Tiger Express Train to run on Rajasthan route

Wildlife enthusiasts across the World may rejoice as here’s a good news for you!!  The Tiger Express train, which was launched specifically for safaris in Madhya Pradesh (MP) in June, is all set to make Rajasthan its new home.

Giving Bandhavgadh, Kanha tiger reserves in MP the slip, the train will begin its revised journey in the state on November 19, 2016 by taking tourists to Ranthambhore National Park for the tiger safari. As per Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) sources, the Tiger Express is one of the most innovative tourism products launched by IRCTC.

The train was launched on the World Environment Day to highlight the importance of environment in our lives. The itinerary of the semi-luxury train will cover Udaipur, Chittorgarh and Ranthambore for a four night-five day odyssey starting from New Delhi. Tourists will have to shell out fares varying from Rs 29,000 to Rs 37,500.The Indian Railways is foraying into wildlife tourism for the first time in the state, focusing on both budget and domestic tourists.The semi-luxury train is also a first on the tourist circuit in the country to have a dining car.This will facilitate frequent interactions among travellers during the trip..

 

All you need to know about Pushkar Camel Fair of Rajasthan

Pushkar Camel Fair is a unique event. The fair is basically a market for animal trading but over the years it has turned into a cultural extravaganza. At Pushkar Fair, you not only get to see cattle and animal trading but witness the true colors of Rajasthan. Folk performances, markets for everything Rajasthani and delicious food add to the spectacle.

What to Expect at Pushkar Camel Fair

Expect lots of fun and amazement! As the name suggests, you will see thousands of camels at the fair area. The camels are beautifully decorated. They are brought here not only for trading but also for entertainment of the tourists. A camel ride is not to be missed. Camel decoration contests and races are held at the fair. Besides camels, you can enjoy horse-riding too.

If you have an adventurous streak, taking a hot-air balloon ride over the bustling terrain has to be in your list. Seeing all the activities from top is amazing and you can take a chopper ride too.

Musical performances by folk artists from all over Rajasthan are the major draws. Live dance and singing performances by talented performers make the time special. Besides music, you will also see acrobatics and comic performances at Pushkar Fair.

The famous longest-moustache competition manages to attract a lot of people every year. Besides witnessing the games, you can also participate in some of them like matka race, turban tying and kite flying.

Shopping is yet another attraction of this week-long fair. You can but Rajasthai prints and other art and crafts to take back with you. You will also see that decoration items for camels, cattle and women are sold side by side at the fair.

When it comes to eating, there is no food item that you can’t get here. From spicy street food to traditional food of Rajasthan, everything lures you.

Now the most important part, taking back memories! Carry a camera and keep clicking because the sights you will see here are unique to the place. It is important to enjoy the moments but the pictures will be with you whenever you want to refresh your memory.

 

The Beauty of Pushkar City

When you are at Pushkar Fair, you are not limited to enjoying just the fair but it is also a great time to see the holy Pushkar city at its best. There are very few Lord Brahma temples in the world and Pushkar has the most well-known of them all. When in Pushkar, you should visit the temple. Besides visiting the temple, taking a dip in the holy Pushkar Sarovar nearby is also part of the ritual.

To add to the experience, do not miss out on seeing the holy city glittering in the moonlight.

 

Pushkar Fair Programme Details

Pushkar Camel Fair will begin on 8^th November this year and will conclude on 14^th November on the occasion of Kartik Purnima.

Tuesday, 8^th November 2016

6:30 am	Hot Air Balloon Flights
10 am	Nagada Vadan & Pooja & Flag Hoisting at Mela Ground
10:30 am	Adventure Activites at Adventure Zone (Till 5:30 PM)
10:30 am	Mandana Competion,Camel Decoration Vyayam Pradarshan at Mela Ground
11:30 am	Football Match with foreigners at Mela Ground
4:30 pm	Hot Air Balloon Flights
5:00 pm	Inaugration of Shilgram Handicrafts Bazar
5:00 pm	Deepdan, Rangoli, Maha Arti & Pushkar Abhishek at Pushkar Sarovar
6:30 pm	Local Folk Performance at Dadha Area
7:30 pm	Advaita Live at Mela Ground
9:30 pm	Odissi dance by Tejaswani Roy

 

Wednesday, 9^th November 2016

6:30 am	Hot Air Balloon Flights
7:00 am	Heritage walk at Pushkar Circuit
10:00 am	Langri Taang with foreigners at Mela Ground
10:30 am	Adventure Activites at Adventure Zone (Till 5:30 PM)
10:30 am	Satolia Match at Mela Ground
11:00 am	Shilpgram Handicrafts Bazaar (Open till 8 PM)
11:00 am	Camel Decoration Contest at Mela Ground
12:00 pm	Camel Dance Contest at Mela Ground
4:30 pm	Hot Air Balloon Flights
5:00pm	Sunset Safari at the Dunes
6:30 pm	Local Folk Performance at Dadha Area
7:30 pm	Voice of Pushkar
9:30 pm	Folk Entertainment

 

Thursday, 10^th November 2016

6:30 am	Hot Air Balloon Flights
10:30 am	Kabbadi at Mela ground
10:30 am	Adventure Activites at Adventure Zone (Till 5:30 PM)
11:00 am	Shilpgram Handicrafts Bazaar (Open till 8 PM)
11:30 am	Horse Dance Contest at Mela Ground
1:00 pm	Panchayat Samiti Rural Sports at Mela Ground (Rassa Kashi, Volleyball, Kabaddi
4:30 pm	Hot Air Balloon Flights
5:00 pm	Sunset Safari at the Dunes
6:30 pm	Local Folk Performance at Dadha Area
7:30 pm	Prem Joshua Live at Mela Ground
9:30 pm	Voice of Pushkar – To be continued

 

Friday, 11^th November 2016

6:30 am	Hot Air Balloon Flights
7:00 am	Yoga at Mela Ground
9:30 am	Spiritual Walk from Gurudwara to Mela Ground
10:30 am	Adventure Activites at Adventure Zone (Till 5:30 PM)
11:00 am	Shilpgram Handicrafts Bazaar (Open till 8 PM)
11:30 am	Pushkar ki Patang – Kite flying competition & contest
1:00 pm	Inter Panchayat Samiti Rural Sports at Mela Ground
4:30 pm	Hot Air Balloon Flights
5:00 pm	Sunset Safari at the Dunes
7:30 pm	Live Entertainment at Mela Ground
9:30 pm	Best of Rajasthan Live at Mela Ground

 

Saturday, 12^th November 2016

6:30 am	Hot Air Balloon Flights
9:00 am	“Lagaan” style cricket match at Mela Ground
10:30 am	Adventure Activites at Adventure Zone (Till 5:30 PM)
11:00 am	Shilpgram Handicrafts Bazaar (Open till 8 PM)
11:00 am	Moustache Competition at Mela Ground
11:30 am	Turban Tying & Tilak Contest
11:30 am	Kite Flying at Mela Ground
4:30 pm	Hot Air Balloon Flights
5:00 pm	Sunset Safari at the Dunes
7:30 pm	Live Entertainment at Mela Ground
9:30 pm	Indian dance performances by foreigners

 

Sunday, 13^th November 2016

6:00 am	Harmony Marathon from Ajmer Sharif to Brahma Temple
6:00 am	Hot Air Balloon Flights
10:30 am	Matka Race at Mela ground
10:30 am	Adventure Activites at Adventure Zone (Till 5:30 PM)
11:00 am	Horse & Camel Competition
11:30 am	Musical Chair Race
1:00 pm	Exhibition Kabaddi Match
4:30 pm	Hot Air Balloon Flights
5:00 pm	Sunset Safari at the Dunes
6:00 pm	Indian Groom & Bride Contest at Mela Ground
8:00 pm	Roots of Pushkar at Mela Ground

 

Monday, 14^th November 2016

6:30 am	Hot Air Balloon Flights
9:00 am	Mega Cultural Event & Closing Ceremony
9:00 am	Camel Race, Matka Race, Tug of War, Group Dance,Kala Jattha & other Local Performances
4:30 pm	Hot Air Balloon Flights
5:45 pm	Maha Arti at Pushkar Sarovar
8:00 pm	Fireworks at the High Level Bridge

 

How to Reach Pushkar Camel Fair

Pushkar has no airport and the nearest airport is the Sanganer International Airport at Jaipur. From Jaipur you can reach Pushkar by road or by train in 2 hours.

Pushkar is well connected by train and by road from many other cities of Rajasthan so reaching here is easy.

With all this information at your hands so early, there is no way that you should miss this beautiful event!

IRCTC announced special packages for ‘Bharat Darshan’

For an avid traveller, there is an incredible opportunity coming up which was announced by IRCTC on Tuesday. The train will take you for “Bharat Darshan” including various historical and pilgrimage destinations across the country at really affordable prices. The journey will take place from October- December in various lots.

The train comprises of two luggage and 15 sleeper coaches including a pantry. These packages will include accommodation, sightseeing, vegetarian food and road transportation.

The schedule of the trains will be as below:

Train 1 

Departure October 4 from Chandigarh

Tour span- 6 days

Places- Shirdi- Saisignapur-Trayambakeshwar.

Boarding stations- Ambala, Kurukshetra,Karnal, Panipat, Delhi Cantt, Rawari and Jaipur

Fare- 5,020 per person

Train 2 for Dakshin Bharat Yatra

Departure- October 14 from Varanasi

Tour Span- 13 days

Places- Rameshwaram, Madurai, Kanyakumari, Kovalam, Thirvananthpuram, Kochi, Tirupati and Malikarjun

Fare- 10,870 per person

Train 3

Departure- November 2 from Chandigarh

Places- Rameshwaram, Madurai, Kanyakumari, Kovalam, Thirvananthpuram, Kochi, Tirupati and Malikarjun

Fare- 10,870 per person

For more information, visit http://www.irctctourism.com/

 

Jaipur’s Nahargarh Fort to have Hot Air Balloon Safari from September 1

With the rise in tourism in Rajasthan, there have been various innovative things adopted by the officials. And in Jaipur’s Nahargarh Fort, IRCTC is going to provide a facility of Hot Air Balloon safari which will be at a height of 3500 ft so that the travellers can enjoy the panoramic view of the city from top. This facility is going to start from September 1, 2016. The keen travellers will be able to travel in it for 45-60 minutes.

Children from 5-12 years will be charged Rs 7,500 whereas others will be charged Rs 12,000 per person which includes picking and dropping off at their respective hotels.

For more information and registration for the same, visit www.irctctourism.com

Image via Google

Bikaner gets it’s Railway Station walls painted in floral textures

Drawing inspiration from Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, various railway stations of Rajasthan have undergone drastic makeovers. The walls are painted keeping along the themes of various cities like Jaipur’s Gandhinagar Station getting Rajasthani puppets, Udaipur in its Nathdwara art painted on the respective stations and coaches. And now there is Bikaner taking inspiration from the floral prints of Badal Mahal.

All these initiatives have helped local residents to connect themselves with the traditions of their city on a better level and the visitors will get a chance to get acquainted with the traditions and cultures of Rajasthan. This will in fact attract tourism and will spread awareness among localites to maintain cleanliness around this newly painted station.

A semi-luxury trip for the long August weekend offered by IRCTC

The long weekend of August is almost here and everyone must be planning something or the other for it. So before you think of something else there comes is a good news for all those who want to make the best of their weekend in this amazing weather. The Indian Railway Catering and Touring Corporation (IRCTC) has planned a semi-luxury train tour for passengers from Delhi which will begin its journey from Safdarjung station to iconic places of Rajasthan including destinations  Udaipur-Chittorgarh-Mount Abu-Ajmer-Pushkar

The all inclusive package of four nights and five days includes quality food, travel outside railway by air conditioned vehicles, security arrangements and housekeeping along with escorts throughout the trip. This is an especially designed tourist train which will also have a mid-segment air-conditioned dining car where passengers can interact with others while having dinner.

 

And guess what all this comes at really affordable prices. The package being divided in two categories (I AC and II AC) priced at an affordable rate of Rs 29,000 for II AC and 35,000 for I AC. IRCTC is also offering an “early bird” discount to the first 25 bookings as well as discounts for groups.

Don’t you think this is a really great opportunity given by IRCTC for all those wanting to go out on an affordable vacation. If you are looking forward to it then contact 9717649209, 9717640463 or mail at tourismr&d@irctc.com or visit www.irctctourism.com

Wish you have a wonderful holiday!:)

New Rules of Indian Railways will be Effective from 1st July

Local Train is considered to be the lifeline of Mumbai but in a broader perspective, Indian Railways is lifeline of India. The trains connect our country and make it easy for people to travel to every part of the country. Railway Ministry keeps coming up with new set of rules to improve the services. Some new set of rules have been announced that will be effective from 1st of July. Take notes-

1.Suvidha trains will not have waiting lists from next month. Only confirmed and RAC passengers will get seats.

2.Passengers will get 50% refund on cancelling the tickets of Suvidha Trains.

3.The number of coaches in Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains will be increased.

4.Rajdhani and Shatabdi will have only Mobile tickets from July 1 which means that they are going paperless.

5.Train bookings will be started in various languages which is certainly a great step.

6.From July 1, the services of Premium trains will come to an end.

7.On cancellation of Tatkal tickets, passengers will get half refund.

8.Note the new Tatkal booking timings- Tatkal window for AC coach will be open between 10 am and 11 am while for sleeper coach it will be open from 11 am to 12 pm. This will reduce the traffic and bookings will come through faster.

9.Half refund of fare on cancellation charges of rupees 100 for air-conditioned-II tier/first class, rupees 90 for air-conditioned III-tier/3 economy/air-conditioned chair car and rupees 60 for sleeper class will be given.

 

Special Train Between Jaipur And Delhi For Summer Vacations

Before the summer vacations officially begin, the Indian Railways have introduced extra special trains between Delhi and Jaipur from April 10 to June 29, 2016.
Keeping in mind the rush each year, the summer special train works on the same day departure and return journey. The train will leave Jaipur at 7:55 am to reach Sarai Rohilla in Delhi at 1:20 pm the same day. The return train will depart from Sarai Rohilla, Delhi at 2:30 pm to reach Jaipur at 7:55 pm.

Image via Google

The main station on which the train halts are Gandhinagar Station Jaipur, Dausa, Bandikui, Alwar, Rewari, Gurgaon and Delhi Cantt. The superfast train run on 6 days a week except Thursdays.

 

Special Trip for New Year Travellors to Rajasthan

When it’s time to say Good Bye and welcome the New Year, we would want to celebrate it in an unconventional way. Some call their friends or some pack their bags to be at home, but some want to explore the unexplored.

For this last group of people IRCTC has started a new initiative of celebrating New Year with grandiosity. The world’s leading luxury train ‘Maharajas’ Express‘ will venture on a three-night/four-day tour of Delhi-Agra-Ranthambore-Jaipur-Delhi.

Famed as “Gems of India” as the cabins of the train have been named after precious gems, such as Firoza, Moti, Manik, Panna and Hakik, in an effort to recreate the royal grandeur of the bygone era, this train trip has been scheduled from December 30. On this journey, one can visit the world’s greatest monument of love, the Taj Mahal, spot the elusive tiger in Ranthambore National Park, soak up the spectacular regal heritage of Rajasthan in its magnificent forts, vibrant Bazaars and also the Royal cuisine. The journey will leave you with everlasting memories of a unique mix of Culture, History and Folklore.

The Maharajas’ Express has redefined the luxury travel experience by offering guests the opportunity to explore fabled destinations, providing a glimpse of rich cultural heritage of Incredible India that will leave travellors with fond memories of this train journey to be cherished.

For booking of tickets, the Maharajas’ Express website book tickets directly on http://www.The-maharajas.Com.

Palace on Wheels comes to Jaipur

The dream journey of lifetime, royal and luxurious Palace on Wheels began its first tour of the season yesterday from Delhi. Today the luxury train will arrive in ‪Jaipur and halt at the Jaipur Junction Railway station for hours.

The Palace on Wheels with all modern facilities will travel to Jaipur, Sawaimadhopur, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bharatpur and Agra before returning to the capital.

The royal train has undergone some renovations and now has 23 coaches comprising 14 saloons, one spa coach, two restaurants–“Maharaja” and “Maharani”, one reception-cum-bar and a health club gym!

The seven-day journey takes the tourists across mountains, rivers, forests and sand dunes in air-conditioned comfort. It will make a total of 34 trips from September 2013 to April 2014 and around 3000 passengers are expected to travel in the train.