Railway association requests MoS Suresh Gopi for direct train service from Kumbakonam to Guruvayur

Thanjavur District Railway Users’ Association seeks new daily express train between Kumbakonam and Guruvayur for religious tourism boost.

The Thanjavur District Railway Users’ Association has appealed to Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi to do the needful for the introduction of a new daily express train between Kumbakonam and Guruvayur so as to boost religious tourism. 

In a representation to the Union Minister, the association secretary A. Giri said introduction of a new direct train service would connect the two important temple cities. Many people from Kumbakonam visit Guruvayur more often to worship Lord Guruvayurappan.

Kumbakonam has a Guruvayurappan Bhaktha Seva Sangam donating various amenities every year for the benefit of devotees at the Shri Krishna Temple at Guruvayur. 

Further, there also exists commercial connections between the delta districts and Malabar. Traditional brass lamps, brass utensils, silk sarees and pooja articles manufactured in and around Kumbakonam are sent to various places in Kerala including Guruvayur and Thrissur.

Areca nut, the main raw material for manufacturing ‘seeval’ and scented supari at Kumbakonam in huge quantities, is sourced from Thrissur and Shoranur. 

Since there is no direct train connectivity between Kumbakonam and Guruvayur, pilgrims find it difficult to travel. The Karaikal - Ernakulam - Karaikal expresses (Train No. 16187/16188) which is operated via Thanjavur and Thrissur has a high level of passenger patronage. 

Hence, in the interest of devotees of Lord Guruvayurappan, the association has requested Union Minister Suresh Gopi, hailing from Kerala, to take steps for introducing a new daily express train between Kumbakonam and Guruvayur via Thanjavur, Tiruchi, Erode, Podanur Junction, Palakkad and Thrissur.