Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Ltd, in partnership with Sri Lanka inbound tour operator, Lanka Sportreizen (LSR) relaunched religious tours by rail to offer a more comfortable and quicker option for Sri Lankan pilgrims to visit places of Buddhist interest in India.
Jt. GM, Tourism, Marketing and Corporate Coordination at IRCTC, Kamal Kathiat said, “These tour packages can be customised and tailored to cater to the specific interests and preferences of travellers all of which will be handled by Lanka Sportreizen, their partner in Sri Lanka.”
“We can also have special packages for corporates and large groups as well,” he said.
Kathiat said, “The luxury train will make its tour over eight days. It starts in Delhi and concludes in Delhi taking passengers to Bodhgaya and it will stop at places such as Nalanda, Rajgir, Sarnath/Varanasi, Kushinagar, Lumbini in Nepal.”
“After completing the tour of the Holy Land of Buddha, the train will take you to Agra, a city of historic interest, and tour the Taj Mahal,” he said. The combination also offers the Golden Chariot a luxury train offering three itineraries to major cultural and heritage destinations in South India from Bangalore.
Chairman, Managing Director Lanka Sportreizen, Thilak Weerasinghe said that their goal was to elevate the travel experience for Sri Lankan Buddhist pilgrims and leisure travellers on the Indian Buddhist circuit, offering them high-end train travel.
“LSR’s collaboration with IRCTC will enable Sri Lankans to savour a unique experience of travelling by rail in India, featuring star-class accommodation in hotels, luxurious comforts on board, and authentic Indian hospitality,” Weerasinghe said.
