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.
Mr Basha went to Saudi Arabia 14 months ago. In a video message sent to his friends on WhatsApp, he has alleged that his employer had not paid him so far. The video has gone viral.
Comments
Kotiaan brothers did not see the carrot saffron shakes video of aseemanada and Nithyananda rapes....ha ha...he loves Arab porn...like all sangheez even watch in Parliament....
Piece loving nation ..haha. ..I also saw the video where Arab milk shakes raping indian women maids from Hyderabad ..
Dear Satya Vishwas...
U are right but what We muslims need to Present the TRUE message of ISLAM to the public as well as the cheddis .. cos they are carrying in their mind the ISLAM which is taught by the Cheddis.. which is dumping them deep into darkness (hate, jealousy, crime, looting, lies and etc) as well as the society.
So we should educate whatever way to spread the real msg of ISLAM to the cheddis as well as the non muslims ...
When we present the true message atleast few may reflect who are honest.. in their hearts. ALLAH guides those who are honest in looking for God.
Why CD readers bother about this Phycho person;(Phycho Viren) this man must be admitted Kankanady hospital for his brain wash in Vande dot CLOREX muthram.
dear all CD readers : please do not react , or comment to viren kotian just neglect him,BECAUSE HE IS DEPLOYED by RSS to ignite and provoke minorities, so if we react to his inhumane comments he and his dirty mind followers enjoy it.And they are successful in their mission, and also he get highlighted , so why to give him unnecessary (un) popularity.
REMEMBER THAT IF YOU THROW A STONE AT LOOSE SHIT (VIREN) IT SPREADS ALL OVER .
so lets not waste our valuable time by arguing with the inhuman viren.
Viren Kotian , seeing your comments i understand that a deluded understanding is giving such a buncombe, please understand such swaggering appears unarmed for a rational discussion.
kindly refrain
Vande matram means cheddis bow down to the mother land...
What islam says
ALLAH is the lord of all that exists, U me and all that is in between the earth and the skies..
We Muslims bow down to ALLAH alone and nothing else , Even not to our respected prophets or our mother who gave birth to us...
We love our prophets,
We love our mother
We love our mother land
but we will never worship our mother land...
ALLAH created us and We bow down to him alone.. Please dont ask me to bow down to the motherland which is also a creation of ALLAH...
ALLAH forgives every sin with true repentance but associating partners with him is the biggest SIN... which is a way to hell and Please dont drag us Muslims to that destination... Sorry I believe ALLAH as my lord, Muhammad pbuh and all the prophets as my messenger and Islam as my religion....
Please VIREN when U worship the mother land, U actually denying the TRUE GOD ... I request U to look who is our CREATOR which VEDAS also mentions \NA TASYA PRATIMA ASTI\" there is no image of GOD...
IF you are honest in looking for the CREATOR , God will Guide U ... Atleast make some effort to look for the creator of all that exists.. Dont just worship the man made creations and animals and live a life unaware.. QURAN challenges mankind to bring a book like it... Please go thru it."
No one can become patriot just saying vande matram, this is crazy....we Muslims cannot do that...its against our religion...but in fact we will fight for our country without any hesitation.....and save country from our enemies.....
Hello joker Viren......a lot of bharat maa ki jai sons are also living happily with their family's in Muslim countries and they respect and are thankful to those people. Some goons like you will let Islamic nations kick them out of there.......you sick-minded will let people hate each other...saffron pillas....why don't modi offer job and respect to the people who say jai jai and are still working in Islamic nations.......u don't belong to a democratic nation.......go to your country Nepal....ha haa
Viren Kotian, how could you say, the person who doesn't sing Vande Mataram is not be Indian!!!
You must know its not our National Anthem and its an individual personal choice.
I don't understand why CD post such nonsense Viren Kotian comments!!
Viren, I think you don't have any knowledge of our Indian constitution!!
Bharat Mata har ek Hindustani ki hai, aur Akbar ek hindustani hai, apne desh se madad maang raha hai, samajh is baat ko. and
don't ever bring communal things in humanity!!!
Mr. Kotian why so much hatred on muslim relegion, we are human beings, remember that.. we are indians here we don't treat each other as HINDU's or MUSLIM's.. Try to be peace lover My Dear Friend..
Bharath kisi ke baap ka nahi. The slogan made purely illogic for any religion including hindus which is against the holy scriptures. Will you and your millions of hindu brothers say La ilaha illallah mohammedurrasulullah while entering in arab countries to earn their bread and butter.
Dear viper kotian if u sing vande maataram r u getting 15 lac from your govt? Then why u r singing r u mad?
Viren kotian.
Its haraam to say vande mataram according to vedas. Hindu is not a religion. Arabs gave the word hindu. U should be thankful to arabs.
Rama couldnt save his own wife sita from kidnap. How can he save u.
Ask any pandit. He will runaway from u.
The religion is sanatan dharm. Nowadays nobody knows a single word of it.
Habeebi viren, dont worry we will try to help him out.. If you are not sleeping then try to see the problems of those who sing vande mataram and still not came out of it. I doubt the govt helps them.
Indian govt should help this guy.
Viren - stop talking nonsense ( as usual )
What is Indian embassy doing around.....they got a lot money of expatriates collected during passport renewal time....millions of them...couldn't they use part of it to get this person come out of his ordeal...
You are not ready to sing 'vande mataram' but when you get stranded in a Muslim country you need bharat maatha's hindu govt's help. Funny people.
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