Ideal For All Manner Of Photography, Hindon Railway Bridge Stands Stalwart In Ghaziabad

Hindon Railway Bridge is a bridge allowing passage of trains, built over a river called the Hindon River on the outskirts of Delhi in Ghaziabad. Come follow us as we feed you with odds and ends of trivia about this architectural gem!

The River That Flows Underneath

Hindon River is a tributary of the Yamuna, beginning from Saharanpur District in the lower Himalayan range. Historically, the river banks are believed to have witnessed the revolt of 1857, when Indians mutinied against the British Raj. 

The river is one long stretch of dirt and muddiness and the riverbank around it is a garbage dump.  A walk along the river will have you saying hello to plastic bags, rotting food, marigold garlands, broken frames etc.; not to mention a pervading stench. 

Water Under The Bridge

Approach the bridge from the main road – a very busy road that swerves under the bridge, not giving drivers enough time to watch out for pedestrians coming from the opposite side (there’s no sidewalk under the bridge). 

You will come across two bridges – one supported by pillars and the other supported by a row of massive arches; one going over the road and the other rising over the river. Both run parallel to each other. 

The one with the arches is the older, original Hindon Bridge. The arches look like open mouths of a giant creature, expectantly waiting to be fed. The structure of the bridge is reminiscent of Minto Bridge, as both are made up of very narrow rectangular red bricks, belonging to the British era. However, Minto Bridge had one arch and this one has several. Their reflection in the water makes the vista perfect for photography and the mist adds a haunting effect. 

Climbing up a flight of stairs takes you to the top of the bridge where the railway tracks exist. A board on the side says Hindon River Bridge No. 234. Trains run up and down all day long. The space around it is again, pretty much a garbage dump.

Getting To The Bridge

Getting to the bridge is a bit of a tricky business, as it’s not close to any metro station. If you’re taking the metro, then get off at Vaishali on the Blue Line (Dwarka towards Vaishali). Take the exit that says Sahibabad. You will have to cross a bridge where you will be met with a big crowd of rickshawalas clamouring up to you, wanting to take you to your destination at exorbitant rates. Hold your ground. Get hold of a shared auto rickshaw (the bigger ones are fairly safe), and ask them to drop you off at Mohan Nagar Crossing. 

Once there, get off and cross the road. Take another shared rickshaw or a standalone rickshaw (the standalone ones never go by the meter, they will rip you off!) and ask them to take you to the railway bridge over Hindon river. You might have to use the word ‘pull’ (Hindi for bridge). Keep in mind that there are a number of bridges in the vicinity. The key words to remember are Hindon River, railway, and pull.

Once there, enjoy the chaos and come back again!