Whenever I travel by Public Transport, I am intrigued by the concept of ‘Sonder’ time and time again. It came to mind even more during my stay in India, while visiting some of the biggest and busiest railway stations in the world. Sonder is defined as the realization that each passerby has a life as vivid, complex and rich as your own. It made me think of my friends back home, and the richness of their lives.  Although just one thought away, I hadn’t spoken to them in a while. I figured they were just one prepaid refill away as well, and promised myself to contact them soon.

The railway network of India is known as one of the largest and busiest of the entire world. People, moving. All heading for a certain direction. Trying to reach a particular destination. They all have a name, a birthday, dreams, hopes, ambitions, routines, friends, worries, a past, a future, a family, a favorite song. They all have a story to tell. Maybe they just received bad news, maybe today is one of the most important days in their life. Maybe not. And here we are, all sitting together for a while in a train heading to Mumbai.

Busiest

It seems impossible to put into words how crowded the The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Railway station in Mumbai was. It clearly is the busiest railway station in the entire world. Through the years, it became the most important transport hub in the world’s busiest rail network of India. This unique UNESCO World Heritage Site, carries around three million passengers a day. Imagine that.

Longest

If you ask me, the most memorable railway station of India is the Gorakhpur Railway Station. It’s huge! This station has always been a very important junction in Northern India. With no less than 1366 meters (0,850 miles), the Railway Station gives house to the world’s longest Railway platform. You almost wouldn’t believe your eyes, while standing on the platform.

Oldest

The city of Kolkata, is the home of the oldest Railway Station in all of India. The Howrah Railway Station is special, since it was India’s first Railway Station. Due to a great increase of traffic, plans for the new station building were proposed in 1901. The station has been in service as of 1 December 1905. This means the building is over a century old!

Prettiest

Have you ever heard of the amazing Dudhsagar Waterfall? It is one of the best kept travel-secrets in India. The falls are easily accessible via the Dudhsagar Railway Station. It is possible to catch a morning train to the station and spend several hours at the falls. When you are ready to go, just take an afternoon train back. Doesn’t that sound amazing?

The waterfall is located right between breathtaking scenery overlooking a deep and beautiful tropical forest valley. This valley is accessible on foot or by train only. Near the top of the falls, the railway line from Vasco to Londa crosses the mountainside, with excellent views from the train. Don’t miss out on this amazing view, it was an experience I will never forget!

In India, the railways are of great importance for the inhabitants of the country. Modern India was built upon them. It’s a lifeline running through the entire country. The India Railways cover a distance of no less than 65,000 kilometers (40389 miles) and carries over 30 million passengers a day. All passengers unique, just like everyone else.

Three-dimensional printing has advanced in leaps and bounds during recent years. Utilising rather complicated techniques such as laser mapping alongside seemingly out-of-this-world materials including thermoplastics, there are countless applications to be explored. Many of us still associate this science with more technically oriented solutions such as complex pieces of machinery or prosthetic limbs. However, in the recent years artists have started to incorporate 3D printed objects in to their art practice.

The Miracle of Sight

In this sense, we are not talking about traditionally “seeing” an image. Many of those who are born blind have never experienced some of the most impressive works of art. From the Mona Lisa to paintings by Vincent Van Gogh, these images were all but out of reach for those without the gift of sight. This is all now changing thanks to three-dimensional printing techniques. Individuals are now able to “feel” the pictures themselves due to raised details. The famous “Mona Lisa smile” can be experienced by those who may not have the chance to see her intriguing grin in real life. Even the contours of a geographical region of the world can be appreciated for the first time.

From Touch to Emotion

The reason that such seemingly miraculous feats are possible is that the blind have learned to associate touch with imagery. We are all aware that those without sight will often run the tips of their fingers across the face of another individual to paint an “image” of their features within their mind. Over time, this ability becomes highly refined and enables the blind to discriminate between countless different people. This very same principle has now been incorporated into the latest three-dimensional printing technologies.

A New Form of Art?

Three-dimensional art has traditionally been represented in famous statues such as Michaelangelo or the “The Thinker” by Auguste Rodin. Given the recent development in 3D printing, artists have become interested in incorporating 3D printing in to their art practices. Three-dimensional printing has opened up an entirely new world for those who are blind, making it possible for everyone to experience art, which was once restricted only to those who could visually appreciate form and colour.

Thanks to this massive breakthrough, the world of art has immutably changed. It will be very interesting to see what impact this technological revolution has upon the artistic landscape in the future.

Article contributed by Garima Mehta for Spectrum Photographic – professional photographic & giclée printing