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
Tipu is one of the few freedom fighter who didnt bow his head to British and fought bravely and died in the battlefield. unlike RSS, VHP who bowed their head to be their slave. Now these little puppies have grown up to speak against Tiger of Mysore forgetting his contribution to the indian freedom struggle. Secondly if Tipu had converted hindus into islam by force then there would have been not a single Hindu left in the country now while Hindus make up 80% of Indian population. Foolish people talk without any logic.
Hindu jaya Gosh (gosh of beef)
who is tippu. he is a crimnal. why shold we celebrate his birthday?
If these goons kill Gandhi the person who gave freedom and did ultimate sacrifice for the nation, then how can we expect these goons will talk fairly.
Now Mr. Jain himself is a Jain and not Hindu. He should set an example by denouncing his religion and should join Hinduism.
About Muslims joining Hinduism,
Mr. Jain come for a healthy debate.
If Hinduism proved to be true, all Muslims will join Hinduism.
Like wise if Hinduism proved to be untrue, you first join Islam and ask your people to accept Islam.
They only calls... but no body listen to them.
Wah Re Wah... What a meaningful statements by Mr Jain, the member of non violent community! Thooo nin janmakkishtu
Jihadist and Bajrangi's mentality are same. Both are terrorist. Please just ignore them.
instead of this time waste, do good to the country, help poor family to come up in life.
Tiger-Tippu is being remembered for his bravery.... and entire country is appreciating for his hard work....he is the only king stood against british rule at that time....these chaddies were supporting british....nobody from chaddies fought for our country for our freedom....they should be ashamed of themselves.....
Creating violence in the peaceful society is their birth right!!
Bap Ray Bap what's going on here and there, Mallu
We need thorough research to unearth the historical truth.
Tipu was never a freedom fighter and was fighting only to save himself and like mentioned to convert to islam. It cannot be condoned that others did so can he. What kind of logic is this to support tyranny. So by default we are agreeing to BJP's ghar vapsi. What wrong VHP is doing if Tipu was right in his actions.
None of the royalty was \freedom fighter\".They were fighting for their own glory and power. The poor faceless people who died for the country after 1857 were \"freedom fighters\""
none of these castes and religions belongs to India. Hindu, Christian, Muslim. All this people are developing wide spread hatred among people. In India we were having Dravida origin people. They may have converted to Buddism or jainism but not on any compulsions from out side Indians but due to the intuitions from the times GURUS like mahavir or buddha. Even before that we had aadi dravida culture. With out having the detailed study or finding on the back history, we are spreading hatred on starting from edges of the last point.It is mere nonsense. Tipu sulthan the great may have committed crime as a king. the christians preachers may have converted people to their religion by force or else. At this point of time study and analysis may favour some historical revelations but creating hatred in the name of religion and causing poor people to lead violance is a ploy that every religion at every time played in and around the world. Israel, Arab countries, US, UK, Australia and even in Africa these game plan works and the loosers are always the down troden common public and the profit makers are always the top leaders of the religion as well the politicians. This is the corrupt intolerance
Nobody is with clean hands. Something or the other is done by everybody in general for their survival. If everybody's history is revealed the person will be caught in somewhere in the middle of his life. There is no any such great person who did all good things for others. So stop this hatredness and let's see how to move forward with the country where there are types of religion, race, community, caste, creed and culture. If this comment goes on with UCA then they are also poking their nose in the issue which is not related to them. Kindly if you are not able to do goodness please do not agitate the country. The seed sowing job is done by the communal parties in the year 2002 by demolishing Babri Masjid and massacring thousands of people from a particular religion. Remember. Don't blame the religion. and UCA and BJP/ VHP/ BAJRANG DAL or so called sangh parivars is going against the Karnataka government and the INDIAN Government decision. We would like to thank to the HONORABLE CM OF KARNATAKA and the Congress leaders who has taken rigid decision to commemorate Tippu Sulthan. Tippu never opposed. In fact he used to work with secularism where in his court he was giving equal position to all. Like Poornaiah, and the list goes on. He fought with the British rulers bravely. They only awarded him as THE TIGER OF MYSORE for his bravery. Even English mothers tried to make the child sleep by saying his bravery. So stop blaming UCA. This UCA should not come into picture. They also joined. Ha ha ha ha ha !!!!!!!
Thanks to our Historians. These historians were patronized by ruling elite, to give us wrong history. We were fooled. Ms.Danya Rajendran had tweeted that she knows a family by name 70s. That is, they are descendants of 70 families, in Mysore, whose males were killed by this Great Tipu. During his period, there were JUST TWO temples in his kingdom. This fact is also known after this Tipu Jayanthi celebrations by Govt.
Instead we should celebrate GODSE jayanthi,
pathetic people, need to revise History again to these people!!!!
We never want to celebrate anybody's birthday. Only God knows what is Tippu's situation now as every soul shall die and will be asked with what he did with the life that God has given us...
Aren't they all have any intellect?
If Tippu did not started the War with the British, we would still be the slaves of the British and their chamchas , the cheddis.
Why the stupids want us to believe what they say without learning the history...
Cheddi leaders have tricked very easily many ignorants...Wow there are so many, who doenst use their God given intellect... and they stand with the LIARS... for petty gains...
Dont worry God is with those who are truthful... As a whole evils will perish one day
Add new comment