Chhath Puja preparations are in full swing and Indian Railways is gearing up to cater to the festive rush. The festival dedicated to the Sun God, which will be celebrated on October 27, is a few days away, but the Indian Railways has arranged to run more than 12,000 special trains across the country.
Known by various names like Surya Shashti, Chhath, Chhathi, Chhath Parv, Dala Puja and Dala Chhath, it is a time to worship Lord Surya to seek blessings for a prosperous and progressive life. Amid an expected surge in passenger traffic, the railways plans to add another 8,000 special trains in the coming days, Indian Railways (CPRO) Northern Railway’s executive director of public relations said.
Discussing the measures taken by the railways to deal with the festive rush, East Central Railway CPRO Sarawati Chandra said, “More than 1,800 special trains were run by East Central Railway (ECR) for Chhath Puja. Thousands of trains were run for Bihar by other zones.”
Suggesting that waiting rooms be built at railway stations for the convenience of passengers, he added, “Queues are being made for passengers. Due to the crowd, arrangements are being made for more trains.”
On Tuesday, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw visited the New Delhi railway station to take stock of the measures taken on the ground.
After reviewing the preparedness and travel arrangements, he said 12 million railway employees are working round the clock to ensure that passengers reach their destinations safely. “So far about 1 million passengers have traveled in the special trains,” added Ashwini Vaishnaw.
For this festive season, Central Railway added 1998 special trains while Northern Railway added 1919 trains. This follows the successful operation of 3960 special trains before the festival of Diwali, between October 1 and 19.
Chhath Puja preparations in Delhi
On October 21, Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra announced a single-window clearance system for obtaining permission to host Chhath Puja. According to the Minister for Arts, Culture and Language, over 1,000 venues have been identified in the city for the upcoming festival, one of the biggest arrangements to date.
He called a meeting with the Purvanchal Morcha to review the preparations for the celebrations. Special preparations are underway to celebrate Chhath Puja at Jamuna river ghats, Dwarka, Hathi Ghat, Pitampura and Sonia Vihar, PTI reported.
