Blockchain Empowers Cultural Inheritance! Indian Railways Introduces NFT Tickets in Collaboration with Polygon to Support Kumbh Mela Festival
Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is partnering with blockchain firm Chaincode Consulting to launch NFT (non-fungible token) tickets based on Polygon during the annual religious festival Maha Kumbh Mela. This collaboration not only combines railway ticketing with local history and culture but also provides a new digital experience for global participants.
Maha Kumbh Mela, the largest religious festival in the world
Maha Kumbh Mela, held every 12 years, attracts millions of devotees from India and around the world. Its main purpose is to bathe in the holy rivers of Hinduism in India and perform purification rituals. The term “Kumbh” refers to a “pitcher” symbolizing the mythical pot filled with the nectar of immortality in Hinduism.
The festival originated from Hindu mythology, which tells of a fierce struggle between gods and demons to seize the pot of nectar. Drops of nectar fell at four sacred sites in India: Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik. These locations are considered holy places to hold the Kumbh Mela.
The Prayagraj Maha Kumbh Mela held in 2013 set a record with over 100 million attendees and was recognized as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.
This year’s Maha Kumbh Mela is special because it marks the 12th cycle of the festival in 144 years. Additionally, a unique alignment of the sun, earth, moon, and Jupiter occurs once every 144 years, making this year’s festival even more sacred and special.
Gathering devotees from around the world
Indian Railways introduces NFT tickets for the religious festival
Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) plans to provide NFT tickets for pilgrims attending the Maha Kumbh Mela. This is the first integration of Indian historical culture with blockchain technology, digitizing the spiritual journey of millions of pilgrims to the festival.
According to Chaincode Consulting, the NFT tickets will be issued on the Polygon blockchain and made available to travelers on the NFTtrace platform.
NFT tickets for the Maha Kumbh Mela are now available!
A global initiative bridging culture and technology
This NFT ticket project is not the first of its kind. Last year, IRCTC successfully attracted global travelers with limited edition NFT tickets during the festival of Holi.
The festival of Holi has also been recognized as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO and has attracted international celebrities such as American actor Richard Tiffany Gere and the Dalai Lama. This year, Laurene Jobs, the widow of former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, is also expected to attend the event.
IRCTC states that issuing NFT tickets is not just a certificate of participation in the festival but also symbolizes India’s rich cultural traditions and spirit of innovation. It is an important way to digitally preserve historical and cultural records. Through blockchain technology, ticket data can be verified by the public and relevant authorities, further enhancing transparency and security. In the future, IRCTC plans to promote the use of NFTs in other cultural events, leveraging technology to aid in cultural heritage preservation.
Risk Warning: Cryptocurrency investments carry high risks, and prices may fluctuate dramatically, resulting in the loss of all invested capital. Please carefully assess the risks.
