IRCTC will launch the first Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train from Delhi on June 21. The train will cover all the prominent places associated with the life of Lord Rama.
This train is in line with the government’s ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ initiative. The all-inclusive tour package prices start at Rs 62,370 per person.
The all-inclusive package will cover train journey in 3rd AC, night stay at AC hotels, vegetarian meals, all transfer & sight-seeing in buses, travel insurance, guide services etc. All necessary health precautionary measures will be taken care of by IRCTC.
Tour itinerary
The train tour of 18 days will have its first stoppage at Ayodhya, the birthplace of the deity. Tourists will be able to visit the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi temple, Hanuman temple and the Bharat Mandir at Nandigram, IRCTC said in a BSE filing on Wednesday. After Ayodhya, the train will move to Buxar. Travellers will be able to visit the hermitage of Maharishi Vishwamitra and the Ramrekha Ghat. The train will then move to Sitamarhi, the birthplace of Goddess Sita.
Tourists on board the Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train will then proceed to Janakpur in Nepal, where they will spend the night in hotels. They will be able to visit the famous Ram-Janaki temple in Janakpur.
From thereon, the train will go to Varanasi, where the visitors will be able to walk around the temples at Varanasi Sita Samahit Sthal. From thereon Prayag, Shringverpur, and Chitrakoot will be covered by roat. Night stay at Varanasi, Prayag and Chitrakoot will also be provided.
In the next leg, the train will move to Nasik for overnight stay. Trayambakeshwar temple and Panchvati will be covered. After Nasik, the next place of visit will be Krishkindha, Hampi with overnight stay at hotels. Guests will be able to visit the temple atop the Anjaneyadri Hills, believed to be the birthplace of Lord Hanuman.
After that, the train tour will proceed to Rameshwaram where the Ramanathaswamy temple and Dhanushkodi will be covered along with overnight stay at hotels. After that Kanchipuram where Shiv Kanchi, Vishnu Kanchi and Kamakhshi temples are a day’s excursion, will be the next destination.
The last destination will be Bhadrachalam in Telangana. The train will then return to Delhi on the 18th day covering a distance of around 5,000 km in the Ramayana tour, stated IRCTC.
Tour facilities
The fully air-conditioned tourist train will comprise eleven 3rd AC coaches, a pantry car, and two SLRs. Freshly-cooked vegetarian meals will be offered to the guests. Guests will also be entertained with the infotainment system fitted in the train. The train is also equipped with CCTV cameras for security purposes and clean toilets.
IRCTC has also tied up with Paytm and Razorpay payment gateways to provide EMI options of 3, 6, 9, 12, 18 or 24 months. Payment for the tour can be done through debit and credit cards too.
Government and PSU employees will be able to avail LTC facility for this tour.
IRCTC will also provide COVID-19 safety kits containing face masks, hand gloves and hand sanitiser. Temperature checks of tourists and staff will be ensured too. COVID-19 vaccination is mandatory for all guests above 18 years of age.
