Puja inside a moving train? Railways clarifies on viral video, says coach was booked for over ₹3 lakh

In a clip posted on X, a priest was seen sitting on the floor of the coach while performing worship rituals inside a moving train.

Published on: Jul 13, 2026, 06:59:24 IST

By Sanya Jain

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After the viral 'Suhagrat coach' grabbed headlines, another unusual video from an Indian train has sparked discussion online. This time, footage showing a religious ceremony being performed inside a train coach has gone viral on social media.

A viral video shows puja rituals being performed inside a moving train.

In a clip posted on X, a priest was seen sitting on the floor of the coach while performing worship rituals, with several devotees — most dressed in white — participating in the puja. The rituals were performed inside a moving train, raising questions over whether religious ceremonies are allowed inside train coaches.

(Also read: ‘Suhagrat Express’: 1st AC coupe decorated like bedroom with flowers, balloons, fairy lights)

Following the video's circulation, Northern Railways clarified that the rituals were held inside a privately booked saloon car and that the coach had been allotted through a commercial booking made with IRCTC.

Railways clarifies

The official X account of Northern Railway replied to a post seeking answers and said that the puja took place inside a special saloon car.

Northern Railway clarified that the religious ceremony took place inside a saloon car that had been booked by a private party through IRCTC, rather than in a regular passenger coach. A saloon car on a train is a private, luxurious rail carriage designed for high-ranking officials and VIPs. It comes with air conditioned bedrooms, a kitchenette, a living and dining room, attached washrooms and more.

According to the railway zone, the booking was made on July 8, with the party paying more than ₹3 lakh as advance for the commercial booking. The saloon car was scheduled to be attached to Train No. 12926 Paschim Express for a one-way journey from New Delhi (NDLS) to Mumbai (BDTS) on July 10.

“The Saloon Car was booked by IRCTC on 08.07.26.The party made an advance payment of ₹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 X account of Northern Railway clarified.

Railways says safety was not compromised

The railway authorities stressed that passenger safety and train operations remained their top priority, saying, "The primary roles and responsibilities of ensuring punctuality, safety, security, convenience of the passengers lies with Railways without any compromise."

It added that "none got injured" during the incident and clarified that "the priest seen performing abhishek" was part of the ceremony being conducted inside the privately booked saloon car.

(Also read: Viral 'Suhagrat Express' sparks question: Does Indian Railways allow private coaches?)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sanya Jain
Sanya Jain is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times Digital. She has nearly a decade of experience in covering offbeat stories that speak to the everyday experience - from viral videos to human interest copies that spark conversation. Her interests stretch across business, pop culture, social media trends, entertainment and global affairs. Before joining Hindustan Times, Sanya spent two years with Moneycontrol and five years with NDTV. She holds an undergraduate degree in English literature from St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and a master’s in journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai. Sanya has a sharp eye for spotting emerging trends and looking for newsworthy angles to elevate viral posts into meaningful narratives. She was the first one, for example, to cover Narayana Murthy’s remark on 70-hour work weeks that sparked a national conversation. She is equally at ease writing about business leaders as about the common man, about issues of national importance and memes that amuse social media. Sanya enjoys speaking with content creators, newsmakers and entrepreneurs to transform everyday moments into engaging, slice-of-life stories that resonate with readers. When she is not working, Sanya can be found curled up with a good book. Born and raised in Lucknow, she has spent the last several years in Delhi. She is deeply interested in animal welfare and now spends a lot of her time running after her destructive orange cat.Read More

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