Passengers on the Bharat Gaurav Ambedkar Yatra train visited Deekshabhoomi yesterday, a historic spot in Maharashtra’s Nagpur where B. R. Ambedkar embraced Buddhism, according to officials. The special tourist train that will take passengers to towns linked with the social reformer across the country set off from Delhi on Friday to commemorate his 132nd birthday. On April 15, the train arrived in Indore and then proceeded to Ambedkar’s birthplace in Mhow, where passengers paid tribute to the author of the Constitution.
In Mhow, passengers gathered in the memorial hall of the Bhim Janmabhoomi and discussed Babasaheb Ambedkar’s life, sufferings, and so on. The train arrived in Nagpur on Sunday morning, where travellers visited Deekshabhoomi and Dragon Palace, according to a statement from the Tourism Ministry.
Deekshabhoomi is a historic site where Ambedkar and many of his followers accepted Buddhism in October 1956. According to the statement, Babasaheb Ambedkar’s final remains are kept in the central dome of the Deekshbhoomi stupa. The visit also marked the conclusion of 170 years of Indian Railways’ remarkable journey, as the first passenger train service between Bombay and Thane began on April 16, 1853.
The Dragon Palace in Nagpur’s Kamptee town features a lovely environment for meditation, with a Buddha image made of sandalwood at the core of attention. The tourists departed Nagpur late in the evening for the next phase of their journey in Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh, according to the statement.
Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh, is the next stop after Sanchi. Sarnath and the Kashi Vishwanath Temple will be visited as part of the tour. Gaya, Bihar, is the train’s next and last stop, and it will arrive on the sixth day of the journey. Tourists will visit the Mahabodhi Temple and other monasteries in Bodhgaya, a sacred location.
The tourists travel by road the next day to Rajgir and Nalanda in Bihar for sightseeing. The main attractions are Buddhist temples and the ruins of Nalanda. As the tour concludes, the train will depart Gaya for New Delhi.
On April 14, Union Ministers of Tourism G. Kishan Reddy and Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar launched the Bharat Gaurav tourist train excursion on the Ambedkar Circuit from Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station. The special train takes travellers on an eight-day journey through Maharashtra and Bihar, visiting important locations.
“This Bharat Gaurav tourist train intends to give a glimpse of the life and legacy of Bharat Ratna Babasaheb Ambedkar to all the passengers, adding the train also wants to promote domestic tourism and the ethos of ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat,” Reddy said.
