If you don't experience a journey in the "general class" coach of an interstate train.. you cannot say you've been to India!!!
This is the the cheapest, the crowdiest, and the toughest coach you could choose for a trip.
There are no rules on it, none will check if you have a ticket or not. You don't even need to book a seat.
If you want to sit, you have to literally fight for it! It is pure chaos - with people trying to sit anywhere they possibly can and the minimum comfort distance from each person vanishes.
Namaste Happy face!!
my backpack and I....
In these special circumstances, a westerner is like a light for a mosquito.
They don't really expect to see a tourist in the last class and you can feel thousand eyes on you. I thought it was better to quickly make new friends than new enemies:
But..despite all the madness, it is true that only on this coach you can experience the real, true and pure Indian culture. Simple people with who you can talk just with a smile and the same who can offer you their seat while they will stand up maybe for 10 hours. If you can go through this real, rough journey, then you deserve to be called a backpacker!