Varanasi, Feb 17: For the first time, the Indian Railways has reserved a seat for a deity on a train. The national transporter, which launched its third IRCTC operated train named Kashi Mahakal Express from Varanasi to Indore, has reserved a seat for Lord Mahakal (Lord Shiva) on board.
Speaking to media, Northern Railway spokesperson Deepak Kumar said: "It is for the first time that a seat has been left reserved for a deity."
"One seat in Kashi Mahakal Express (seat number 64 in B5 coach) has been left reserved for Lord Shiva," he said.
"Even a temple has been drawn on the seat to make people aware that the seat is reserved for Lord Mahakal," he said.
IRCTC's Director, Tourism, Rajni Hasija said that the practice would continue beyond the inaugural run.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Kashi Mahakal Express via video conferencing from Varanasi, where he is all launched several projects worth Rs 1,250 crore during the day's visit to his parliamentary constituency.
The third IRCTC train, after the two Tejas Express trains on New Delhi-Lucknow and Mumbai-Ahmedabad routes, the Kashi Mahakal Express will connect three places -- Jyotirlinga-Omkareshwar (near Indore), Mahakaleshwar (Ujjain) and Kashi Vishwanath (at Varanasi).
Also connecting the industrial and educational hub of Indore, with Bhopal, the train will begin its commercial run from February 20.
"The Kashi Mahakal Express will operate three days in a week and it will be a bi-weekly service through the Sultanpur-Lucknow route and a weekly service via the Prayagraj route," Kumar said.
Elaborating on the two routes from which the train will pass every week, Hasija said: "Once the new train starts its regular run from this week, it will depart from Varanasi at 2.45 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday to reach Indore at 9.40 a.m. on Wednesday and Friday.
Similarly, the train will start from Indore at 10.55 a.m. every Wednesday and Friday and will reach Varanasi at 6.00 a.m. the next day. This train will have stoppages at Ujjain, Sant Hirdaram Nagar, Bina, Jhansi, Kanpur and Sultanpur stations in both directions.
Meanwhile, in the weekly service via Prayagraj route, the Kashi Mahakal Express will depart from Varanasi at 3.15 p.m. every Sunday to reach Indore at 9.40 a.m. the next day. On the other way, it will depart from Indore at 10.55 a.m. every Monday and reach Varanasi at 5 a.m. the next day.
"This train will halt at Ujjain, Sant Hirdaram Nagar, Bina, Jhansi, Kanpur and Allahabad stations in both directions," Kumar said.
Explaining the fares of the Kashi Mahakal Express, Hasija said, "Kashi Mahakal Express will follow a dynamic fare structure like the other two Tejas Express trains."
One-way journey from Varnasi to Indore will cost Rs 1,951, inclusive of four meals.
According to the IRCTC officials, the Indore-Varanasi Kashi Mahakal Express will be the first private train that will run overnight and for a comfortable long distance journey, will feature a host of facilities. The IRCTC will serve vegetarian food, and provide housekeeping services, on-board security services and bedrolls.
The IRCTC officials said that passengers will also get complementary insurance of Rs 10 lakh.
The train will have an advance reservation period of 120 days and will only have the general and foreign tourist quotas. The current booking will be available to the passengers on the platform itself after preparation of first chart, four hours to five minutes before the scheduled departure of the train.
To facilitate travel for pilgrims, the IRCTC is also introducing special tour packages for passengers who want to see the pilgrim centres enroute. The tour options are; Mahakal Darshan (Ujjain - Omkareshwar), Bhopal-Sanchi-Bhimbetka, Malwa Jyotrilinga Darshan (Ujjain-Omkareshwar- Maheshwar- Indore) and Bhopal-Sanchi-Bhimbetka-Ujjain. Other tour options include Kashi, Ayodhya and Prayag; Kashi Darshan; Kashi, Prayag, Ayodhya; Kashi and Prayag and only Kashi.
The train has silent features like CCTV cameras, which will be monitored online around the clock from the IRCTC centres, whereas for the first time the IRCTC has brought the marshals in the train for passengers safety and also to make people aware to not smoke inside the train as it has smoke and heat sensors installed in the coaches as well as in the bathroom. For the blind passengers, the train coaches have the seat numbers written in Braille, and the catering staff will be dressed in yellow kurta-pyjamas with a rudraksh malas on their necks to promote the train's theme.
Comments
Burnol time for some people here.. Welcome to the Original Religion.
mr thogadia several poor adivasi hundus are embrasing islam and christaianity becuase of your caste system in hinduism. try to help these poor hindus.
Oh yeah!!! IN YOUR DREAMS....right.Happy dreaming Togadia!!!
oh, thogadya got wrong information may be 7.5 lakhs were converted to islam
Togadiya you doesnt know that more than 50 lkh non muslims embraced islam in last 8 years.
Whatever tricks they do to reduce Muslims, But, Allah made Islam to supersede all the religions of the earth. Allah is the best planner.
Mr.Togadiya is just following his master's foot step!! nothing new in his statement, Just look @ our honorable prime minister's statement before election and now?? look at our prime ministers statement when he was on foreign tours and when he is in our country!! only these people are fooling us!! don't give much attention for these types of ill mentality what they called leaders!!
Pravin Togadia being JAIN, why he did not convert to Hinduism before converting others to Hinduism?
Is he loosing his mental stability??
Not only Pakistani Hindus, but, they should bring back to India Srilankan Hindus, Bangladeshi Hindus, Nepali Hindus, Mauritius Hindus, Thailand Hindus, American Hindus, European Hindus, African Hindus, Middle Eastern Hindus etc., All the Hindus must come back to Hindustan. So, they will have majority.
its not new thing..........he is not true to himself..as he himself does not belong to HINDUISM. he is a Jain
Common innocent Hindus are fooled time by time.........even in Al jazeera interview Ram madhav told they do follow Hindu culture not Religion
Very very absurd news. Even if it happened, they don't know what is Hinduism and what is Islam, what is Christianity.
Go to Bombay's Maidan where dozens of educated Hindus are accepting Islam in public, without any pressure or greed.
The govt's seems itself shows Hinduism is diminishing and Muslim population is increasing.
Do whatever you want, the God' s real religion will rein for ever,
All man made fake religions will cease.
I THINK THOGADIYA HAD DREAM LAST NIGHT ABOUT THIS ,
PLEASE DONT JOKE TOO MUCH .....
RSS means liars and always lying. foolish people
Fun of the year... will reward him with \FEKU of THE YEAR\"... Jai ho..."
Muslims Worshiping ONE & ONLY GOD ALLAH, The True CREATOR.
ALLAH is the creator of all that exists, Even U Togadia.
Ye Togadia, stop spreading False news, People are not FOOLS to believe what U say.... U are old. Soon people will throw YOU and Your devils will also Forsake U.
Look for the TRUE GOD and ask his Forgiveness...
ALLAH will forgive all Sins if repented sincerely except SHIRK (associating partners with him)
STOP worshiping the CREATION and LOOK for the CREATOR. IF U R HOnest The CREATOR will guide U to know the reality of YOUR Idol Worship...
Muslims will never bow down to idols & shits & urine & monkeys- SiCK people will do such thing...
RESEARCH it if U are intelligent.
I think thogadia is totaly mental, in last 10 years more then 10 lakh Non muslims converted to Islam.
FAKE NEWS AGAIN & ONLY FOOLISH WILL BELIEVE....
togadia pagal, It's totally a fake news.
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