Making the celebrations of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav – 75 years of Indian Independence — interesting and informative, the Indian Railways announced the launch of a week-long celebrations.
The Iconic Week Celebrations from July 18 to 23 is titled “Azadi Ki Rail Gadi Aur Stations” and was inaugurated by the Chairman and CEO of Railway Board Vinay Kumar Tripathi.
Iconic Week Celebrations of ‘Azadi Ki Rail Gadi aur Stations’
Indian Railways is organising a week-long celebration from 18th to 23rd July to commemorate 75 identified stations & 27 trains that played an important role in freedom struggle
Glimpses from CSMT station #Mumbai 👇 pic.twitter.com/deex19jNuG
— PIB in Maharashtra 🇮🇳 (@PIBMumbai) July 18, 2022
The event will cover 27 trains and 75 railway stations across 24 States, all of which are linked to the Indian freedom struggle.
Sharing details about the event, Tripathi told the media: “The Railways is planning a week-long celebration, which will be called ‘Azadi ki Rail Gadi’ at these stations, while the trains will be decorated as they undertake their usual journeys. The stations will be called ‘Swatantrata stations’, the trains will be called “spotlight trains.”
He added that the week will culminate with the milestone function on July 23 at Delhi.
Cultural programme and photo exhibition organized at Barddhaman station of ER in connection with celebration of the iconic week -'Azadi Ki Rail Gadi Aur Stations' as a part of observance of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. #AmritMahotsav @amritmahotsav@minofculturegoi pic.twitter.com/ygVo8WrZhH
— Eastern Railway (@EasternRailway) July 19, 2022
During the celebrations, public announcement systems at railway stations will play patriotic songs throughout these days.
Among the 27 trains, most are linked to Mahatma Gandhi. These include the Ahimsa Express (between Ahmedabad and Pune); Ashram Express (Ahmedabad-Delhi); August Kranti Tejas Express (Mumbai Central- Hazrat Nizamuddin); Hutatma Express (Pune-Solapur); Lokshakti Express (Bandra Terminus-Ahmedabad); and Navjeevan Express (Ahmedabad-Chennai Central).
Other trains which are part of the list are Navyug Express (Mangalore Central-Jammu Tawi); Sabarmati Express (Ahmedabad-Varanasi and Ahmadabad-Darbhanga); Sarvodaya (Ahmedabad-Jammu Tawi); Sewagram Express (Mumbai C.S.T.-Nagpur); Shanti Express (Gandhinagar-Indore); and Swaraj Express (Bandra Terminus-Jammu Tawi).
The trains which are associated with Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore are Shantiniketan Express (Howrah-Bolpur); Gitanjali Express (Mumbai CST-Howrah); and Gurudev Express (Nagercoil -Shalimar).
Also included in the list are trains named after Netaji Subhas Bose. These are Netaji Express (Howrah– Kalka) and Azad Hind Express (Pune-Howrah).
Howrah-Kalka Netaji Express related to great escape of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose leaving Howrah on Monday night after being flagged off in a colorful manner in connection with celebration of iconic week -'Azadi Ki Rail Gadi Aur Stations'. @amritmahotsav
@minofculturegoi pic.twitter.com/ek05JsrWvq— Eastern Railway (@EasternRailway) July 19, 2022
The stations connected with this iconic leader are Cuttack, Odisha, which is where he was born and Gomoh in Jharkhand. Other stations included are Puri, Sambalpur, Dhenkanal, Khudiram Bose Pusa Railway station in Bihar which are connected with Chakhi Khuntia and Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das; Veer Surendra Sai; Baji Rout; and Khudiram Bose, respectively.
Other stations figuring in the list are Chauri Chaura, Ballia, Guntur, Vijayawada, Gadwal, Hyderabad, Jabalpur and Bhopal among others.
All the 75 stations will be illuminated and decorated and hold nukkad natak in local language, light and sound shows, display video films/ patriotic songs, etc.
Photo exhibitions and selfie points in the backdrop of Azadi Ki Rail Gadi have been put up in each of these stations.
Each of the trains under the Spot Lighting list will be flagged off by a freedom fighter’s family from the originating stations and these will be decorated appropriately. Historical facts about the trains would also be depicted at the station.
During the Milestone Function in Delhi family members of freedom fighters from the respective local area will be invited to the stations to share their story.
