big Kumbh Mela Starting from today in Uttar Pradesh PrayagrajAnd will end on February 26, with millions of devotees attending the world’s largest religious gathering. To facilitate easy movement of passengers across India, Indian Railways will operate 13,000 trains including 10,000 regular and 3,000 special trains in 50 days.

According to reports, Indian Railways has also announced three special trains to connect Shri Mata Vaishno Devi area and Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, making it easier for pilgrims to join Maha Kumbh Mela 2025,

Special Train Schedule: Katra to Prayagraj

The first special train will depart from Katra at 3:50 am on January 24, 2025, which will reach Phaphamau station near Prayagraj at 5:45 am the next day. The return journey will start from Phaphamau at 3:15 am on January 26 and reach Katra at 5:05 am on January 27.

Covering a distance of 1,243 kilometres, the train will stop at major stations including Udhampur, Jammu, Kathua, Pathankot, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Ambala, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Bareilly, Lucknow and Rae Bareli.

To manage the anticipated surge in passengers, Northern and Central Railways are collaborating to deploy over 300 trains, including 80 dedicated special trains, for the event. Additionally, IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) has also set up a temporary “tent city” as well as medical booths and small hospitals in Prayagraj to cater to the first aid needs of the devotees.

The peak days will see an increase in ridership. The main bathing ritual (Shahi Snan) of Kumbh will take place on January 14 (Makar Sankranti), January 29 (Mauni Amavasya) and February 3 (Basant Panchami). Although Kumbh Melas are organized every year, but this Mahakumbh is unique. It is marked by a rare astronomical alignment of the Sun, Moon, Jupiter and Saturn – an event that occurs once every 144 years.

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