Bharat Darshan special tourist train for Dakshin Bharat Yatra is being operated by the IRCTC, South Central Zone, Secunderabad, from Brahmapur (Odisha) to various pilgrimage centres in south India via Visakhapatnam, from May 8.
Announcing this at a media conference here on Friday, Joint General Manager (Tourism), Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Ltd., N. Sanjeevaiah, said that the 10-night, 11-day tour will begin at Brahmapur on May 8 evening and arrive in Visakhapatnam at midnight. The places to be covered include: Srirangam temple in Tiruchirapalli, Bruhadeeswara temples in Thanjavur, Rameswaram (for taking bath at sea), darshan of Ramanathaswamy, visit to Meenakshi Amman and Sundareshwarar temples in Madurai, Kumari Amman temple, Gandhi Memorial and Vivekananda Rock Memorial at Kanyakumari, Padmanabhaswamy temple in Trivandrum, Mahabalipuram, Kamakshi temple in Kanchipuram, darshan of Lord Venkateswara at Tirupati and Sri Kalahasthi temple.
The special tourist train will have halts at Palasa, Srikakulam, Viziangaram, Visakhapatnam, Tuni, Samalakot, Rajahmundry, Eluru, Vijayawada, Ongole, Nellore and Renigunta for entraining and detraining. It will have 12 Sleeper, one AC 3 tier coach and one pantry car.
The package tariff for Sleeper Class is ₹10,395 and for AC 3 tier class is ₹12,705. The package includes: night stay/fresh up at Dharmashalas, halls, dormitories on multi-sharing basis, morning tea/coffee, breakfast, lunch, dinner and 1 litre drinking water a day, non-AC road transport. IRCTC will provide escort and security on the train.
“The package tour is a boon to senior citizens as they are assured of a hassle-free journey. The tour escort will take care of their needs during the journey and their luggage will be taken care of by the security staff. The package is being extended to promote people to know their culture by visiting places of pilgrimage and tourist importance,” Mr. Sanjeevaiah said.
One more Bharat Darshan rail yatra was being planned to Rajasthan from Visakhapatnam, in October this year. Flight packages were also being planned to Kashmir, Amarnath, Leh and Ladakh from Visakhapatnam, he added.
Visakhapatnam Railway Station Director Rajagopal and IRCTC Area Officer, Visakhapatnam, Chandra Mohan, were present.
Those intending to avail of the package tour can contact the IRCTC Office in Visakhapatnam on the mobile Nos. 82879 32318 or on landline 0891-2500695, or log on to www.irctctourism.com for more details.
