Group on keyboard, octopad, dholak, and percussion. "We also performed on the Nagpur–Secunderabad Vande Bharat during its inauguration," a group member shared. Seventy students from Kendriya Vidyalaya joined in, waving flags and singing along. "Nice feeling," smiled Suraj Singh, as children played and posed for pictures. Teacher Divya Dadwani said, "It's my first experience. Really proud to be part of the inaugural run. Like Vande Bharat, India is also running fast." Event manager Anjali Rautia, travelling with her father, whose firm provided the onboard music setup, held quizzes for the children. "I'm very amazed. These kids bring glory," she said. Another KV teacher, Vaishnavi Uparkar, noted, "The kids prepared drawings of 'Made in India'… and this train itself is Made in India. It's a journey of India's development." For Simran Khande, physics teacher at KV Ajni, the comfort was unmatched. "Other trains are not so comfortable. This is a big achievement," she said. Sports coach Ayush Agrawal was travelling with 12 basketball players heading to Pune for a tournament. "This has raised the bar of train journeys," he remarked. According to Sandeep Dutta, additional GM, IRCTC West Zone, "This is a long haul 12 hours journey. We expect more sectional travel than end-to-end. In the future, a sleeper version and overnight timings are likely. This is a sign of Unnat Bharat." As the train sped ahead, blending comfort with celebration, it carried more than passengers, it carried the spirit of a nation on the move. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
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Hindustan Times
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Milind Soman's mother stuns the internet by skipping rope like a pro at 86, fans call her 'ultimate fitness goal'. Watch
Actor Milind Soman has long been called a fitness idol. Even at 59, he continues to be supremely fit, participating in long runs and extreme marathons at regular intervals. But he seems to have some in-house competition in the fitness goals department, it seems. The actor posted a video on Instagram on Friday, showing him skipping rope with his mother, 86. Her fitness and agility floored Milind's fans. Milind Soman skipping rope with mom, Usha Soman. Milind Soman's mom wows the internet On Friday, Milind took to Instagram to share two videos that showed him skipping rope somewhere in the hills with his mother, Usha Soman, and wife, Ankita Konwar. "Family skipping time. Aai (Mother) is now 86, and skipping is something she does every day, apart from yoga and other movements. Long life, health and happiness to all," wrote Milind in the caption. The video shows Milind and Usha on the balcony or terrace of a building in a valley, with mist covering the background. Both Milind and his mom matched hops as they skipped rope together. Fans react In the comments section, fans were floored by Milind's mother's fitness at the age of 86. "Aai skipping rope at 86 is truly incredible," wrote one fan. Another commented, "That is incredible. May we all learn something from her." Many wished they were even 'half as fit' when they were her age. Others called her 'ultimate fitness goals'. Some praised Milind and his mom both for being so fitness-oriented. "So it's clearly in the genes! Love to Aai," read one comment. About Milind Soman Milind Soman was a national-level swimmer and athlete as a teenager before he began his career in showbiz as a model in the 80s. One of India's earliest male supermodels, he ruled the ramp in the 90s, before transitioning to acting, first with music videos like Made In India, and then films like 16 December and Rules: Pyaar Ka Superhit Formula. He was most recently seen in Kangana Ranaut's Emergency, released earlier this year. In the last decade, Milind has revived his love for athletics, participating in extreme runs like the Berlin Marathon and the Ironman Triathlon.
