MARGAO
If dozens of pilgrims burnt the midnight oil on Wednesday night in an attempt to buy a ticket for the Vailankani journey on Thursday, dozens of others from Salcete taluka trickled in at the station premises in the wee hours of Thursday to stand in the queue with the hope of getting a ticket on Friday morning. As the train bookings for Vailankani commenced since the last two days, pilgrims have made a beeline at Margao railway station to buy the all-important ticket to reach the pilgrim centre for the Maddi of Our Lady of Vailankani on Friday. Former Aquem-Baixo sarpanch Inacio Dias, who has been heading to Vailankani for the last several years, told The Goan at the railway station that he had joined the queue at the Margao railway station on Wednesday morning to buy a ticket for Vailankani on Thursday morning. “We have to stand in a queue at least 24 hours in advance, otherwise there s no hope of getting a ticket. The ticket counter at the station opens at 8 am and unless one stands in a queue the previous day, there s no guarantee of getting a ticket,” he said. Inacio said though the pilgrim centre is connected from Margao by a direct train every Monday, the train has proved to be of no use for pilgrims attending the Maddi on August 29. “As the direct train leaves Margao only on Monday, the train is of no use for those heading to Vailankani for the Maddi,” he said. Inacio and other pilgrims have made a fervent plea to the Goa government and Centre to announce the running of special trains to Vailankani well in advance. “Though the government runs special trains to Vailankani during the 10-day Novenas, the announcement on the timing should be made in advance to facilitate the pilgrims to plan in advance,” Inacio added.
