The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has embarked on a program called Ramayana Yatra in its state-of-the-art Bharat Gaurav Deluxe AC Tourist train and the first trip started on February 4, 2024. The tour to Nepal connecting Ayodhya caters to the spiritual aspirations of people connecting different life events of Ram. "Shri Ramayan Yatra" tour exclusively run for NRI tourists from the UK & Portugal departed from Delhi Safdarjung Railway station on 04/02/24 by Bharat Gaurav Deluxe AC tourist train. Hon Minister Smt. @M_Lekhi along with other dignitaries Flagged off the train on a 19 days divine tour to cover the places associated with the life of Lord Rama," IRCTC tweeted on February 5, 2023.
The planned itinerary spans runs through multiple sacred sites, including the renowned Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya, the Bharat-Hanuman temple in Nandigram, the Janaki Mandir in Nepal’s Janakpur, also the historic Rameshwar Nath Temple in Buxar. The tour will also touch the spiritual centre Varanasi. A total of 15 destinations are listed on the IRCTC website. The trip can accommodate 156 passengers and spans across 17 Nights/18 Days, with prominent boarding stations including Delhi, Ghaziabad, Aligarh, Kanpur, Tundla, Etawah, and Lucknow.
There are a range of accommodation options, from triple and double occupancy coups and single occupancy. The pricing spectrum varies from Rs. 1.61 lakh to Rs. 1.10 lakh per passenger, depending upon the chosen accommodation type. For instance, single occupancy in a 1AC cabin costs Rs. 1,61,670, while triple sharing in 3AC comes to Rs. 94,600 per person. A single share in a 1 AC cabin costs Rs. 1,61,670 a 2 AC cabin costs Rs. 1,50,625 and a 3 AC cabin costs Rs. 1,10,430. In double sharing, 3 AC costs Rs. 96,575, and in triple sharing, it costs Rs. 94,600. A 3 AC travel for a child (5-11 years) will cost Rs. 88,450.
These costs include train travel, night stay, onboard and offboard vegetarian meals, transfers, sightseeing, and travel insurance for passengers.
In a parallel program, IRCTC Lucknow introduced 'The Ramayana Saga' tour package for Sri Lanka, offering a 7-day and 6-night journey. The first trip will run from March 9 to March 15, 2023. This trip includes key sites associated with the Ramayana saga, including Muneshwaram Temple in Colombo, Manavari Rama Temple and Spice Garden in Kandy, Ramboda Waterfall, Sita Temple in Nuwara Eliya, Ashoka Vatika, Lake Gregory, Divurumpola Temple (Sita Agni Pariksha Sthal), and Colombo. The tour package particularly focuses on the Kandy and Nuwara Eliya regions.
IRCTC trip starts from Lucknow, and flies to Colombo and back, with round-trip air travel fare, three-star hotel fares, breakfast, lunch, and dinner costs included in the package.
The pricing varies based on occupancy, with costs ranging from Rs 71,000 to Rs 88,800 per person, depending on the accommodation type. For instance, if three people stay together, they will have to pay Rs 71,000 per person. The cost for two people staying together is Rs 72200 per person and for single sharing, it is Rs 88800. However, the cost per child if staying with parents will be Rs 57300 (including bed) and Rs 54800 (without bed).
