May 11, 2011, 12.51pm IST
VARANASI: Visiting the holy city, believed to be one of the world's oldest living cities, in this sultry weather when the mercury is hovering well above 40 degree Celsius may not seem to be a smart idea, but summer vacations and busy wedding season have already made the city a `hot` destination.
While the city is witnessing off-tourist season, reports of Cantonment railway station suggest there is hardly any berth available on the long-distance trains that culminate at the station in the next one month. Also, one has to literally struggle to get a confirmed reservation in sleeper or even air-conditioned coaches on various trains that arrive in the city from different parts of the country, till June 15.
"Getting a confirmed berth in any of the coaches of various trains leading to the holy city is becoming an uphill task in the summer season and one can easily witness a rush for tickets and crowded trains passing from the station these days," said Sher Singh, station manager, Cantt. He, thus, revealed the existing situation at the railway station, one of the busiest railway stations in east UP region. "The start of around a dozen pairs of summer special trains from the station is even proving inadequate to meet the increasing passenger load in this season," he added.
It may be mentioned here that over 100 trains including mail, express and passenger trains, ferry over 80,000 passengers cross the Cantt station per day. The station, having nine platforms, hardly remains vacant as there is arrival or departure of trains every 15 minutes from its different platforms.
Even, the reports of computerised reservation centre at the railway station indicate that while all berths on Varanasi-bound trains are full till June 15 next, there is also a rush for getting confirmed reservation for return journey. The maximum rush is witnessed on the New Delhi-Varanasi route, as the waiting list is crossing 100-mark for various trains including Shivganga, Kashi Vishwanath and Garib Rath that culminate at Cantt station. Similar rush can be also witnessed on Mumbai-Varanasi route, as it is difficult to get confirmed berth on Mahanagari and other trains that arrive in the city for the next one month.
As per one of the senior reservation officers based at Cantt station, the busy wedding season has made the situation really tight, most of the reservations are turning out to be block or party reservations, where visitors are arriving to attend wedding functions. He also indicated that the start of 12-day-long Ganga Pushkar Kumbh in the holy city had also added to the burden of visitors and pilgrims, especially from South India, who were braving sultry conditions to perform rituals associated with the auspicious event.
It is also worth mentioning that the city is witnessing arrival of over 50,000 South Indian devotees (mostly from Andhra Pradesh state) per day, out of which more than 50% are choosing trains as medium of transportation to reach the holy city.
