“Namaz inside a train is intolerable; transforming a train cabin into a honeymoon suite goes against culture, but doing Rudrabhishek inside a VIP Saloon Coach is perfectly fine.” Leftists have found a new issue to outrage over, cry ‘Hindu majoritarianism’, and target the ruling dispensation.
On 12th July, a video went viral online, showing a Rudrabhishek puja being performed inside a moving train saloon coach. The 32-second video shows pandits seated on the floor of a booked private VIP saloon coach, conducting puja rituals alongside others. It shows a proper Rudrabhishek puja setting with utensils for offering, a shivling, flowers, and an echo of devotional chants.
The video, however, irked many on social media. Soon after, an outrage erupted with claims of safety, fire hazards, questions over allowing religious rituals on trains, and comparisons of incidents like Muslims offering namaz inside a train or a recent ‘honeymoon coach’ decoration case.
ट्रेन में नमाज़ पढ़ने पर भावनाएं आहत हो जाती हैं…
— Sudhanshu Yadav (@SocialistSpirit) July 12, 2026
ट्रेन के केबिन में हनीमून का सरप्राइज देने पर संस्कृति खतरे में आ जाती है और TTE सस्पेंड हो जाता है…
लेकिन जब भारतीय रेलवे के एक वीआईपी सैलून कोच (Saloon Coach) के अंदर बकायदा पंडितों को बुलाकर, चलती ट्रेन में पूरा तामझाम… pic.twitter.com/7use0bmfde
In this vein, one self-declared ‘Ambedkarite’ wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Emotions get hurt when someone offers namaz in a train… When a honeymoon surprise is given in a train cabin, culture is suddenly in danger, and the TTE gets suspended… But when a full-blown Rudrabhishek and puja-path is conducted inside a running train by calling in priests with all the pomp and show in an Indian Railways VIP Saloon Coach, where do all the rules, regulations, and the objections from the entire society disappear to? It is being claimed that this video features officials and staff of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ji performing this religious ritual inside a train during an official or VIP journey… The question is not about any religion or mode of worship—the question is about the double standards in rules…”
He also shot several questions about the safety of co-passengers, if public transport can be used for religious purposes, if Muslims are not allowed to offer namaz, why Hindus are allowed to do Rudrabhishek, etc. Somehow, Yadav even invoked the Constitution.
“The question is not about any religion or mode of worship—the question is about the double standards in rules… Is it right, from the perspective of co-passengers’ safety or the train’s security, to keep liquids, large metal vessels, and ritual materials like this inside a moving train??? Can public transport (Public Transport) or a government saloon coach be openly used like this for personal religious rituals??? Why isn’t the law equal for everyone??? If the railways take immediate action on any act by the common public, why do the railway manuals change for VIPs or their staff??? In the eyes of the Constitution and the law, every citizen and every religion should be equal. If rules are strict in one place, accountability must be enforced in the other as well… What is your opinion on this hypocrisy? Should such events be allowed in VIP coaches???” he asked.
Meanwhile, Alt News’s Islamist propagandist Mohammed Zubair tagged the Minister for Railways and the Railway Ministry’s official handles to question if the performance of Rudrabhishek inside a moving train was allowed.
“Hello @AshwiniVaishnaw, was this approved by @RailMinIndia? If so, What is the procedure?” he asked.
In response to Zubair’s post, Northern Railway issued a clarification. It said that the Rudrabhishek puja ceremony was not performed in a regular passenger coach, but in a privately chartered saloon coach booked commercially via IRCTC. The booking was made on 8th July 2026, with an advance payment of Rs 3,08,580. The saloon coach was attached to train number 12926, Pashchim Express, for a journey from New Delhi to Mumbai on 10th July 2026.
“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 a one-way journey from New Delhi (NDLS) to Mumbai (BDTS) on 10.07.2026. NR issued Notification of commercial run of the Saloon on 10.07.2026 subject to operational feasibility,” the Northern Railway said.
It further emphasised that passenger safety, punctuality, and security were maintained throughout, with no injuries or operational issues reported.
“The primary roles and responsibilities of ensuring punctuality, safety, security, and 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,” the Northern Railway stated.
What are the features of a saloon coach, and why the outrage over Rudrabhishek-on-train is largely misplaced
While Islamo-leftists have somehow inserted their own Muslim victimhood agenda in the issue, many others raised genuine concerns about passenger safety as lighting of diyas, which is usually a requisite in Hindu puja rituals, could be a serious fire hazard.
However, those outraging a ignorantly conflating a private chartered space with public space. A saloon coach is a fully private and paid-for facility, functioning like a luxurious moving 1 BHK apartment on wheels. The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) charters saloon coaches for exclusive use by families or groups.
Customers are provided an entire coach, typically with 2 AC bedrooms, attached baths, lounge or dining area, and a kitchenette, where trained railway cook and cooking materials are provided at additional cost.
A saloon coach is not a shared public coach or even a regular coupe. It is like an expensive rented hotel suite, wherein full control lies with the customer for a specific time period.
However, ‘full control’ does not mean, the booking party has the right to jeopardise the safety of other passengers in the train.
Personal activities, including religious rituals are permissible in such private paid spaces only as long as they cause no damage to railway property, or pose risk to the safety of co-passengers, and make any impositions on others.
Coming to whether performing Rudrabhishek inside a moving train, even if done in a paid private space, is a safety hazard or not, it is important understand what is Rudrabhishek and how it is different from the conventional puja rituals involving lighting of diyas, incense sticks, etc.
The Rudrabhishek ritual centres on “abhishek”, which here means an auspicious bath for Rudra or Lord Shiva. Devotees bathe a Shivling with milk, Gangajal, honey, curd, Bilva leaves, rose water, and flowers, while chanting Rudram-Chamkam mantras from Yajurveda. Rudrabhishek is essentially a Vedic purification and worship ritual dedicated to Mahadev.
While a deep or diya or oil/ghee lamp is common in Hindu puja rituals for aarti, it is not essential to the core of Rudrabhishek. Though not restricted, open flame is not a compulsory part of Rudrabhishek. In addition, performance of Havan, which requires building a fire, is a part of Rudrabhishek.
In fact, in situations where full-fledged performance of elaborate rituals is not feasible, Hindu karma-kand guidelines have the concept of Manas Puja, which refers to inner or mental worship, involving devotees expressing devotion and making their offerings without physical props. Thus, the presence of Agni in any form is not essential in a Rudrabhishek puja.
Even the viral video does not show any lighted diyas or open flame. The Ministry of Railways also confirmed there was no report of any fire incident, smoke or hazard.
The IRTCTC provides at least two train saloon coach attendants, including one AC attendant and one saloon attendant to ensure a comfortable journey for the customers.
These attendants are well-informed about safety protocols and, in case passengers end up doing something that could be deemed a safety hazard, the attendants do stop passengers from doing such things.
In the present case, the attendants must have been aware that the passengers in the saloon coach were performing Rudrabhishek and had they lit an open flame that could’ve been risky, the attendants would have stopped them. In case the passengers refused to follow the instructions, the attendants would have informed their superiors for necessary intervention.
Many online have compared Rudrabhishek in a paid private saloon coach with unauthorised honeymoon decoration in a regular AC coupe. Unlike in the present case involving a fully chartered exclusive saloon coach wherein the hirer arranges everything internally, in the ‘honeymoon decoration’ case, an external private decorator entered a shared First AC coach in Nandigram Express without authorisation, decorated berths, in a blatant violation of security protocol in non-private space, thus warranting action.
Islamo-leftists are alleging double standards and crying hoarse that the authorities follow different rules when Muslims offer namaz on train, and different rules when Hindus perform puja. However, often driven by an Islamist itch to assert religious dominance, Muslims usually offer namaz in general or sleeper coaches, which essentially are shared public spaces, by blocking movement and affecting the space of co-passengers. Their case of creating nuisance in a public space is in no way comparable to people booking a private saloon coach and doing puja without violating safety protocols.
On the question of whether the Indian Railways guidelines explicitly allow religious ceremonies inside a privately booked saloon coach, the authorities neither explicitly permit nor ban religious events. Since a saloon coach is exclusively reserved for a passenger group, it is treated as a private space throughout the journey it is paid for. In such a private space, the IRCTC ensures that despite paid freedoms, passengers cannot damage railway property, cause public nuisance or interfere with train operations.
While many found the clarification issued by the Northern Railway too technical and disappointing, the department did not heed the agenda-driven outrage simply because there were no apparent safety protocol violations or breach of other rules in the present case.
