Ayodhya to Janakpuri: Bharat Gaurav tourist train from India to Nepal kicks off on Feb 17

IRCTC has also tied up with two payment gateways to avail the tickets through an EMI option. Tourists can use their credit and debit cards for the same

New Delhi, Jan 14: Starting February 17, the Indian Railways will launch a 7-day special tour on the Bharat Gaurav Deluxe AC Tourist Train covering two of the most significant pilgrimage sites Ayodhya and Janakpur from India and Nepal.

The Shri Ram-Janaki Yatra; Ayodhya to Janakpur will start from Delhi on February 17 and this would include a visit to Nandigram, Siramarhi, Kashi and Prayagraj, the ministry of railways said.

The journey to Ayodhya, Sitamarhi and Prayagraj will covered in a day. The journey will also include a two-night stay in the hotels, one each at Janakpur and Varanasi. The initiative is aimed at strengthening the bi-lateral relations and also promoting the cultural relations between the two countries.

The Deluxe AC has two fine dining restaurants, a modern kitchen,, sensor-based washroom function, shower cubicles, a foot massager among other amenities. The train which is fully air-conditioned provides 1st AC and 2nd AC accommodation. The train is also fitted with CCTV cameras and has security guards for each coach. The entire train is also equipped with infotainment systems.

The first stop after the train leaves Delhi will be at Ayodhya, which is the birthplace of Lord Ram. Here tourists will visit the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple and Hanuman Temple. The tourists will also be taken on a tour of Bharat Mandir at nearby Nandigram, following which the train will travel to Sitamarhi in Bihar. From there the train will proceed to Janakpur in Nepal which is 70 kilometres away from the Sitamarhi railway station.

"After visiting Janakpur, on the next day, tourists will return 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 to Delhi on the 7th day of its journey. Guests will be travelling roughly 2500 Kms in this tour, the Railway Ministry said in a press release.

The price range begins from Rs 39,775 per person and the train will be a seven-day all inclusive package. The price would cover the journey in respective class, night stay at AC hotels, vegetarian meals, all transfers and sight seeing in buses, services of a guide and travel insurance.

For this purpose the IRCTC has tied up with Paytm and Razorpay payment gateways to provide EMI payment options. Tourists can avail the EMI payment option make payments in 3,6,9,12, 18 or 24 month EMIs. These payments could be made through debit and credit cards.