The Maha Kumbh began in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, on January 13. The historic occasion, which took place after 144 years, has attracted a great number of devotees. So much so that passengers are boarding trains without tickets to go to their destinations. Yes, you read it correctly. A now-viral video shows numerous ticketless passengers crowded inside a third-tier AC rail coach. Some of them even occupied seats designated for the Railway Protection Force (RPF). Meanwhile, a few others stood in confined areas along the narrow aisle. The post elicited diverse responses from the public.
A fellow traveler shared the footage on Instagram. He can be seen chatting with those seated on the lower berth of the RPF's fixed seats. When asked where they were going, one of them stated that they were going to the Maha Kumbh Mela. The man behind the lens depicted the congested aisle. “Without Ticket, AC Coach. Prayagraj Kumbh Mela," read the caption.
Watch the video here:
The video became viral after being shared, eliciting numerous emotions. Most claimed such incidences of Indian Railways trains being overcrowded were 'usual,' while the rest attributed 'devotion' to Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 for causing such an uncontrolled crowd.
A user wrote, “2nd AC, 1st AC ka bhi yehi haal h kya?? Is the situation the same in the second- and first-tier AC coaches?
“Government should make it free; Hindus are awake; all trains should be free,” a user wrote. “Take care of each other; we Hindus are all one,” added another person.
“Government should arrange special trains,” commented a third person. “Is this something to be proud of? Ticketless passengers taking over train seats is a major issue in India,” added a fourth person.
A social media user commented, “Then they wonder why we don’t develop. Absolute zero civic sense." “Is this something to be proud of?" asked one person sarcastically.
“Please adjust it... Kumbh me jaana her sanatani ka sapna hai. It is a dream for Hindus to visit the Maha Kumbh," pointed out someone else.
So far, the video has garnered over 4 million views and 82 thousand-plus likes. What are your thoughts on this?
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