MARGAO
The hunt for the prized train ticket for the pilgrim centre of Vailankani for the annual novenas and feast of Our Lady of Vailankani in September began in right earnest, with pilgrims thronging the Margao railway station since last week to lay their hands on the tickets.
If the pilgrims made a beeline to book train tickets at the Margao railway station counter to lay their hands on the prized ticket to Vailankani last week for the August 25 train to the pilgrim centre, several more assembled at the railway station on Sunday morning when the counter was opened for ticket booking for the special train scheduled to depart to Vailankani on August 28.
Many a pilgrim, however, returned home disappointed with the ticket counter dishing out information that the tickets are all sold out. Former Aquem Baixo sarpanch and panch Inacio Dias, who goes on an annual pilgrimage to Vailankani, for the last 25 years, said only four pilgrims managed to get the tickets on the August 28 special train.
“The rest of the pilgrims, however, had to be content with tickets on the waiting list, not sure whether the tickets would get confirmed or not,” he said.
He added: “Given this situation, when the tickets were sold out within minutes after the counter was opened early morning, the government should make arrangements for the special trains to ferry the pilgrims for the Maddi on August 29, the Novenas and feast of Our Lady of Vailankani on September 8.”
Inacio pointed out that the railway authorities should inform beforehand when the tickets will be offered for sale, pointing out that the poor lose out in the hunt for the ticket since they enjoy no access to the internet to book the tickets online.
Pilgrims also made a request to the government to run more Dev Darshan trains during the period of Novenas right up to the feast day in September so that the elderly citizens too can make a pilgrimage to Vailankani this year without any hassles.
