The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) will commence an 18-day ‘Shri Ramayana Yatra’ with a special tourist train on June 21 to take devotees to important sites related with Lord Ram’s life, officials stated on Wednesday.
Ajit Kumar Sinha, chief regional manager of IRCTC, Lucknow, informed that reservations are open for the ‘Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train’ trip of the Ramayana circuit, which would depart from Delhi’s Safdarjung railway station on June 21. The train’s 18-day voyage will cost a passenger 62,370, according to officials.
The train features 11 third AC class cars with a capacity of roughly 600 passengers. According to Sinha, the tour package attempts to fulfil devotees’ dreams of visiting areas where Lord Ram, his wife Goddess Sita, and Lord Laxman set foot during their 14-year exile in the forest.
The train will go along the Ramayan circuit, which will pass through Ayodhya, Janakpur (Nepal), Sitamarhi, Buxar, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Shringverpur, Chitrakoot, Nashik, Hampi, Rameshwaram, Kanchipuram, and Bhadrachalam(also known as Ayodhya of South India) as part of the Swadesh Darshan project. According to Sinha, a tourist train will go from India to Nepal for the first time, connecting the two religious cities of Ayodhya and Janakpur.
Apart from Delhi, boarding places include Aligarh, Tundla, Kanpur, and Lucknow, he said, adding that ticket prices are the same regardless of where a passenger boards. According to Sinha, the travel package includes food, hotel accommodations, and tour guide services at the various destinations.
The interiors of the Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train, which will return to Delhi on the 18th day of its 8,000-kilometer journey, will be inspired by the Ramayana legend, according to officials. According to Sinha, 285 bookings have been made from various regions of the nation, with the highest number of 61 bookings coming from Maharashtra, followed by 55 from Uttar Pradesh.