The aquarium houses planted, marine, tropical sections with varied flora and fauna
Passengers waiting at Bengaluru's KSR Railway Station can now treat themselves to a visual spectacle at the new distinctive aquatic park that has been developed by the Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation Limited (IRSDCL).
The Railways' first movable freshwater tunnel aquarium, which has already been opened to the general public, has been developed in collaboration with HNI Acquatic Kingdom.
"They wanted to develop this area so we came up with this concept. This is the railways' first aquatic kingdom. Nowhere else in India will you find this. This has been done at the Bangalore railway station for the first time," Niyaz Ahmed Qureshi of HNI Aquatic Kingdom told NDTV.
Work on the project had begun in November last year and the living exhibits have travelled a long way to this aquarium, Mr Qureshi said.
"Right now we have 120 varieties of fish. Most have been brought from outside the country. The concept we have used is that of a marine aquarium which is saltwater. Then freshwater. Behind you can see, there is an Amazon river forest concept. Then a planted segment and a tunnel aquarium," he said.
The entry fee has been set at Rs 25. "We wanted to target rural India through railways," Mr Qureshi added.
For the railways, it is an attempt to change the way railway stations are perceived.
"We saw this on YouTube and contacted the firm to see if something like this could be done in a railway station," said Saurabh Jain, Nodal Officer, IRSDC. "There was perfect synergy. We had a vacant space and this is something people and children can enjoy while waiting for a train. Even for outsiders, it will be an attraction. It should not only be a point of journey. It should be the destination in itself."
Visitors could be seen enjoying themselves at the aquatic kingdom.
Ritu who was at the aquarium with her children said, "We can spend some time here. We can't travel long distance to see this kind of aquarium. This is near my place so we can have some quality time with our kids."
"It was a nice experience. India's first initiative for something like this. I enjoyed it," said another young visitor.
The 12-foot-long Aquatic Kingdom will also be an educational joyride as visitors will experience a lifesize fish kingdom.
Currently, only 25 visitors will be allowed inside the aquarium at a time keeping in view the Covid rules and restrictions, said SK Lohia, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, IRSDC, reported news agency PTI.
The Aquatic Kingdom will have a 3D "selfie" area, where a big fish will pop out of the aquarium for a photo.
With an almost 20 feet glass periphery, the aquarium houses planted, marine and tropical sections with varied flora and fauna in soothing colours.
It is also home to various aquatic animals such as the alligator gar ranging from two to three feet, stingrays, eels up to three-and-a-half feet, sharks, lobsters, snails and shrimps.
The aquarium has been adorned with natural rocks and splashes of driftwood, artificial coral rocks, the news agency reported.