Reading "Relay by railway” by Rusi Sorabji (Parsiana, December 7-20, 2020) brought back sweet memories.
The writer has made mention of the custom of throwing coins in rivers while traversing them by train. This was originally meant to appease the river goddess when one crossed a river in a boat, especially when the water was turbulent. Earlier, people offered food or sweets to the water, as it would feed the fish as well, but they later opted for coins when it became easier to do so. Prior to the 1850s coins were rare. With the advent of rail travel, the tradition......