Indian Railways to run international train 'Shri Ram-Janaki Yatra' connecting Ayodhya with Janakpur in Nepal

The Indian Railways' Shri Ram-Janaki Yatra between Ayodhya to Janakpur will be conducted by Bharat Gaurav Deluxe AC Tourist Train with the aim of boosting bilateral ties between India and Nepal.

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The two most important pilgrimage sites, Ayodhya and Janakpur, from the neighbouring countries of India and Nepal will be covered by Indian Railways' Bharat Gaurav Deluxe AC Tourist Train on a special tour, "Shri Ram-Janaki Yatra: Ayodhya to Janakpur," railways announced in a news release on Friday. On February 17, 2023, the tourist train will depart from Delhi, boosting bilateral relations and fostering cultural links between the two nations. The tourist train will include the visit of Nandigram, Sitamarhi, Kashi, and Prayagraj as added attractions in the tour. There will be a two-night stay in the hotels, one each at Janakpur and Varanasi, respectively, while the visit to Ayodhya, Sitamarhi, and Prayagraj will be covered in the day halt at the destination.

The State of Art Deluxe AC Tourist Train has many astounding features, including two fine dining restaurants, a modern kitchen, shower cubicles in coaches, sensor-based washroom functions, foot massager. The fully air-conditioned train provides two types of accommodation viz. 1st AC and 2nd AC. The train has enhanced security features of CCTV cameras and Security Guards for each coach and is also equipped with an infotainment system for the entire train.

"The proposed 7-day Bharat Gaurav Tourist train tour has its first stop at Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Rama, where tourists will visit Shri Ram Janmbhumi temple and Hanuman temple and additionally Bharat Mandir at Nandigram. After Ayodhya, the train will move to Sitamarhi Railway station in Bihar, and tourists will further proceed to Janakpur in Nepal by bus which is 70 Km away from Sitamarhi Railway station. During their stay at Janakpur, tourists can visit Ram Janki Temple, Sita Ram Vivah Mandap, and Dhanush Dham," Indian Railways said in a press release. 

"After visiting Janakpur, on the next day, tourists will return back to Sitamarhi and visit the Janki temple at Sitamarhi and Punaura Dham. From Sitamarhi, the train will proceed on an overnight journey to Varanasi. While at Kashi, tourists will visit Sarnath, Kashi Vishwanath temple & corridor, Tulsi temple, and Sankat Mochan Hanuman temple. Tourists will move from Varanasi to Prayagraj by bus and visit Sangam, Shankar Viman Mandapam, Hanuman temple, and Bharadwaj Ashram. After Prayagraj, the train will return back to Delhi on the 7th day of its journey. Guests will be travelling roughly 2500 Kms in this tour," it added. 

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 for breaking the total payment into small amounts EMIs. Users can avail of the EMI payment option for making payments 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 age 18 years and above.

The Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train launch is in line with the Government of India initiative "Dekho Apna Desh" to promote domestic tourism. At a price range starting from Rs 39,775 per person, the train will be a 7 days all-inclusive tour package, and the price will cover the train journey in respective class, Night stays at AC hotels, Vegetarian meals, all transfer and sight-seeing in buses, Travel Insurance and services of a guide, etc. 

(With ANI inputs)