Indian Railways new initiative to exploit untapped territory through religious tourism has fructified with the launch of Shri Ramayana Express service, which was flagged off from Safdarjung Railway Station in Delhi with 800 passengers. Getting overwhelming response, Indian Railways' tourism and catering subsidiary IRCTC is now offering the tour package on 'Bharat Darshan Special Tourist Train' from Rajkot at the rate of Rs 945 per day. 
 
The special train will cover religious places including  Ayodhya, Sitamadhi, Janakpur, Varanasi, Allahabad, Chitrakoot and Nashik. Interested travellers can book their tickets for the special tourist train online on the IRCTC website. The train will depart Rajkot station on December 7 and will arrive back to Rajkot on December 18, 2018. 
 
Tickets can also be booked offline as well through IRCTC tourist facilitation centre. Passengers can also book 3AC class and sleeper class tickets. The duration of the tour is 12 days/11 nights, and it will include breakfast, lunch and dinner.
 
According to available information, the booking for standard category can be done for Rs 11,340 per person, and for comfort class booking rate is Rs 13,860 per person. 
 
The tour package will provide facilities like hall accommodation at places of night stay, morning freshening up, pure vegetarian meals, tourist buses for visiting sightseeing spots, tour escorts for announcements and information, security arrangements for each coach without arms, doctor on the train, besides an IRCTC official on the train as train Superintendent.
 
Earlier this month, Indian Railways launched Shri Ramayana Express to cover key destinations associated with the life of Lord Ram. The train was flagged off from Safdarjung railway station on November 14 and will complete the journey in 16 days. 
 
The Shri Ramayana Express has two travel components; one each in India and Sri Lanka. In India, the first stop of Shri Ramayana Express is in Ayodhya, followed by Hanuman Garhi Ramkot and Kanak Bhawan temple. The train is set to cover places of Ramayana circuit including Nandigram, Sitamarhi, Janakpur, Varanasi, Prayag, Shringverpur, Chitrakoot, Nasik, Hampi and Rameshwaram.

For the Sri Lanka leg of the tour, traveller will be charged separately as they have to take a flight to Colombo from Chennai. The IRCTC offers five-night/six-day Sri Lanka tour package at a cost starting from Rs 47,600 per person.