New Delhi: Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakashi Lekhi on Tuesday flagged off the Bharat Gaurav train “North East Discovery: Beyond Guwahati”.
The train has been specially designed to cover the Northeastern states of India, from Delhi’s Safdarjung station.
“This train holds special significance as it is getting started on the eve of Chaitra Navratri/Gudi Padwa. I extend my greetings to all. It is indeed a gift for all of us,” Lekhi said and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his vision and initiatives to improve Railways.
The train tour started its journey from Delhi’s Safdarjung railway station today and will cover Guwahati, Sivasagar, Jorhat & Kaziranga in Assam, Unakoti, Agartala & Udaipur in Tripura, Dimapur & Kohima in Nagaland and Shillong & Cherrapunji in Meghalaya in its 15-day tour.
Spanning over 14 nights and 15 days, the first stop of this train is Guwahati where tourists will visit Kamakhya temple followed by Umananda temple and a sunset cruise on the Brahmaputra. This train will further depart on an overnight journey for Naharlagun Railway Station which is 30 km from the next destination Itanagar, the capital of Arunachal Pradesh.
The next city to follow is Sivasagar – the old capital of the Ahom Kingdom in the Eastern part of Assam. The famous Shiva temple at Sivasagar, Sivadol is a part of the itinerary besides other heritage sites.
Further, the tea gardens at Jorhat and an overnight stay at Kaziranga followed by an early morning jungle safari at Kaziranga National Park will be experienced the tourists.
The Deluxe AC Tourist train next departs from the Furkating Railway Station in the state of Tripura where the sightseeing of the famous heritage site of Unakoti and of Agartala including the famous Ujjayanta Palace has been planned.
On the next day, the Neermahal palace and Tripura Sundari Mandir at Udaipur will be covered in the itinerary. Post Tripura, the train departs for Dimapur for visiting the state of Nagaland. The scenic train journey between Badarpur station to Lumding junction can be witnessed by the guests in the early hours of the morning from their seats. From Dimapur station, tourists shall be taken to Kohima by bus for visiting the local sites including a tour of the Khonoma village to experience the Naga way of life.
The next halt for the tourist train will be Guwahati and tourists will be taken to Shillong, the capital city of Meghalaya by road with a pit stop at the majestic Umiam Lake en route. The next day starts with an excursion to Cherrapunji nestled in the East Khasi Hills.
Shillong Peak, Elephant Falls, Nawkhalikai falls and Mawsmai caves are a part of the day’s sightseeing. From Cherrapunji, the tourists travel back to Guwahati station to board the train for the return train journey to Delhi. Guests will be travelling roughly 5800 Km in this entire tour by train.
The modern Deluxe AC Tourist train has a host of amazing features including two fine dining restaurants, a contemporary kitchen, shower cubicles in coaches, sensor-based washroom functions, a foot massager and a mini library. The fully air-conditioned train provides two types of accommodation viz. AC I and AC II. The train has enhanced security features like CCTV cameras, electronic safes and dedicated security guards appointed for each coach.
Bharat Gaurav Tourist train launch is in line with the government of India’s initiatives, “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat” and “DekhoApnaDesh” to promote domestic tourism.
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At a price range starting from Rs 1,06,990 per person in AC 2 Tier, Rs 1,31,990 per person for AC 1 (Cabin) and Rs 1,49,290 per Person for AC 1 (Coupe), the IRCTC tourist train will be a 15-day all-inclusive tour package and the price will cover train journey in respective class, night stay at AC hotels, all meals (Veg Only), all transfer & sight-seeing in buses, travel insurance and services of a guide, etc.
All necessary health precautionary measures will be taken care of and IRCTC will make efforts to provide a safe and memorable experience to the guests.
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