Indian Railways will issue non-fungible token (NFT) train tickets for passengers traveling to the MahaKumbh Mela, a significant Hindu festival held every 12 years.
The initiative is being carried out in partnership with Chaincode Consulting, a blockchain firm that will lead the project, and NFTtrace, a platform for real-world assets and traceability that will handle ticket issuance and verification through a dedicated online portal.
Passengers traveling to the MahaKumbh Mela will receive their tickets as NFTs minted on the Polygon blockchain.
These tickets will serve as digital keepsakes for travelers. The dedicated portal promotes the initiative, stating, “Own your Mahakumbh Mela experience perpetually with NFTs.”
This move is part of Indian Railways’ ongoing efforts to integrate blockchain technology into its services.
In a similar effort, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) announced plans last year to offer NFT-based train tickets for Holi, a widely celebrated Hindu festival known for its colors, love, and spring themes.
Overall, the use of NFTs has been gaining traction in India. For example, in October 2023, Club Mahindra, a brand under Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Limited, launched an NFT collection inspired by India’s top resorts. These NFTs were based on iconic paintings by artists like Van Gogh, Munch, and Da Vinci.
