Spiritual tourism in India is a booming sector driven by over 450,000 heritage sites and top destinations such as Varanasi, Rishikesh, Tirupati, Amritsar and Ayodhya, among others. Besides domestic tourists, every year millions of visitors from around the world come to India for pilgrimage, yoga and wellness. To further promote pilgrimage tourism, Indian Railways has launched a 17-day Shri Ramayana Yatra tour covering key Ramayana sites across India and Nepal.
The Shri Ramayana Yatra tour will kick off on March 30, covering iconic locations associated with the life of Lord Rama. During the 16-night/17-day journey, the train will reportedly stop at prominent places such as Ayodhya, Nandigram, Sitamarhi, Janakpur, Buxar, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Shringverpur, Chitrakoot, Nashik, Hampi and Rameshwaram.
The tour will be conducted on the Bharat Gaurav Deluxe AC tourist train as part of Indian Railways' efforts to promote pilgrimage tourism alongside luxury. The state-of-the-art train is well equipped with modern amenities, according to officials at the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation.
The train has three categories of accommodation - First AC, Second AC and Third AC - and features a modern kitchen, two restaurants, sensor-based washroom functions, shower cubicles in coaches, foot massagers, as well as CCTV cameras and security guards for enhanced security in each coach.
The tour will begin at Safdarjung Railway Station, with its first destination being Ayodhya, where tourists will visit the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, Hanuman Garhi and Ram Ki Paidi.
Following this, the train will travel to Nandigram to visit the Bharat-Hanuman Temple and Bharat Kund. The train will also cover destinations like Sitamarhi in Bihar, from where tourists will travel by road to Janakpur in Nepal to visit Janaki Temple, the birthplace of Sita, Dhanush Dham temple and Parashuram Kund. The other spots covered in the tour include:
Buxar: Ram Rekha Ghat, Rameshwar Nath Temple.
Varanasi: Tulsi Manas temple, Sankat Mochan temple, Kashi Vishwanath temple and Ganga Aarti.
Sitamarhi (Uttar Pradesh): Sita Samahit Sthal (Sita Mata temple).
Prayagraj: Triveni Sangam, Hanuman Temple and Bharadwaj Ashram.
Shringverpur: Shring Rishi Temple.
Chitrakoot: Gupt Godavari, Ram Ghat and Sati Anusuya Temple.
Nashik: Trayambkeshwar temple, Panchvati (Sita gufa and Kalaram temple).
Hampi: Anjanadri Hill, Virupaksha temple and Vitthal Temple.
Rameshwaram: Ramanathaswamy temple and Dhanushkodi.
The train will return to Delhi on the 17th day of the journey, covering approximately 7,560 km in total.
Talking about the package prices, the Railways has fixed the amount at Rs 1,14,100 per person for 3AC, Rs 1,51,225 for 2AC, and Rs 1,64,940 for 1AC. The lowest charge is Rs 1,11,630 for travellers, based on triple occupancy.
The package includes train travel in the selected class, accommodation in three-star hotels, all vegetarian meals, transfers and sightseeing in AC coaches, travel insurance and the services of IRCTC tour managers for a total of 150 passengers.
