Patna: The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has announced a special religious and cultural tour under its ‘Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train’ initiative, offering travellers from Bihar and eastern India a 13-day journey across major pilgrimage and heritage sites in South India.
The special package, titled ‘South India Tour with Jyotirlinga Darshan’, will begin on December 5, spanning 12 nights and 13 days. The train will originate from Saharsa and accommodate around 600 passengers, with boarding and deboarding facilities available at multiple stations including Supaul, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Hajipur, Pataliputra, Ara, Buxar, Prayagraj, and Chitrakoot.
According to Sanjeev Kumar, Chief Surveyor at IRCTC’s Regional Office in Kolkata, the itinerary will cover several prominent spiritual destinations. These include Balaji Temple (Tirupati), Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga, Meenakshi Temple (Madurai), Vivekananda Rock Memorial and Kanyakumari Temple (Kanyakumari), Padmanabhaswamy Temple (Trivandrum), and Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga (Andhra Pradesh).
IRCTC said the journey is designed to give travellers an immersive experience of the religious, spiritual, and cultural diversity of South India. The initiative is part of the Government of India’s ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ and ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ campaigns, which aim to promote domestic tourism, strengthen cultural integration, and connect citizens with India’s rich heritage.
The travel packages include train fare, hotel accommodation, vegetarian meals, local transportation, sightseeing, travel insurance, and IRCTC’s hospitality services.
Bookings are available online via www.irctctourism.com, or through IRCTC’s regional office in Patna. Travellers can also contact helpline numbers 91-8595937731/32 for further information.
The packages are offered in three categories:
- Economy Class: Rs 25,620 per person
- Standard Class: Rs 35,440 per person
- Comfort Class: Rs 49,175 per person
