New Delhi: A special Bharat Gaurav train departed today from Delhi Safdarjung Railway Station on a 14-night/15-day tour of the Northeastern states of India.
The train was flagged off by Meenakshi Lekhi, Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture. The specially designed train tour “North East Discovery: Beyond Guwahati”, will cover Guwahati, Sivasagar, Jorhat & Kaziranga in Assam, Unakoti, Agartala and Udaipur in Tripura, Dimapur and Kohima in Nagaland and Shillong and Cherapunji in Meghalaya in 15 days tour.
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. It 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 by 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 Sundarimandir 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 Umium 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 features including two fine dining restaurants, a contemporary kitchen, shower cubicles in coaches, sensor-based washroom functions, foot massagers and a mini library. The fully air-conditioned train provides two types of accommodation – AC I and AC II. The train has enhanced security features like CCTV cameras, electronic safes and dedicated security guards appointed for each coach.
The Bharat Gaurav tourist train launch is in line with the Government of India initiatives of “Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat” and “Dekho Apna Desh” to promote domestic tourism. 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 is a 15 days all-inclusive tour package and the price covers train journey in respective class, Night stay at AC hotels, all meals (Vegetarian only), all transfer and sight-seeing in buses, travel insurance and services of 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, the Ministry of Railways stated.
– global bihari bureau
Superb initiative to explore our beautiful country far and wide
I think this is a wonderful initiative. EXCEPT for the rider that only vegetarian meals will be served. North East local cuisine is a culinary delight, very diverse, it varies from state to state and is primarily non-vegetarian. It would be a pity if travellers to this region do not have the option to sample local fare, in addition to the vegetarian spread being offered … my personal view is that a choice of both veg and non-veg options should be provided, including local cuisine.