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IRCTC ‘temple yatra’ back on track

Series of special trains launched from Hyderabad and Secunderabad to popular temple towns

By Sunny Baski

Updated On - 17 January 2021, 12:15 AM

IRCTC ‘temple yatra’ back on track — (file photo)

Hyderabad: With travel restrictions imposed on account of the Covid-19 pandemic being eased a bit, this could be the time to rejuvenate the soul with spiritual trips.

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), a subsidiary of the Indian Railways that handles catering, tourism and online ticketing operations, has come up with special temple tours after the lockdown.

The IRCTC has launched a series of Bharat Darshan Special Tourist Trains, Domestic Air Packages and Land Packages from Hyderabad and Secunderabad to places including Rameswaram, Madurai, Kanyakumari and Puri.

Bharat Darshan Tourist Train, one of the affordable and all inclusive tour packages, covers important tourist places in the country as part of which a tourist train will depart from Hyderabad on January 22 and cover destinations such as Tiruchirapalli – Thanjavur – Rameswaram – Madurai – Kanyakumari in a week.

Booking of Bharat Darshan Tourist Trains is available online on the IRCTC website. Booking can also be done through the tourist facilitation at the zonal office in Secunderabad. Boarding points for this tour are Secunderabad, Warangal, Khammam, Vijayawada, Ongole, Nellore and Renigunta.

Tourists looking for a budget trip in this train will be provided with a sleeper class journey. There will be night stay or facility to freshen up at dharmashalas, halls or dormitories on a sharing basis, apart from morning tea or coffee, breakfast, lunch, dinner and one litre of drinking water per day. The tariff for the standard category is Rs 7,140 and for comfort, it is Rs.8,610.

In addition to the Bharat Darshan Tourist Train, IRCTC is offering a Jagannath Dham Yatra from Secunderabad to Puri, Bhubaneswar and Konark. Passengers can upgrade the accommodation to any category of hotels at the destination on extra cost based on availability.

This five-day trip will commence on March 5 and end on March 9. Tourists need to bring pillows, bed-sheet, nylon rope for drying clothes, lock and key with chain to secure luggage, torchlight, umbrella and medicines.

“The package tour from the IRCTC will have sleeper class, third A/C, pure vegetarian breakfast, lunch and dinner, dormitory/hall accommodation and bus for local sightseeing. The cost of the Jagannath Dham Yatra in standard category is Rs 5,250 and Rs 6,300 for comfort,” an official said.

IRCTC 'temple yatra'