RAYAGADA(Pratiphalan Media )
The Rayagada Citizens’ Forum has urged the Indian Railways to name the newly announced Puri–Koraput–Puri Express as the “Sabara Express”, highlighting the cultural and spiritual significance of the tribal-dominated region of southern Odisha.
The demand comes shortly after the announcement of the new rail service connecting Shrikhetra Puri Dham with Sabara Shrikhetra Koraput, a move widely welcomed across the KBK region.
According to members of the forum, memorandums had earlier been submitted to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Berhampur Member of Parliament Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy during their visits to Koraput and Rayagada districts.
The forum stated that the memorandums had requested the introduction of a direct train service linking the sacred city of Puri with Sabara Shrikhetra Koraput in order to strengthen cultural, spiritual and regional connectivity between coastal and tribal Odisha.
Expressing gratitude to the Central Government and the Railway Ministry for fulfilling the long-standing demand within a short period, the forum said naming the train “Sabara Express” would symbolically honour the heritage, traditions and identity of Odisha’s tribal communities.
Members of the forum further stated that the proposed name would reflect the historic and emotional connection between Lord Jagannath’s Shrikhetra in Puri and the tribal cultural traditions associated with Sabara Shrikhetra Koraput.
Prominent members of Rayagada Citizens’ Forum Kirti Chandra Sahu, Dr. Dushmant Kumar Mohanty, Badal Kumar Tah, Prabhakar Dora, Basant Kumar Dandaksena, Birja Kumar Patra, Padmanabh Das, Vidyut Mohanty, Sarat Kumar Patnaik, Ajit Kumar Patra, Anupa kumar Patra,Vidyadhar Chaudhary from Koraput district have made prominent demand for “Sabar Srikhetra Express”.