New Delhi: With the chants of ‘Jai Jagannath’, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday flagged off the Shri Jagannath Yatra tourist train from Safdarjung station in Delhi on Wednesday.
“This is a blessing of the Lords as the train will begin its inaugural voyage on the day when the sibling deities would don the Padma Besh, one of the iconic attire rituals held once a year,” said Ashwini.
Stating that the Odia language was created by Lord Jagannath, he said it is a ‘prasad’ which is why it is so sweet.
The Rail Minister further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had the vision to connect small towns with religious tourism potential in India through Bharat Gaurav Trains (theme-based Tourist Circuit trains). The objective was to showcase the rich cultural heritage and magnificent historical places to the people of India and the world.
The chief guest, Union Education Minister Dharmendra, said that 528 pilgrims have boarded the train which will cover pilgrimage sites of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha during its eight-journey. “This is the eighth circuit under Bharat Gaurav and I would like to thank the Rail Minister for dedicating this train to Lord Jagannath,” he said.
Tourists will have options to board or de-board the train fitted with 10 AC three-tier coaches at Ghaziabad, Aligarh, Tundla, Etawah, Kanpur and Lucknow stations. Besides Puri’s Jagannath Temple, the tour includes a visit to the ancient holy city of Varanasi, Gaya and the Baidyanath Dham temple in Jharkhand’s Deoghar.
At the first stop at Varanasi, tourists will visit the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, the corridor connecting it and witness the ‘aarti’ performed on the banks of the Ganga. The next destination is Jasidih in Jharkhand from where the tourists will proceed to visit the Baidyanath Dham Temple. The train will then chug towards Puri, where a two-night stay will be arranged in hotels. In Odisha, tourists will visit the Jagannath Temple, Sun Temple at Konark and temples built during the Kalinga period in Bhubaneswar by buses.
Gaya in Bihar will be the last destination, where the tourists will visit the Vishnupad temple. The train will return to Delhi on the eighth day of its journey after covering around 4,000 km.
According to the Railways, freshly cooked vegetarian meals will be served on board. The train has also been fitted with an infotainment system for the entertainment of the passengers as well as for public announcements. It will also have enhanced security features of CCTV cameras while guards will be deployed in each coach.
The IRCTC Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train launch is in line with the Centre’s initiative ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ to promote domestic tourism. Indian Railways is providing approximately 33 per cent concession for the promotion of rail tourism under the scheme. Packages offered are at an economical rate starting at Rs 17,655 per person.
