New Delhi: Indian Railways has announced the ‘Shri Ramayana Yatra’ special service to promote religious tourism in the country, under the Centre’s ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ initiative.
The tour by Deluxe AC tourist trains, to begin after Diwali, will be flagged off from Delhi’s Safdarjung Railway Station on November 7. The route will cover all prominent places linked to Lord Ram.
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), Indian Railways’ catering and tourism subsidiary, shared the fare structure and route of these special trains.
The entire Shri Ramayana Yatra journey will cost Rs 82,950 per head. The fare will include travel in AC (1st and 2nd) classes, AC hotel accommodation, meals, transfer, sightseeing, travel insurance and IRCTC Tour Managers services.
The fully airconditioned train will be equipped with a modern kitchen, sensor-based washroom, two fine-dining restaurants, shower cubicles and foot massager.
Every coach will have security guards and CCTV cameras.
The entire journey will take 17 days, covering a distance of 7,500 km, with Ayodhya being the first stop. Tourists will get a chance to visit the under-construction Shri Ram Janmbhumi temple, Nandigram’s Bharat Mandir and Hanuman temple during the halt in Ayodhya.
The next stop will be Sitamarhi in Bihar, which is the birthplace of Sita. The Ram-Janki temple in Janakpur will be covered via road travel.
Temples in Varanasi, Chitrakoot and Prayag will also be covered.
The last halt will be in Nasik, Rameshwaram and Hampi. The train is slated to return to Delhi on the 17th day after roughly covering 7,500 km.
Everyone above 18 years of age will have to be fully vaccinated to undertake the special journey. Every COVID-19 protocol will be strictly adhered to and all passengers will be provided safety kits, including face masks, sanitisers and gloves, IRCTC mentioned.
