Locals stop running train in Bengal to perform puja

Kolkata: In a bizarre incident in West Bengal, a group of locals reportedly stopped a local train in motion to perform Vishwakarma Puja on its locomotive, with visuals of the unusual ceremony later going viral on Instagram.

The incident occurred when a local train bound for Sealdah was halted after people stepped onto the railway tracks and blocked its path. The group then used the stopped train as the setting for a Vishwakarma Puja, despite the obvious danger posed by standing on an active railway line.

Video footage shared on Instagram by one of those who took part in the ceremony shows several people standing on the tracks as the approaching train was brought to a halt. Some of them were seen carrying red cloth and banana leaves before gathering around the locomotive.

Once the train stopped, several people climbed onto the engine's front section and began the rituals. Banana leaves were tied to the locomotive, while red cloth was used as decoration. The ceremony continued with traditional music, drums and sweets as a crowd gathered around the train.

The footage also appears to show the loco pilot displaying discomfort while the celebrations continued around the engine.

The incident has drawn attention because the participants continued with the ceremony on the railway tracks even as the train had been forced to stop for the event. The visuals show people remaining close to the locomotive during the proceedings, highlighting the potentially dangerous circumstances surrounding the unusual celebration.

The video, posted by a participant, quickly gained traction on social media, turning the extraordinary railway-side Vishwakarma Puja into a widely circulated spectacle.