Indian Railways is all set to launch a seven-day special tour on Bharat Gaurav Deluxe air-conditioned tourist special train covering pilgrimage sites Ayodhya and Janakpur in Nepal, the Indian government said on Friday.
‘Shri Ram-Janaki Yatra: Ayodhya to Janakpur’ will start from Delhi on 17 February 2023 and this initiative will strengthen the bilateral relations and also promote the cultural relations between the two countries," the Ministry of Railways said in a statement.
“The tourist train will include visit to Nandigram, Sitamarhi, Kashi and Prayagraj as added attractions in the tour. There will be two night stays in hotels, one each at Janakpur and Varanasi respectively, while the visit of Ayodhya, Sitamarhi and Prayagraj will be covered in the day halt at the destination," the ministry stated.
The train will have two dining cars, a kitchen, shower cubicles in coaches, sensor-based washroom functions, among other amenities.
The train will have two types of accommodation viz. 1st AC and 2nd AC, and comes equipped with CCTV cameras and security guards for each coach and also infotainment system.
“The proposed seven-day Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train tour has its first stop at Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram, where tourists will visit Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple and Hanuman temple and additionally Bharat Mandir at Nandigram," the ministry said.
After Ayodhya, the train will move to Sitamarhi Railway station in Bihar and tourist will further proceed to Janakpur in Nepal by buses which is 70 km away from Sitamarhi Railway station.
“In order to make this package more attractive and affordable to a large population, IRCTC has tied up with Paytm and Razorpay payment gateways for providing EMI payment options...Users can avail the EMI payment option for making payment in 3, 6, 9, 12, 18 or 24 month EMIs. These EMI payment options can be made through debit/credit Cards. COVID-19 final vaccination is mandatory for all guests of the age of 18 years and above," it said.
Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train is in line with the government initiative “Dekho Apna Desh" to promote domestic tourism. Tickets start at ₹39,775/- per person and the price covers the whole journey, including stays at hotels, meals, and transfers and sight seeing, among others.
(With inputs from agencies)
