Patna: The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is set to launch the Bharat Gaurav Tourism Train via Saharsa for the first time, offering passengers a spiritual journey across several revered temples in southern India. The train, part of the Centre’s ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ and ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ initiatives, will depart from Saharsa station on 14 August.
In a first for the Samastipur Railway Division, the train will traverse through Nirmali, Jhanjharpur, and Darbhanga before reaching Samastipur. From there, it will continue through Muzaffarpur, Hajipur, Patna, and other key junctions en route to destinations such as Tirupati, Rameswaram, Madurai, Kanyakumari, Thiruvananthapuram, and Srisailam.
The itinerary spans 12 nights and 13 days, during which passengers will have the opportunity to visit prominent pilgrimage sites including the Mallikarjun Jyotirlinga in Srisailam, the Balaji and Padmavati temples in Tirupati, Ramnath Swami Jyotirlinga in Rameswaram, the Meenakshi temple in Madurai, the Padmanabha Swamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram, and the Vivekananda Memorial in Kanyakumari.
Speaking in Samastipur, IRCTC Regional Manager Rajesh Kumar confirmed that the journey will offer both AC and non-AC accommodation options at various religious destinations. The fare for the tour package is set at Rs 23,000 per person.
The initiative aims to bolster domestic tourism while fostering a deeper cultural connection among citizens, aligning with the government’s broader vision of national unity through travel.
