Train With Ramayana-Themed Interiors, Bhajans Launching Soon; India’s 3rd Private Train Launched

Gods and Goddesses are a big part of Indians as well as the Indian Infrastructure!

The Indian Railways next edition of Ramayan Express is all set to launch a Ramayana-themed interiored train which will take the pilgrims to all the destinations associated with Lord Rama, said an official on February 14.

Meanwhile, Lord Shiva has a seat reserved for Him for the first time ever on the Kashi Mahakal Express that links three Jyotirlingas in two states which was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday February 16 from Varanasi and will start operating from February 20.

A Devotional Train Experience!

A special train called the ‘Shri Ramayana Express’, with a capacity of 800 passengers, started its service from November 14, 2019 which carried the pilgrims to all major locations of the mythological character.

The Shri Ramayana Express covered important destinations of the Ramayana circuit such as Nandigram, Sitamarhi, Janakpur, Varanasi, Prayag, Shringverpur, Chitrakoot, Nasik, Hampi, Ayodhya and Rameshwaram.

The next edition of Ramayana Express will have Ramayana themed interiors and bhajans playing on board. An official said, It said to give the passengers  the feel of being on a temple on wheels.

Railway Board Chairman V K Yadav said, “The new train is likely to be launched after March 10, 2020 and its annual schedule will be released in the coming week.”

Yadav said in a press briefing, “The train will originate from different locations — north, south, east and west — so that people from across the country can avail its services. The exterior and the interior of the train will be Ramayana-themed. We can have bhajans playing on board. IRCTC is planning the schedule and packages, and we are hoping to run the train after Holi.” 

The itinerary of the new Ramayana train is yet to be unveiled. 

A Reserved Seat for Lord Shiva!

Northern Railway spokesperson Deepak Kumar told PTI, Seat number 64 in coach B5 of Kashi Mahakal Express was reserved and left vacant for Lord Shiva. The Railways authorities are pondering if they should make a reserved seat for the “Bhole Baba” a permanent feature of the train. 

Indian Railways launched its third IRCTC-operated service, the PSU’s third corporate train, from Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi to Indore in Madhya Pradesh and has named it Kashi Mahakal Express. The train connects three Jyotirlingas; Omkareshwar near Indore, Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain and Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi. The train will cover 1,131 km between Varanasi and Indore via Lucknow and a distance of 1,102 km between Varanasi and Indore via Prayagraj (Allahabad) in approximately 19 hours.

Kumar added saying, “It’s for the first time that a seat has been reserved and left vacant for the deity Lord Shiva. Even a temple has been drawn on the seat to make people aware that the seat is reserved for the Lord Mahakal in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain.” 

Some of the new features of the fully 3-AC service that will run thrice a week between Varanasi and Indore will be light devotional music, two dedicated private guards in every coach and only vegetarian meals.

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