In an unusual sight, several devotees were found conducting Shravan puja on the railway tracks near Chembur station in Mumbai.
Following a complaint by commuters, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) intervened and removed the devotees from the premises.
Initially, the visuals of the puja setup, which shows people placing flowers and offerings on the railway track, were shared by Chetan Kamble on X. Later, it went viral on the social media platform.
It is concerning to see superstitious practices carried out on @Central_Railway Chembur railway tracks.
— Chetan Kamble (@ckdadar) July 30, 2024
This poses serious safety risks. Authorities must enforce strict regulations to prevent such activities. @ShivajiIRTS @rajtoday @mashrujeet @mumbaimatterz @Mumbaikhabar9… pic.twitter.com/gl3lfv5Yvo
In response to these visuals, the RPF Mumbai Division confirmed that necessary action had been taken.
As per the RPF report, the incident occurred on July 30, 2024, at around 1:00 PM. They received information about people performing puja on the railway track at the Kurla end of Chembur station.
श्रीमानजी उपरोक्त शिकायत के संबंध में रिपोर्ट इस प्रकार है कि, आज दिनांक 30.07.2024 को समय करीबन 13.00 बजे जानकारी प्राप्त हुई कि, कुछ लोग चेंबूर स्टेशन के कुर्ला एंड की और रेलवे ट्रैक पर पूजा कर रहे है। सूचना मिलते ही चेंबूर स्टेशन पर तैनात आरक्षक आशुतोष सिंह तथा GRP वडाला 1/3
— RPF Mumbai Division (@RPFCRBB) July 30, 2024
Constable Ashutosh Singh, stationed at Chembur, along with personnel from GRP Wadala, promptly arrived at the location and persuaded the devotees to leave the tracks.
The devotees explained to the RPF personnel that a temple used to be located adjacent to the rail tracks, and this ritual had been conducted there since its existence.
The RPF assured that appropriate arrangements were made by the GRP/RPF staff to handle the situation. They also mentioned that all officers and staff had been briefed about the incident during their duty shifts.