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Railways relocates trackside temple, mazar in UP for safety after consensus with religious leaders
New Delhi, Sep 17 (PTI) A more than a century-old mazar and a 66-year-old Hanuman temple, both situated along railway tracks in Uttar Pradesh’s Tundla have been relocated by the Railways after months of dialogue and negotiations with local religious leaders and devotees.
Officials hailed the initiative calling it an exemplary move to maintain communal harmony along with ensuring operational safety.
They stated that it took nearly six months of extensive efforts and coordination with senior religious leaders from both communities, as well as devotees who regularly visited the two revered places.
“Old religious structures were located within the Tundla station premises, between railway lines No. 2 and 3. The condition of these structures posed significant challenges from the perspective of railway operations and passenger safety,” a senior official of North Central Railway (NCR) zone said.
“In view of railway development requirements, a process was initiated to relocate the structures to a safe and suitable designated location. The solution was achieved through dialogue, coordination and consensus among all concerned stakeholders,” the official added.
“Amit Anand, Deputy Chief Traffic Manager, Tundla, took the lead in consensus building. He held several rounds of meetings with the religious leaders of both the communities. Deputy General Manager of NCR Atul Mishra extended all support and necessary guidance from the headquarters,” Shivam Sharma, Chief Public Relation Officer, NCR Zone, said.
According to local information and tradition, the Hanuman temple is locally stated to be 66 years old. Similarly, the Loko Baba mazar is believed to be approximately 100 to 125 years old.
The mazar has been associated with local faith and religious traditions for a long period.
“During the relocation process, the participation of the Urs Committee and respect for established religious traditions were duly taken into consideration,” an official said.
Senior officials of the Tundla Rail Administration initiated a dialogue with leaders associated with both the temple and the mazar.
Officials from the zonal, divisional and joint Tundla teams coordinated closely with the Railway Protection Force and the Government Railway Police throughout the process.
“Railway administration extends its deep sense of gratitude to the leaders of both the communities who came forward for a noble cause to find an amicable solution in the best interests of safe train operations and passenger safety,” Sharma said. PTI JP JP ZMN ZMN
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