Prateek Tanmay
An unusual clip from a train has gone viral, showing a religious ceremony being performed inside a train coach. The viral video shows a priest seated on the floor of a coach conducting worship rituals while several devotees participate in the puja.
As the video gained momentum on social media, many users questioned whether religious ceremonies are permitted inside train coaches.
“I really don’t understand wt happened to India…Y all dis guys are behaving uneducated,” a user wrote. “This country is beyond repair,” another user commented.
Northern Railway clarifies
Responding to the speculation, Northern Railway clarified that the ceremony did not take place inside a regular passenger coach but inside a privately booked saloon car.
In a post on X, the railway zone said the saloon car had been commercially booked through IRCTC and was being used exclusively by a private party. According to Northern Railway, the booking was made on July 8 after the party paid an advance of Rs 3,08,580.
The railway authorities said 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,” Northern Railway said in its clarification.
👉🏻 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 one way journey from New Delhi (NDLS) to Mumbai (BDTS) on 10.07.2026.👉🏻NR issued…
— Northern Railway (@RailwayNorthern) July 12, 2026
What is a saloon car?
A saloon car is a private luxury railway coach that can be booked for commercial use. Typically designed for senior railway officials and VIP travel, it features air-conditioned bedrooms, a living and dining area, a kitchenette and attached bathrooms, offering significantly more privacy than regular passenger coaches.
Addressing concerns raised by the viral video, Northern Railway further stressed that passenger safety and train operations were not affected. “The primary roles and responsibilities of ensuring punctuality, safety, security, and convenience of the passengers lie with Railways without any compromise,” it said.
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The railway zone also clarified that the priest seen in the viral clip was performing an abhishek as part of the private ceremony and that no one was injured during the event.
