From CK Nayak
New Delhi, April 8: Shillong may have missed railway connectivity due to opposition from some pressure groups but the Bharat Gaurav train will carry tourists to the hill station later this month, with part of the journey covered by buses.
As part of the “North East Discovery” tour, the Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation’s Bharat Gaurav Deluxe AC tourist train will operate from April 22. The 15-day and 5,800-km journey from Delhi will cover Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura.
Guwahati is the first stop where tourists will visit Kamakhya and Umananda temples followed by a sunset cruise on the Brahmaputra. The train will then leave for Naharlagun for the next destination, Arunachal capital Itanagar, railway sources said.
Sivasagar in upper Assam will be covered next. A visit to the Ahom-era Shiva temple ‘Shiva Doul’ is a part of the itinerary along with heritage sites Talatal Ghar and Rang Ghar.
Next, the tourists will visit tea gardens in Jorhat district, followed by a visit to Kaziranga National Park for a safari. In Tripura, they will take a walk to the heritage site ‘Angkor Vat of Northeast’ in Unakoti from the Kumarghat railway station. They will also visit the state’s capital Agartala.
The sites on the itinerary are Ujjayanta Palace, Tripura Sundari temple and Neermahal Palace in Udaipur. The train will then depart for Dimapur in Nagaland. The travellers will be taken to the state’s capital Kohima by buses to visit sites, including the Khonoma village, to know the Naga way of life.
Subsequently, the train will leave for Guwahati. The tourists will be taken to Shillong by road. They will visit Sohra, Shillong Peak, Nohkalikai Falls, Elephant Falls, and Mawsmai Caves before the train brings them back to Guwahati for the return journey to Delhi.
The train consists of two dining restaurants, a contemporary flameless kitchen, sensor-based washrooms, shower cubicles, foot massagers, and a library. It has improved security features like CCTV cameras, electronic safes and security guards deployed for each coach.
The high-priced tickets will cover train journey, night stays in AC hotels, daily meals, all transfers and sightseeing in buses, with travel insurance, and guide services as additions.
The introduction of the Bharat Gaurav tourist train aligns with the central government’s efforts to boost tourism through its “Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat” and “Dekho Apna Desh” campaigns.