Vijayawada: South Central Railway flagged off the Amrit Kalash Yatra special train from Platform Number 1 of Vijayawada Railway Station to New Delhi on Saturday as part of the Meri Maati Mera Desh campaign.
Volunteers are carrying in the train 824 Kalash (urns) containing soil, rice and saplings collected from 26 districts of Andhra Pradesh. The urns from Vijayawada are being taken to Delhi, where the soil, rice, and saplings will be used in the programme marking culmination Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav commemorating the75 years of Indian Independence.
Around 1,100 volunteers have also boarded the train along with the urns to participate in the Meri Maati Mera Desh campaign in Delhi.
Marking the event, about 750 students from government and private schools, apart from Bharat Scouts and Guides, stood in a human chain and unfurled a 1.5-km long Tiranga flag.
Vijayawada West MLA Vellampalli Srinivasa Rao, Vijayawada mayor R. Bhagyalakshmi, NTR district collector S. Dilli Rao, Vijayawada divisional railway manager (DRM) Narendra A. Patil, Vijayawada municipal commissioner Swapnil Dinakar Pundakar and sub-collector Aditi Singh were among those who flagged off the Amrit Kalash Yatra Special train.
Patriotic fervour enveloped the entire Vijayawada Railway Station with chants of Bharat Mata Ki Jai and Ek Bharat Sreshth Barath. There were cultural programmes and displays of art forms like Kuchupudi and folklore.
Vijayawada DRM Narendra Patil thanked dignitaries and officials of state government for taking part in flagging off of the Amrit Kalash Yatra special train, as part of the Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and Meri Maati Mera Desh campaign, promoting unity, brotherhood and nationalistic feelings among citizens of the country.
The DRM said the Kalash initiative stressed aims to honour the nation's heroes who sacrificed their lives for the Independence of India. He also thanked students for making the event a grand success.
