Chhatrapati Shivaji Tour: IRCTC Unveils 10-Day Maharashtra Tour From Delhi Starting July 16

The Indian Railways will launch a special 10-day train tour in July to highlight the rich history of the Maratha Empire and important religious and cultural sites in Maharashtra, as per a Hindustan Times (HT) report. The journey is named Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the Glorious Maratha Tour and will be run on the Bharat Gaurav special tourist train.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the tour during a press conference held on Friday. The tour will begin on July 16 and will start from New Delhi.

Photo Credit: PTI

According to senior railway officials, the train will visit key places such as Pune, Raigad Fort, Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga, Shivneri Fort, Shirdi, Nashik, Trimbakeshwar, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad), Ellora Caves, and Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga.

The train will include AC II Tier, AC III Tier, and non-AC sleeper coaches. Passengers will be allowed to board or get off the train at stations such as New Delhi, Delhi Cantonment, Gurgaon, Rewari, Phulera, Ajmer, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Vasai Road, and Kalyan.

The tour will begin with a visit to Pune, where tourists can see Shaniwar Wada and the Aga Khan Palace. The next day will include a road trip to Raigad Fort, located about 135 kilometres from Pune.

On Day 4, tourists will travel by road to visit the sacred Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga temple. The following day will include a visit to Shivneri Fort, the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and a night stay at Shirdi.

After seeking blessings at the Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, tourists will travel to Nashik to visit the famous Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga. The journey will then continue towards Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

On Day 8, the group will visit the Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga temple and the world-famous Ellora Caves, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After this, the train will begin its return journey to Delhi.

The tour is being organised by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and aims to give travellers a chance to explore Maharashtra's glorious past along with its spiritual heritage.