The IRCTC, however, said on Monday that the seat was reserved for Lord Shiva during its inaugural run as a "one-time affair" to seek "blessings" for the success of the new project.
For the first time ever, the Kashi-Mahakaal Express train has been turned into a mini-temple for Lord Shiva. Seat number 64 of coach B5 on the train was reserved and left vacant for the deity.
The train was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video-conferencing on February 16. It will cover a distance of 1,131 km between Varanasi and Indore via Lucknow and a distance of 1,102 km between Varanasi and Indore via Prayagraj (Allahabad) in approximately 19 hours.
Railway authorities have kept pictures dedicated to Lord Shiva at the fixed seat that has been reserved for the deity. According to an ANI report, some officials want to turn the Seat No. 64 of Coach B5 of Kashi-Mahakaal Express into a sort of makeshift mini-temple to Lord Shiva, for offering prayers on auspicious days and occasions.
The IRCTC, however, said on Monday that the seat was reserved for Lord Shiva during its inaugural run as a "one-time affair" to seek "blessings" for the success of the new project.
Issuing a statement, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) said the train staff had "temporarily put the photos of Shri Mahakaal" on an upper berth during the inaugural run on Sunday to perform a pooja.
"The inaugural run was also not open to passengers. There is going to be no such reserved or dedicated berth for this purpose in the commercial run of the train which is starting from February 20, 2020, onwards," the statement added.
Indian Railways' move to reserve a fixed seat for Lord Shiva in the Kashi-Mahakaal Express has generated some controversy.
AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi tweeted a photo of the Preamble of the Constitution, tagging the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and questioning the move by railway authorities.
The train will connect the three Jyotirling pilgrim centers of Varanasi, Ujjain, and Omkareshwar. It is scheduled to begin its first commercial run on February 20.
It will be the third train to be run by the IRCTC, a subsidiary of the Indian Railways that handles the catering, tourism and online ticketing operations.
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