HYDERABAD: The South Central Railways announced the first Bharat Gaurav special tourist train which will commence its journey from Secunderabad railway station here on March 18, the South Central Railway said on Wednesday.
The Bharat Gaurav train service will be launched by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and is called the ‘Punyakshetra Yatra: Puri – Kashi – Ayodhya' Bharat Gaurav tour. This would provide a great opportunity for pilgrims of the Telugu states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana who wish to visit several historical and pilgrimage places SCR General Manager Arun Kumar Jain said.

The Punyakshetra Yatra, which is an eight nights and nine days tour from March 18 to 26 will cover important spiritual destinations such as Puri, Konark, Gaya, Varanasi, Ayodhya and Prayagraj.

Passengers can board or deboard from specific stations in the Telugu states like Secunderabad, Kazipet, Khammam, Vijayawada, Rajahmundry, Visakhapatnam, and Vizianagaram.

This train service comes with an all-inclusive package so that the passenger need not worry about arrangements as the IRCTC has designed the tour program after taking all the factors into consideration, the SCR official added

The Gaurav Train has sleeper, non-AC as well as AC III-tier and II-tier coaches, with a total capacity of 600-700 passengers. Inside, there are infotainment systems, and CCTV cameras in common areas, the Prices vary under the Economy, Standard, and Comfort categories. The prices vary depending on whether you pick a single room or a multi-sharing room. Packages for single rooms start at Rs15,300.

Indian Railways is providing approximately 33% concession for the promotion of rail tourism under Bharat Gaurav Train scheme. The above price is inclusive of the concession.

Destinations and visits covered:

Puri: Lord Jagannath Temple.

Konark: Sun Temple & Beach.

Gaya: Vishnu Pada Temple.

Varanasi: Kashi Viswanath Temple & Corridor, Kashi Vishalakshi and Annapurna Devi temple. Evening Ganga Aarti

Ayodhya: Ram Janma Bhoomi, Hanumangarhi and Aarati at Sarayu River.

Pryagraj: Triveni Sangam, Hanuman Mandir and Shankar Viman Mandapam.

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