Prayagraj Kumbh Mela 2019: 800 Special Trains Launched by the Railways

Pilgrims who aesthetically believe and have devoted their lives to serving their almighty God can’t afford to miss the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela which occurs once in 12 years. It is one of the greatest religious gatherings of the world where followers and worshippers from all over India and tourists from all over the globe throng to visualize the true religious colors of India.  The Kumbh Mela is known for its ritual of bathing in the holy river. Kumbh is a Sangam of three rivers (Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati) meeting at a point and it is believed that a holy dip in the pious water will cleanse all the sins of all past and present births. Another attraction of the Kumbh Mela is the Peshwai Procession and the arrival of the members of an akhara or sect of sadhus at the Kumbh Mela.  The Kumbh Mela has received significant media coverage in Wall Street Journal, BBC, and the Guardian. The population of the pilgrims are uncountable and there is no precise method to calculate the number of pilgrims visiting this mass Mela. 

800 Special Trains on Track for Kumbh Mela Pilgrims
To effectively channelize and facilitate the waves of pilgrims arriving towards Allahabad, Indian Railways (IR) has decided to run 800 special trains for the devotees. These trains will run from multiple stations of Allahabad.
Amit Malviya, a railway official said, “Six special trains will come to Allahabad from different railway zones of the country for pilgrims and tourists participating in the Kumbh Mela.”He said the railways planned to operate four to five special trains to ferry 5,000 Pravasi Bhartiyas from Allahabad to New Delhi. They will be in Allahabad to participate in the Kumbh Mela after attending the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas at Varanasi”.
List of Kumbh 2019 Special Trains from Prayagraj

Branding of Kumbh Mela by Indian Railways:
With the arrival of Kumbh Mela, Indian Railways has taken branding initiatives which will promote Kumbh Mela. Through this, the IR has decided to refurbish 1,400 old coaches with attractive images of Kumbh Mela in the interiors and exteriors of train. In addition to the decoration of coaches, a new campaign is launched called “Paint My City” through which Railways encourage the painting of residential colonies and stations with the theme of Prayagraj Mela. The North Central Zone Cultural Center has decided to put up stalls in passenger enclosures showcasing the art, culture and heritage of Allahabad and Kumbh Mela.   

Discontinuation of “Mela Surcharge” on Railway Tickets
Indian Railways will discontinue the charging of “Mela surcharge from the passengers. Earlier a certain percentage of the ticket amount was charged as a “Mela surcharge” from the travelers to manage the extra-internal expenditure on the fairs. According to the circular released, Indian railways will stop levying Mela surcharge from Dec.11 2018.

Formation of Enclosures
Around four enclosures are erected at Allahabad Railway Station to accommodate 10,000 pilgrims. These enclosures will have facilities like refreshment stalls, water booth, ticket counters, LCD TVs, public address system, CCTV’s and separate toilets for men and women. Similar passenger enclosures have also been built at other stations.
The journey via Railways to the pious Prayagraj Mela can turn hectic, as there is immense planning required. RailMitra is the ultimate solution to plan your train journey in advance, without any hassles. The RailMitra mobile application has travel-friendly functions through which any passenger can check their PNR status, train running status, seat availability and order food in train. It’s a one stop service for train travel planners. Go ahead and plan your journey via RailMitra to the holy place of Prayagraj.