Indian Railways launches 17-day ‘Ramayana Yatra’, journey to cover prominent locations linked to Lord Ram

IRCTC said the entire journey would take 17 days, with Ayodhya being the first stop. (File)

The Indian Railways has announced the “Shri Ramayana Yatra” to promote religious tourism. The tour by Deluxe AC Tourists trains will begin after Diwali in November. Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, the catering and tourism subsidiary, shared details of the yatra, including the fare structure, and announced the special train’s launch to promote the Centre’s “Dekho Apna Desh” initiative.

The tour will be flagged off from Safdarjung Railway Station in Delhi on November 7 and cover all prominent places linked to Lord Ram, the Ministry of Railways said in a statement.

The entire “Shri Ramayana Yatra” journey will cost Rs 82,950 each and cover the journey in AC classes, AC hotel accommodation, meals, transfer and sight-seeing, travel insurance, and IRCTC Tour Managers services.

IRCTC said the entire journey would take 17 days, with Ayodhya being the first stop. During the halt in Ayodhya, the tourists will get to visit the under-construction Shri Ram Janmbhumi temple, Hanuman temple, and Nandigram’s Bharat Mandir. The train will next roll to Sitamarhi, the birthplace of Goddess Sita in Bihar. The Ram-Janki Temple in Janakpur, Nepal, will be covered by road.

The train will then move to Varanasi and cover temple visits in the city, Prayag, Chitrakoot, Shringverpur by road. The tourists will spend the night in Varanasi, Chitrakoot, and Prayag.

The last halt will be in Nasik, Rameshwaram, and Hampi. The train will return to Delhi on the 17th day after covering roughly 7,500 km.

The fully AC train will provide accommodation in 1st and 2nd AC. The train will be equipped with features such as a modern kitchen and two fine-dining restaurants, shower cubicles, sensor-based washroom functions, and foot massager. Each coach will have CCTV cameras installed and security guards.

All guests above 18 will need to be fully vaccinated to undertake the journey, IRCTC said. It will provide safety kits with face masks, sanitisers, and gloves to all passengers.