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.
“Why should you snatch away the poor's meal?” asked Bhimrao Dhonde, who represents Beed's Ashti, during a discussion on the state's agrarian crisis.
Comments
It is better for government to impose ban on beef as it is not at all good for health.....Moton is a good meat and healthy...
Without distributing the Ambani wealth to poor you cant impose ban on anything. Poor people are suffering because of rich Fadnavi who has easy access to all sort of food. I'm used to mutton now. Even if you allow me to eat beef i wont.
There intention is not to snatch snatch away the meat of export from their leaders.
Beef ban increased beef export. Hence, my guess, the farmers must be selling cows to the exporters. It is very clear that the present administration is anti poor. Election in the corner will woke him up now.
dear avish, the loan burden and no food make the people to sucide. Do you say that the life of cow is more important than the human being? he can sell the cow if he want he can save his parents and family. If not all them should be opt for sucide. So parents sake and family sake he is ready to sell the other things which is not necessary at that moment. But people like you who think that more educated ( not being a human) think another way. It will be understandable only when your are in same situation
Dear Kumel are you educated? how the cow becomes your mother. Please check your DNA. We have never seen even in any holy books that the human being is born by Cow.
Another prime example for dirty politics from BJP since Assembly electioons are on the corner, please do not react or comment
Mr kumel,Who you are to feed 17 cr people. Who is parasitic?.mind your language.
Any action in this regard to be implemented immediately before beef eater communities are used to alternative diet, most of them now used to mutton and chicken, After that if we want sell we will never find anyone to buy it.
I think we have to ask all farmers to bring all their spent cattles to Mr. Kumel Chang house. He will look after these mother cows.
I guess he'd be willing to let go of his parents and family as and when they become nonproductive. What a loser!
So parents are cattle? People like you will use any analogy to stick to your stand. Don't impose your ideas on the rural folks. They know exactly what they are doing and what to do with their life, diet, animals, crops etc. India is a non vegetarian country. Get used to it
If we can feed 17 crore parasitic population of jihadis, surely we can feed the holy mother cow
Very well said, I came from an agricultural family too and they have similar practice. I remember Bangalore in the 80's and the menace of cows roaming on the road. Then the IT boom happened and \ban\" we dont see them anymore and they are now sold as beef."
Add new comment