KOLKATA, INDIA, May 5, 2014 (Times Of India): After offering tour packages to popular destinations like Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has launched a tourist train from Chennai to Nepal, primarily aimed at pilgrims from south India. Those opting for this tour will be taken around Hindu and Buddhist pilgrimage destinations in north India and Nepal.
It will be an exclusive AC tourist train for a round trip from Chennai, covering Allahabad, Varanasi (Kasi), Ayodhya, Kathmandu, Manakamana, Pokhara and Kushinagar. The train will start from Chennai Central on May 11 and return on May 23. The train will pass through Vijaywada and Warangal for the benefit of pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh.
The tour includes travel by the AC Tourist Train, AC hotel accommodation at places where night stay will be required, buses for transfers and sightseeing, on-board and off-board vegetarian catering, services of tour escort and security. In this trip, the tourists will get an opportunity to bathe in the Triveni Sangam (confluence of rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati) in Allahabad, visit the famous Vishwanath temple and Visalakshi temple in Varanasi (Kasi), visit Pashupathinath Temple, Swayambhunath (a Buddhist Temple) and Budha Nilkantha (Lord Vishnu) temple in Kathmandu.