India

PM Modi Flags Off Pravasi Bharatiya Express For Indian Diaspora

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.

Also Read: BJP National Spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi Slams AAP-Delhi Police Standoff As ‘Anarchy’

Mankrit Kaur

Recent Posts

PM Modi Urges Global Action On Coastal Resilience At Nice Summit

PM Narendra Modi on Saturday called for urgent global action to build infrastructure that can…

59 seconds ago

CJI BR Gavai Highlights Technology’s Historic Role In India’s Judicial System

CJI BR Gavai during the academic forum at the School of Oriental and African Studies…

30 mins ago

Jaishankar Reaffirms India’s Zero Tolerance Policy On Terrorism In Talks With UK Foreign Secretary Lammy

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday met UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and appreciated…

46 mins ago

HM Amit Shah Hails Anti-Naxal Success; Pledges Continued Drive For Peace

Amit Shah lauded the success of recent anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh and expressed his desire…

58 mins ago

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Reaffirms India’s Zero Tolerance For Terrorism

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday reaffirmed India's firm zero tolerance policy towards terrorism and…

1 hour ago

Kisan Credit Card Scheme A Lifeline For Indian Farmers: FM Nirmala Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday described the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme as a…

3 hours ago