On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Pravasi Bharatiya Express, a special tourist train designed for the Indian diaspora.
The train will travel across India for three weeks, covering various tourism and religious destinations. This initiative falls under the Ministry of External Affairs’ Pravasi Teertha Darshan Yojana.
Exclusively designed for the age group of 45 to 65 years, the Pravasi Bharatiya Express is a state-of-the-art tourist train that offers a unique travel experience to its passengers.
Starting its journey on 9 January, the train will visit prominent destinations, including Ayodhya, Varanasi, Mahabalipuram, and Rameswaram. The route spans cities like Patna, Kochi, Goa, and Kevadia, accommodating up to 156 passengers over its three-week schedule.
The train’s launch date, 9 January, was chosen to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s return from South Africa to India on the same date in 1915.
Departing from New Delhi’s Safdarjung Railway Station, the train’s route however includes major cultural and religious landmarks across the nation: New Delhi – Ayodhya – Patna – Gaya – Varanasi – Mahabalipuram – Rameswaram – Madurai – Kochi – Goa – Ekta Nagar (Kevadia) – Ajmer – Pushkar – Agra.
Organized by the Ministry of External Affairs in collaboration with the IRCTC, the tour however aims to connect the Indian diaspora with their heritage.
Indian Embassies worldwide invited applications from interested participants, with priority given to low-income Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) who may not afford such a visit independently.
The Ministry announced that it would bear all expenses for the train tour and cover 90% of return airfares from the participants’ countries of origin. Travelers will only pay 10% of the airfare and will stay in 4-star or similar category hotels as per the itinerary.
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