To boost tourism in northeastern states, the Railways, in partnership with IRCTC, will organise a 'North East Discovery' tour on the Bharat Gaurav Deluxe AC tourist train. The train will commence its journey from Delhi's Safdarjung railway station on November 16 this year.
The state-of-the-art train will cover Guwahati, Sivasagar, Jorhat and Kaziranga in Assam, Unakoti, Agartala and Udaipur in Tripura, Dimapur and Kohima in Nagaland, and Shillong and Cherrapunji in Meghalaya over the 15-day tour, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) said in a press release.
The deluxe train has modern features like two dining cars, restaurants, a contemporary flameless kitchen, shower cubicles, sensor-based washroom functions, foot massager and a mini library. The fully air-conditioned train provides three types of accommodation -- AC I, AC II and AC III.
CCTV cameras, electronic safes and dedicated security guards for each coach are also some of the facilities in the train.
The train will make its first stop at Guwahati in Assam, where tourists will visit the Kamakhya and Umananda temples, followed by a sunset cruise on the Brahmaputra river. The train will then depart on an overnight journey for Arunachal Pradesh's Naharlagun, which is 30 kilometres from the next destination Itanagar, the release said.
Sivasagar, the old capital of the Ahom Kingdom in Eastern Assam, will be the next stop, where tourists will visit the famous Shiva temple 'Sivadol' and other heritage sites, including the Talatal Ghar and Rang Ghar (Colosseum of the East). The train will also explore the tea gardens at Jorhat, and an overnight stay at Kaziranga, along with an early morning jungle safari at the park, is also part of the itinerary.
After this, the Bharat Gaurav train will leave for Tripura, where the tourists will experience the famous heritage site of Unakoti, located in the densely covered Jampui hills of the state. At Tripura's capital city Agartala, the tourists will have a glimpse of the famous Ujjayanta Palace, the Neermahal and the Tripura Sundari temple at Udaipur.
The scenic journey between the Badarpur and Lumding can be experienced by the tourists as the train goes to its next stop -- Dimapur in Nagaland. From Dimapur station, the tourists will be taken to Nagaland capital Kohima by road. In Kohima, they will be given a tour of the Khonoma village to witness the Naga way of life, the release further said.
The tourists will then be taken back to Guwahati, from where they will be taken to Meghalaya capital Shillong by road. On the way, they will get to see the majestic Umium Lake. An excursion to Cherrapunji is scheduled for the next day in the East Khasi Hills. Other sighseeing spots include Shillong peak, Elephant falls, Nawkhalikai falls and Mawsmai caves.
The tourists will then be taken back to Guwahati, from where they will board the train for Delhi. The entire tour will cover a total distance of around 5,800 kilometres. Train journey, night stay, all meals, all transfer and sight-seeing, travel insurance and services of the tour escorts are included in the package.