In February, 2024 Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board signed an MoU with IRCTC to lease a dedicated 3AC train with the capacity to carry 400 guests. The Train was named ‘Manaskhand Express’.
According to Shri Sachin Kurve, Secretary Tourism/CEO, UTDB, the aim behind this train project is to provide connectivity from different parts of the country to Uttarakhand and offer a one stop solution in the form of tour package through IRCTC to the tourists. A typical itinerary on Manaskhand Express covers a mix of popular and lesser-known destinations of the state over a period of 7-10 days including train travel, meals on train, road travel within Uttarakhand, sightseeing, accommodation and meals in hotels/homestays. During the train journey as well as at various destinations, guests are offered local delicacies with an aim to promote the cuisine of Uttarakhand.
The first two trips of the train originated from Pune and the guests visited Punagiri Temple, Nanakmatta Gurudwara, Tea Garden at Champawat, Haat Kalika Temple, Patal Bhuvneshwar Temple, Jageshwar Temple, Golu Devta Temple, Kainchi Dham, Nanda Devi Temple, Kasar Devi Temple, Sun Temple Katarmal and Naina Devi Temple.
In order to promote Shri Kartik Swami Temple at Rudraprayag, a trip was launched in June, 2024 from Madurai. This trip included visit to Rishikesh, Badrinath and Kedarnath along with Shri Kartik Swami Temple. This was perhaps the first conducted tour to Shri Kartik Swami Temple. Another trip covering Shri Kartik Swami Temple, Badrinath and Kedarnath is planned in the first week of October 2024 from Mumbai, the bookings for which have started on the www.irctctourism.com/bharatgaurav.
Seeing the encouraging response, the tourism department has launched a trip called “Pitr Chaya Express – A trip dedicated to our ancestors” covering Haridwar, Rishikesh, Panch Prayag and Badrinath. The tradition of offering “Tarpan” to our ancestors during the Shradh/Pitr Paksh period is of significant importance to Hindus. The Pitr Chaya Express starting from Pune gives an opportunity to the visitors to offer Tarpan at Haridwar and the five Prayag’s (confluence) which lead to the formation of Holy Ganga and finally at Brahm Kapal near Badrinath.
Next trip being planned by the department is called Ganga-Yamuna Express which will start from Bhopal and pick tourists from nearby locations before reaching Haridwar. This trip will cover Haridwar, Rishikesh, Dehradun, Mussoorie, Kharsali and Hanol. The aim of this trip is to take tourists to places of importance on the course of the Holy Ganga and Yamuna rivers in the state of Uttarakhand. While Haridwar and Rishikesh are popular centers where the Holy Ganga flows, Kharsali is the winter seat of Yamunotri Dham. Another hidden gem included in this trip is the Mahasu Devta Temple at Hanol in the Jaunsar Bhawar Region. Mahasu Devta is considered to be incarnation of Lord Shiva and is revered in this region. The temple architecture is quite unique with wooden frescoes depicting folk tales.
Shri Kurve mentioned that the train project is yielding good results with tourists from different parts of the country visiting these hidden gems. He further mentioned that these tourists will act as brand ambassadors in promoting these destinations. In addition to promoting the hidden gems of the state, we have been able to start a culture of organized/conducted tours in the state which was not prevalent till now, employment opportunities for the local youth are being generated, hotels, homestays, transport operators and cultural troupes are also getting business through the Manaskhand Express project.
