HYDERABAD: It was unusually festive at the Secunderabad Railway Station on Saturday. A large number of people could be seen exchanging pleasantries with passengers for the first trip of the Bharat Gaurav tourist train while Kuchipudi performers danced to the beats of drums in the background.
Aimed at making people aware of India’s rich cultural heritage and history, the first trip of the Bharat Gaurav train — named the Punya Kshetra Yatra: Puri-Kasi-Ayodhya — will cover Puri, Konark, Gaya, Varanasi, Ayodhya and Prayagraj over a period of eight nights and nine days. It is being operated by the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). Apart from travel facilities (rail and road transport), the firm will also provide accommodation, meals and snacks, and security.
The coaches, AC and non-AC compartments, will have CCTV cameras in common areas and a public announcement facility. Passengers from all the nine stopping stations — Secunderabad, Kazipet, Khammam, Vijayawada, Eluru, Rajahmundry, Samalkot, Simachalam and Vijayanagaram — spread across the two Telugu states have come forward to avail the opportunity.
General manager of the South Central Railway (SCR) zone, Arun Kumar Jain, handed over the welcome kits to the rail yatris in the presence of IRCTC chairman and managing director, Rajni Hasija, and other senior railway officials on Saturday. All the 700 seats on the train have been booked.
He said the train offers a unique opportunity to pilgrim passengers to visit these culturally prominent places without the hassle of planning individual itinerary items. He added that Bharat Gaurav trains will give a major fillip to the tourism sector in the country while also fulfilling the desire of tourists in the most convenient manner. Rajni Hasija said the whole tour itinerary was planned after keeping in mind the significance of the places along with the interest of tourists.