Viral video shows religious ceremony inside moving train; Railways responds
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Viral video shows religious ceremony inside moving train; Railways responds")
Screengrab from viral videos. Photograph: (X/@SocialistSpirit)
A viral video showing a religious ceremony inside a moving train sparked debate. Northern Railway clarified it took place in a privately booked saloon car, reserved for Rs 3.08 lakh through IRCTC.
A video showing a religious ceremony taking place inside a moving train has gone viral on social media, triggering a debate about whether such rituals are allowed inside a train. In the video, a priest can be seen sitting on the floor of a train couch and performing worship rituals. Several devotees can also be seen participating in the ceremony. This comes after another viral video of a “Honeymoon coach” that sparked controversy.
After the video went viral on social media, the Northern Railway issued a statement, clarifying that the religious ceremony did not take place inside a passenger coach, but a privately booked saloon car. It added that the booking was made through the official Indian Railways online ticketing portal for over Rs 3,00,000.
“The Saloon Car was booked by IRCTC on 08.07.26. The party made an advance payment of Rs 3,08,580 as commercial booking. The Saloon Car was to be attached in Train No. 12926 Paschim Express on one way journey from New Delhi (NDLS) to Mumbai (BDTS) on 10.07.2026,” the Northern Railway said in a statement on X.
“NR issued Notification of commercial run of the Saloon on 10.07.2026 subject to operational feasibility,” it added.
The statement further added, “The primary roles and responsibilities of ensuring punctuality, safety, security, convenience of the passengers lies with Railways without any compromise. In this incident, none got injured. Priest seen performing abhishek is being performed in saloon car booked by party.”
A saloon car is a private, luxury railway coach designed for senior officials and VIPs. It is equipped with air-conditioned bedrooms, a kitchenette, a living and dining area, attached washrooms and other modern amenities.
