A windowpane of a train headed from Surat to Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh was damaged after a stone or stones struck its laminated glass surface while it was passing through Jalgaon in Maharashtra, showed a video, sparking fear among devotees.
The incident was reported from the B6 coach – which carried 13 people – women, children and devotees – of the Prayagraj Tapti Ganga Express.
“Today we have left for Prayagraj from Surat Udhna. Today is 12th January. All the passengers are with us. At least 3 km ahead of Jalgaon, a stone was thrown by some anti-social elements. We request the Railway Minister to provide security to us,” said Rajendfra Gupta, a passenger in the affected coach, showing the damaged window.
The video of the incident is steadily going viral on social media.
Around 45 per cent of the people in the train are going to Prayagraj for Maha Kumbh.
The Central Railway and police have launched an investigation into the matter.
“A stone was thrown on this train, coming from Surat Udhna, near Jalgaon. In this case, immediate action was taken by the Railway Protection Force and four teams were deployed on the train. A complaint has also been lodged,” said Swapnil Neela, Chief Public Relations Officer of Central Railway.
The train will reach Prayagraj in the morning.
The CCTV footage is being examined by the Railway Police.
This edition of Maha Kumbh, from January 13 to February 26, is expected to be a mega draw, as it is set to coincide with a special alignment of the planets.
The festival is rooted in Hindu mythology, a battle between deities and demons for control of a pitcher, or kumbh, containing the nectar of immortality, and is held at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Sarasvati rivers.
During the battle, a cosmic fight called “Samudra Manthan”, or the “churning of the ocean”, four drops of nectar were spilt. One landed at Prayagraj, where the Kumbh is held every 12 years. The other drops fell in Nashik, Ujjain and Haridwar, cities where smaller Kumbh festivals are held in intervening years.
The last celebration at the site, the “ardh” or half Kumbh Mela in 2019, attracted 240 million pilgrims, according to the government.
A central part of the rituals is bathing in the holy rivers. On the most auspicious dates, it is known as Shahi Snan, or “royal bath”.
Hindus believe that those who immerse themselves in the waters cleanse themselves of sin, breaking free from the cycle of rebirth and ultimately attaining salvation.
(With inputs from Mahendra Prasad)