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As the festival season approaches, the competition for ticket booking in Indian Railways intensifies. On occasions like Dussehra, Diwali, and Chhath Puja, lakhs of passengers return to their homes. But this time, passengers will have to keep in mind the 60-day rule instead of the old 120-day rule for ticket booking (IRCTC ticket booking).

The Ministry of Railways has reduced the reservation deadline to 60 days (excluding the date of travel) from November 1, 2024. That is, now passengers can book tickets only up to two months in advance.

For trains whose starting point falls on the next day, tickets will be available 61 days in advance. At the same time, this period has been kept even less for some Intercity Day Express trains.

When will reservations be available for festivals?

For example, if you want to travel on 19 October 2025, then you can book a ticket for that date only from 20 August 2025. That is, the ticket booking window for festivals like Dussehra (October), Diwali (October-November), and Chhath (November) will open from August-September itself.

When is Chhath Puja?

The Shashthi Tithi of Shukla Paksha of Kartik month will start on October 27 at 06:04 am and will end on October 28 at 07:59 am. Therefore, evening Arghya will be given on October 27. The next day, i.e., on October 28, in the morning, Arghya will be given. This year, Nahai Khay is on October 25. Dussehra is on October 2, 2025, and Diwali is on October 21, 2025.

Passengers' problems

Even though the rule has been extended to 60 days, it is still very difficult to get a ticket. Often, the tickets get sold out on the first day itself. If passengers are unable to book tickets on time from the online portal or railway counter, then they are left with only the option of a Tatkal ticket, which is expensive and is not guaranteed.

What should passengers do?

If your travel date is fixed, then as soon as the booking opens, log in to the IRCTC website at 8 am and book the ticket immediately. Booking tickets on the first day is the safest option.

Your confirmed, RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation), or waiting list status will be recorded on the ticket itself. The confirmed ticket will also have the coach and berth number written on it.

Given the heavy rush of trains during festivals, experts believe that instead of delaying, passengers should try to get tickets as soon as the booking opens; otherwise later travel will be possible only with the help of Tatkal tickets.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from Dainik Jagran. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.