How to Get a Confirmed Train Ticket During the Shravan Rush

By: Swarn Rajhans | onJuly 5, 2025

The holy month of Shravan holds deep spiritual value in the hearts of Indians. Shravan 2025 is approaching soon and will be observed between 23 July and 22 Aug. Millions of devotees will head on to the pilgrimages to the various Shiva temples across the country. However, a major concern troubling the devotees is: securing a Confirmed (CNF) train ticket.

An important aspect of the holy month of Shravan (often called Sawan) is the Kanwar Yatra where millions of devotees collect the Holy Water (Jal) from the sacred Ganges river and offer it to Lord Shiva. This month of devotion and pilgrimage makes the atmosphere turn saffron with frequent chants of ‘Bol Bam’ and ‘Har Har Mahadev’.

In this blog, we are going to discuss the must visit pilgrimage places, why getting a train ticket is difficult during Shravan, the best time to book a confirmed train ticket along with other ticket booking tips and strategies. So, stay with us as we take you to a confirmed Shravan yatra.

Must-Visit Pilgrimage Destinations During Shravan Yatra

Shravan is synonymous with the worship of Lord Shiva and various shrines dedicated to him become the hotspot for pilgrims all around the country. Some of these important places are:

Haridwar: Haridwar is one of the most sacred cities and has a special spiritual significance during the month of Shravan. It serves as a starting point for the Kanwar Yatra, where Kanwariyas collect water from the Ganges river. Har ki Pauri is an important ghat and a focal point for the rituals.
Deoghar (via Jasidih): Baba Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar Jharkhand is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in the country. Millions of devotees from the surrounding regions of Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal visit this religious site. This site has a famous folklore associated with it, which grants every wish of the devotees visiting Baba Baidyanath in the holy month of Shravan.
Varanasi: Varanasi or Banaras is the eternal abode of Lord Mahadev. This city was founded by the Lord himself and the Kashi Vishwanth Mandir is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. There is a huge queue of devotees outside the temple on Shravan Mondays and Ganga Aartis during this sacred month is an unforgettable experience of faith and devotion.
Ujjain: Ujjain is home to another Jyotirlinga in the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga. This jyotirlinga is considered especially powerful as it is the only one which is South facing. A special attraction during the Shravan in Ujjain is the Bhasma Aarti.
Sultanganj: Located in Bihar, Sultanganj is an important Shravan destination as many pilgrims carry the holy water from here for offering at the Baba Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar. Devotees wear Saffron clothes and walk bare feet towards Mahadev’ shrine. The river orange flows with chants to Lord Shiva’s glory.

Trimbakeshwar: Another jyotirlinga located near Nashik Maharashtra is the Trimbakeshwar. Devotees often go out on a Panch Jyotirlinga Darshan yatra which is a trip to the Five Jyotirlingas located in Maharashtra.

You can use RailMitra’s Train Schedule service to track all the trains on these stations along with the train’s stopping station, arrival and departure timings, halt duration, etc.

Why Is It Hard to Get a Train Ticket During Shravan?

In the holy month of Shravan, millions of devotees carry the holy Ganges water to shrines of Lord Shiva. The huge rush of devotees is at the centre of the hardships in securing a confirmed train ticket.

Some of the reasons that elevate the difficulty are:

Huge outpour of pilgrims: Millions of pilgrims head to the Shravan centres such as Haridwar, Jasidih and Sultanpur mostly by trains.

Date wise schedule of Shravan: While the whole month is sacred there are few special days in this month: Nag Panchami, Raksha Bandhan, and all the Mondays. All the devotees want a darshan during these days, which makes the visit even more crowded and concentrated.

Group booking: Most Kanwariyas travel in groups, booking multiple seats at once.

Peak season booking: Most of the tickets are booked beforehand leaving very limited options for last minute travellers.

When Should You Book a Train Ticket for Shravan Travel?

The most important element of a Confirmed train ticket in Shravan 2025 is timings. Planning early is essential if you want to travel this monsoon festive season.

The best time to book the train ticket was 60 days before the date of departure of the train. Ticket bookings open this time and confirmation chances are highest here. However, that window has already passed.
Use RailMitra platform to check train seat availability of the trains to see if there are still some seats available for booking.
Try to plan departures on the weekdays. Weekends are high rush days even on normal days. Avoid this to enhance chances of confirmed train ticket.

How to Use Tatkal and Premium Tatkal to Your Advantage

If you missed the general train ticket booking window, Tatkal and Premium Tatkal ticket booking is the best bet to ensure a train travel in Sawan 2025.

What is Tatkal Train Ticket?

Tatkal ticket is Indian Railways initiative to provide a chance of confirmed tickets to last minute travellers. Train booking opens one day prior to the departure of trains:

For Air-conditioned classes: 10: 00 AM
For Sleeper classes: 11:00 AM

A minimal tatkal charges are levied thus increasing the price a little.

What is a Premium Tatkal train ticket?

Premium Tatkal is another last minute booking option which has a dynamic pricing. Charges are exceptionally high matching those of a flight ticket.

Smart Booking Tips:

Log in 5 minutes prior to the opening time, i.e., 9:55 AM and 10:55 AM.
Use Railways Master List feature to pre save passenger details. This saves time and increases chances of ticket confirmation.
Use faster payment methods like IRCTC eWallet, Paytm wallet or other UPI Methods.
Use mobile phones instead of a PC to book tickets.
Instead of PIN authentication opt for a Biometric authentication.

IRCTC Vikalp Scheme: A Blessing for Waitlisted Devotees

If even after all the elaborate planning, you failed to secure a confirmed train ticket, there is no need to worry. Railways has introduced a brillant scheme to provide relief to Waitlisted passengers in the Vikalp Scheme.

What is the Vikalp Scheme?

Vikalp Scheme provides Waitlisted passengers with alternative train boarding options.
It’s a free opt-in service where passengers can select up to seven trains on the same route and nearby stations.
If your original train ticket remains waitlisted even at the time of the departure, the system checks for available seats on the selected trains. If seats are available then your ticket is confirmed on one of these trains.
No additional charge is levied on the passenger.

Explore Special Trains Announced for Shravan and Kanwar Yatra

Indian Railways has announced 17 Shravan special trains considering the huge rush of devotees to the pilgrim stations. Here is a list of all the special trains:

05597/05598 – Jaynagar–Asansol–Jaynagar Shravani Mela Special
05545/05546 – Raxaul–Devghar–Raxaul Shravani Mela Special
03236/03235 – Danapur–Sahibganj–Danapur Shravani Mela Special
03511/03512 – Asansol–Patna–Asansol Shravani Mela Special
05028/05027 – Badhni–Devghar–Badhni Shravani Mela Special
08855/08856 – Gondia–Madhupur–Gondia Shravani Mela Special
03480/03479 – Jamalpur–Sultan Ganj–Jamalpur Shravani Mela Special
03442/03441 – Jamalpur–Devghar–Jamalpur Shravani Mela Special
03444/03443 – Devghar–Godda–Devghar Shravani Mela Special
03501/03502 – Jasidih–Baidyanath Dham–Jasidih MEMU Special
03503/03504 – Jasidih–Baidyanath Dham–Jasidih MEMU Special
03505/03506 – Jasidih–Baidyanath Dham–Jasidih MEMU Special
03146/03145 – Jasidih–Dumka–Jasidih MEMU Special
03148/03147 – Jasidih–Dumka–Jasidih MEMU Special
03507/03508 – Devghar–Jasidih–Devghar MEMU Special
03150/03149 – Jasidih–Godda–Jasidih MEMU Special
07540/07539 – Katihar–Manihari–Katihar Shravani Mela Special

If you are going to board any of these trains, it is advisable to track the trains and their current station first. RailMitra’s fast and smooth facility to check live train running status online can provide your train’s location in a second.

Food in Train During Shravan Yatra

The biggest concern for devotees in Shravan Yatra is Sattvic (Satvik) and Pure veg food in train. RailMitra has partnered with over 2500 food vendors who are all FSSAI approved, thus providing the most hygienic and pure veg food in train.

Apart from these there are various offers and coupons for you to explore and claim a hefty cut on your train food orders (Terms and Conditions Applied):

Get food delivered at the next station
RMGROUP – RailMitra Special Group Offer: Flat 15% off on all Group Orders
GROUP120 – Group Meal Discount — Rs.120 Off on RailMitra. Use code GROUP120 and enjoy tasty savings perfect for your next family trip.
RMSAFAR – On the Move? Save Rs.50 OFF on your train meals and make your journey delicious. Valid on orders above Rs.249

Offers are for a limited time. So don’t waste your time and order Sattvic food in train only with RailMitra.

Conclusion

Getting a confirmed train ticket during this festive rush of Sawan 2025 might feel challenging. However, with the right strategy we can secure a comfortable and peaceful spiritual journey. Whether it be a visit to the Kashi Vishwanath Mandir in Varanasi or fetching the sacred Jal at Sultanpur or paying a visit to Baba Baidyanath, RailMitra helps you in every step of your Kanwar Yatra.

Use smart ticket booking techniques and railway services such as Tatkal ticket booking and Vikalp options to increase your chances of confirmed train ticket. RailMitra services such as Live train running status, PNR Check, Train Schedule and many more are always at your service, easing your journey.

Plan ahead, travel peacefully and keep chanting the name of Lord Mahadev this Shravan.