Do you know that the Indian Railways has a mascot named Bholu? 

As Indians, we are all proud of our extensive railway network. For those unaware, the Indian Railways is the world’s third largest network covering 127,760 kms. It also happens to be the largest railway network that is managed by a single government body. How amazing is that?  

Well, the history of Indian Railways can be traced back to 1853, almost 170 years ago, when the first train traversed a distance of 34 kms in Maharashtra, between Bori Bunder and Thane. Our railway network has come a long way since that time, making us proud in more ways than one. One of the more recent and interesting additions to the Indian Railways has been a mascot named Bholu. Want to know more about it? Read on.  

Bholu, the Elephant 
Yes, that’s what the Indian Railways mascot is known as. It is depicted as a cartoon of an elephant holding a signal bulb in one hand and a green ring in the other. It was created for the Indian Railways' 150th anniversary celebrations and was unveiled on April 16, 2002 in Bangalore. Interestingly, an image of Bholu was placed on the back of a commemorative two-rupee coin in 2003. Bholu was created by the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad in collaboration with the Indian Ministry of Railways.   

Bholu debuted in Bangalore on April 16, 2002. In fact, this elephant launched the Karnataka Express from Platform Number 1 of Bangalore City Station at 6.25 PM that day. Initially, Bholu was designated for official usage on April 15, 2002, according to the Railway Board's Manual for Public Relations Department. Later on, from March 24, 2003, the authorities chose to keep Bholu as the Indian Railways' official mascot. 

Why an elephant? 
You might be wondering why an elephant was chosen as the mascot. Well, the Railway Ministry had an intriguing explanation for this. Elephants are commonly associated with the transportation of people and goods, which is also the primary function of railways. Furthermore, despite its enormous size, an elephant is considered trustworthy, helpful, and friendly. That’s why Bholu is supposed to represent Indian Railways in an ethical, truthful, and responsible. 

Bholu is also said to symbolise the personnel or workforce of the Indian Railways, responsible for the timely operation of trains as well as the safety of the passengers. The green light in his lamp represents the movement of trains, as well as the intention to proceed with caution and optimism.  

Bholu: The much criticised elephant mascot 
Bholu received much flak from the public as hundreds of elephant calves are rammed down due to high-speed trains. As the number of new train lines being placed each year is steadily growing, the animal corridors are destroyed and there is continuous encroachment on forest land.