Meenakshi Lekhi commences the 19-day “Shri Ramayana Yatra”

Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture, Meenakshi Lekhi, inaugurated the ‘Shri Ramayan Yatra’ on Sunday. The train tour, which is a part of the Ramayana Circuit under the Swadesh Darshan, will cover important locations associated with the life of Lord Rama.

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) will operate the tour via a Deluxe AC Tourist Train consisting of AC I and AC II class accommodations, accommodating a total of 156 tourists.

The train will commence its journey from Delhi Safdarjung railway station on February 22, 2022, and the tour will continue for 19 days, stopping at 9 stations. The tour is designed for international tourists interested in spiritual tourism and with a special emphasis on the life of Shri Rama.

The first stop of the tour is Ayodhya, where tourists will visit the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple and Hanuman temple. The trip will also cover other important locations such as Bharat Mandir at Nandigram, Sitamarhi in Bihar, where Sita is believed to be born, and Ram-Janaki Temple in Janakpur (Nepal).

After Sitamarhi, the tourists will be taken to Buxar for a tour of the Ramrekha ghat and the local temples. The tour will then proceed to Varanasi, where they will visit temples at Varanasi, Prayag, Shringverpur, and Chitrakoot by road. Night stays will be arranged at Varanasi, Prayag, and Chitrakoot, respectively.

In addition to the existing locations, the upcoming trip will have three new destinations, namely Buxar, Kanchipuram, and Bhadrachalam. In total, the tour will span over 19 nights/20 days. According to Lekhi, all tourists on the tour are from outside India and pledged to go on a religious tour after Prana Pratishtha.

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