Indian Railways runs 244 special trains during Mauni Amavasya, carrying over 4.5 lakh passengers in just two weeks

New Delhi [India], January 19 (ANI): Indian Railways successfully managed rail traffic during the Mauni Amavasya period, operating 244 special trains across the country since 3 January 2026, ensuring smooth and convenient travel for devotees.
These trains, run by 31 trains of Northern Railway (NR), 158 trains of North Central Railway (NCR), and 55 trains of North Eastern Railway (NER), served around 4.5 lakh passengers.
The special services were planned and managed carefully to facilitate hassle-free journeys and safe travel during the festive period.
On the occasion, Prayagraj witnessed the peak of festive travel with 40 special trains in operation, including 11 trains of NR, 22 trains of NCR, and 7 trains of NER, carrying approximately 1 lakh passengers.
On Sunday, on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya, a special Yamuna Aarti was organised at the Yamuna Ghat near ITO in Delhi.
BJP leader and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Standing Committee Chairperson Satya Sharma, along with other leaders and devotees, participated in the Aarti. The event witnessed devotees gathering to offer prayers to the Yamuna on the auspicious occasion.
Meanwhile, in Prayagraj, Divisional Commissioner Soumya Agarwal said that more than three crore devotees have already taken a holy dip during the ongoing Magh Mela on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya."Today, on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya, more than 3 crore devotees have already taken the holy dip... There is a continuous crowd on the ghats... Everything is normal," Agarwal told ANI.
Flower petals were showered on devotees who arrived at the Sangam in Prayagraj for a holy dip on Mauni Amavasya. As part of the arrangements during the Magh Mela, a helicopter showered flower petals on the large gathering of devotees present at the ghats for the ritual bath.
Prayagraj District Magistrate Manish Kumar Verma said that the ritual of the Mauni Amavasya holy bath began at midnight and continued uninterrupted despite challenging weather conditions.
"The bath on Mauni Amavasya bath started at 12 o'clock at night. The devotees continue to arrive. Although there was a lot of fog at night, devotees still reached in large numbers. The bath has been going on at every ghat since morning....The weather is very pleasant," Verma told ANI.
He further added, "The sunlight is good....Till 12 PM, more than 3 crore devotees had taken the holy dip... The number of devotees arriving has decreased now..."Authorities said adequate arrangements were in place to manage the large influx of devotees and ensure the smooth conduct of rituals during the auspicious occasion. (ANI)