Hyderabad: The concept of the ‘Bharat Gaurav’ train has garnered tremendous success over the South Central Railway (SCR), evident from the consistently high patronage on all trips.
Encouraged by the overwhelming response from rail passengers, the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has unveiled a new tourist circuit named ‘Divya Dakshin Yatra with Jyotirlinga’ during the auspicious Shravan Month, as per a statement released by SCR on Saturday.
The newly introduced tourist train will traverse through significant tourist destinations in the Southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
‘Divya Dakshin Yatra with Jyotirlinga’ offers a unique opportunity for rail passengers from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to have darshan (spiritual visit) of one of the Jyotirlingas (Rameshwaram) while covering essential pilgrimage and tourist sites such as Tiruvannamalai [Arunachalam], Madurai, Kanyakumari, Trivandrum, Trichy, and Thanjavur.
Importantly, the train facilitates boarding and deboarding at Secunderabad, Kazipet, Warangal, and Khammam in Telangana, as well as Vijayawada, Tenali, Ongole, Nellore, Gudur, and Renigunta in Andhra Pradesh.
The entire trip will span 8 nights and 9 days, relieving passengers of the hassles associated with individual trip planning, including train bookings, accommodations, and meals.
The package includes comprehensive travel facilities (rail and road transport), accommodation, catering services (on-board and off-board meals, including morning tea, breakfast, lunch, and dinner), the assistance of professional and friendly tour escorts, onboard security (with CCTV cameras installed in all coaches), public announcement system in all coaches, travel insurance, and presence of IRCTC Tour Managers throughout the journey for assistance.
The IRCTC has already announced three trips for the new Southern Circuit, starting on August 9, August 23, and September 5. Bookings have commenced for all these trips, and interested passengers can visit the IRCTC website: http://www.irctctourism.com or contact the following numbers for counter bookings: Secunderabad: 040-27702407, 9701360701, 8287932228, 8287932229, 8087932231, and 9281495843.
Meanwhile, the 9th trip of the existing “Punya Kshetra Yatra: Puri-Kashi-Ayodhya” Bharat Gaurav Train will commence its journey on July 26.
Arun Kumar Jain, SCR General Manager, expressed delight at the spontaneous response from rail passengers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh towards the Bharat Gaurav Tourist Circuit train.
He emphasized that the upcoming Southern Circuit would provide new opportunities for pilgrims and tourists to visit historically rich and significant places in the region. Additionally, the end-to-end services offered by the train not only save time for tourists by eliminating individual planning but are also economically beneficial.
