Gorakhpur: The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has launched two Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train packages from Gorakhpur, offering pilgrims an opportunity to visit some of India’s most revered religious destinations, including Tirupati, Rameswaram, Madurai, Kanyakumari, four Jyotirlingas, and the Statue of Unity. The trains will depart on July 31 and Aug 17.The announcement was made by VN Shukla, joint general manager (JGM), IRCTC, and Navneet Goyal, manager, IRCTC, during a press conference held at Gorakhpur Railway Station on Tuesday.The first package is a 12-day South India pilgrimage tour, scheduled from July 31 to Aug 11. The itinerary includes visits to the Tirupati Balaji Temple, Ramanathaswamy Temple at Rameswaram, Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, Kanyakumari, and the Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga at Srisailam (Markapur region).Passengers can board the train from Gorakhpur, Mankapur, Ayodhya Cantt, Sultanpur, Pratapgarh, Prayagraj Sangam, Rae Bareli, Lucknow, Kanpur Central, Orai, Virangana Lakshmibai Jhansi, and Lalitpur.The package is priced at Rs 23,560 per person in sleeper class, Rs 39,100 in AC 3-Tier, and Rs 51,760 in AC 2-Tier. The fare includes train travel, vegetarian meals, accommodation, and local sightseeing by AC and non-AC buses.The second package, a 10-day pilgrimage tour, will run from Aug 17 to 26. It covers the Mahakaleshwar, Omkareshwar, Nageshwar, and Somnath Jyotirlingas, along with the Dwarkadhish Temple, Bet Dwarka, the Signature Bridge, and the Statue of Unity in Gujarat.The package costs Rs 18,380 per person in sleeper class, Rs 29,570 in AC 3-Tier, and Rs 38,870 in AC 2-Tier. The fare includes train travel, accommodation, vegetarian meals, and local transportation for sightseeing.IRCTC officials said passengers can also avail themselves of Leave Travel Concession (LTC) and EMI facilities for both packages. Bookings can be made through the IRCTC tourism website or at the corporation’s Lucknow office.According to IRCTC, the Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train initiative aims to make pilgrimage travel affordable, comfortable, and convenient while promoting domestic tourism across the country.
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