A couple from Varanasi chose a unique way to celebrate their son’s sixth birthday inside Kashmir’s first-ever Vande Bharat Express train. Rakesh and Neha Jaiswal marked the occasion by cutting a cake with their son Moksh as the train passed over the newly inaugurated Anji Khad Bridge, the tallest railway bridge in India.
The celebration coincided with a historic moment for the region. On June 6, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first Vande Bharat Express train to Kashmir, flagging it off from Jammu after the completion of the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project. Modi also flagged off a train from Srinagar to Katra on the same day.
Rakesh Jaiswal told ANI, “It was a coincidence that it was our son’s birthday the same day PM Modi was going to flag off this train. We thought we should celebrate our son’s birthday on the first journey of this train so that his birthday becomes memorable for him.”
His wife Neha Jaiswal added, “This is the best gift for our son... We made this plan because of PM Modi.”
{{/usCountry}}His wife Neha Jaiswal added, “This is the best gift for our son... We made this plan because of PM Modi.”
{{/usCountry}}A video shared by ANI captures the moment: the family can be seen seated inside the Vande Bharat Express, clapping joyfully as young Moksh cuts his birthday cake, creating a memorable moment aboard the inaugural service.
Take a look at the video:
The Vande Bharat Express now connects Jammu’s Katra with Srinagar, marking a significant milestone in improving connectivity to the Kashmir Valley. Until now, train services in the region operated between Banihal and Baramulla, north of Srinagar in the Kashmir Valley, and between Jammu, Udhampur, and Katra in the Jammu region.