Indian Railways changes saffron uniform of Ramayan Express staff

The uniforms have been changed to shirts and trousers and traditional headgear. The waiters will, however, wear saffron masks and gloves.

The original uniform (left), which was changed (right) after Hindu seers objected to the use of saffron. (PTI)

INDIAN RAILWAYS on Monday changed the uniform of serving staff aboard Ramayan Express after Hindu seers objected to their saffron outfits. Hindu seers from Ujjain had called the saffron uniform an insult to the Hindu religion and threatened to block the train in Delhi on December 12 if it wasn’t changed.

In a statement, IRCTC, which runs the train, said, “It is to inform that the dress of service staff is completely changed in the look of professional attire of service staff. Inconvenience caused is regretted.”

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The uniforms have been changed to shirts and trousers and traditional headgear. The waiters will, however, wear saffron masks and gloves.

“Donning a saffron attire with a sadhu-like headgear and wearing malas (necklaces) of rudraksha is an insult to the Hindu religion and its seers,” Ujjain Akhada Parishad’s former general secretary Avdeshpuri said.

He said seers will stop the train at Delhi’s Safdarjung railway station if the saffron dress code of the waiters was not changed.

A Railway Board official told The Indian Express that it decided to not stoke this controversy and change the uniform to what is acceptable. The first Ramayan circuit train set off on a 17-day journey on November 7.

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