Visitors at the exhibition on board the Vivek Express at Mancheswar railway station near Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, May 11: Vivek Express, the special exhibition train launched to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of spiritual leader and Ramakrishna Mission founder, Swami Vivekananda, has hardly evoked the expected response as sultry weather conditions continue to wear people down in the city.

The exhibition-on-wheels stationed at Mancheswar railway station on the outskirts of the city was opened to public from 10am to 6pm today. Although a few people had dropped in at the station during the first hour, not a soul was in sight in the afternoon.

“I had read about the special train in the newspaper and was very interested to see the exhibits. But it was so hot that I did not dare to step out of home until five,” said Saroj Pradhan, a Class IX student.

However, officials of the East Coast Railway, Bhubaneswar, said nearly 400 to 500 people visited the special train.

They said quite a few children from nearby areas, students of Vivekananda School, members of the Ramakrishna Mission and followers of Swami-ji in and around the capital had come to see the exhibition-on-wheels.

“No doubt, there has been proper publicity regarding the Vivek Express. The mercury has been shooting up steadily since the last few days and it is vacation time too. Probably, these are reasons for the thin attendance. We are, therefore, trying to extend the viewing time by an hour or two in the evening,” said an official.

The train, which was flagged off from Howrah by railway minister Mamata Banerjee on January 12, will run across the country till January 12, 2013, spreading Swami-ji’s preaching on religious harmony and unity.

In the five-coach fully air-conditioned train, two coaches are adorned with photographs and write-ups displaying the life, work and messages of Swami Vivekananda.