Indian Railways partners with Chaincode Consulting to issue NFT tickets for the MahaKumbh Mela, leveraging the Polygon blockchain for scalability.
Indian Railways will provide non-fungible token (NFT)–based train tickets to all passengers who are traveling to the MahaKumbh Mela, a Hindu festival and pilgrimage that occurs every 144 years.
Chaincode Consulting, a blockchain firm, announced a partnership with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) on January 13th.
The partnership aims to digitize the spiritual journey of millions of travelers who are traveling to the main pilgrimage in India.
The NFTs will be minted on the Polygon blockchain and made accessible through the real-world assets (RWAs) and traceability platform NFTtrace.
Indian Railways Will Be Issuing NFT Tickets On Polygon
The Polygon blockchain was selected for the initiative due to its low gas fees and rapid throughput, which enable “scalability and environmental sustainability,” according to the announcement shared with Cointelegraph.
When discussing the integration of blockchain technology into India’s cultural events, Alok Gupta, CEO of Chaincode Consulting, stated:
“By partnering with IRCTC and leveraging the Polygon blockchain, we are enabling a digital-first experience that complements the spiritual and traditional significance of the Mahakumbh while introducing a new level of engagement through NFTs.”
The IRCTC website processes approximately 1.2 million train ticket reservations each day.
The engagement initiative, which is founded on NFTs, is designed to draw participants from around the world.
Kumbh Mela, a festival that is conducted every 12 years, is included in UNESCO’s list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Notable celebrities, such as actor Richard Gere, movie director David Lynch, and Tibetan Buddhist leader the Dalai Lama, have attended the festival.
As an aside, the Times of India reports that Laurene Jobs, the widow of Steve Jobs, the former CEO of Apple, will participate in the 2025 pilgrimage.
India’s Proclivity For Applications Of NFTs
In March 2024, Indian Railways sponsored a limited-time NFT train ticketing campaign in honor of the Hindu festival of Holi.
“These tickets are not merely digital souvenirs; they are a celebration of the rich cultural tapestry of (the Indian cities of) Lucknow and Delhi,” the IRCTC declared during the Holi marketing campaign.
Authorities and the general public have the ability to verify the personalized NFTs that Indian Railways has issued on the blockchain.
The company previously utilized smart contracts to regulate the traceability process and maintained records of train ticket purchases on the Hyperledger blockchain.
