IRCTC to launch heritage tour to places associated with Chhatrapati Shivaji's life
The six-day itinerary will commence its journey from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in Mumbai. On Day 1, it will reach the Mangaon railway station on the Konkan Railway network, the closest railway link to the Raigad Fort.
A press statement issued by the IRCTC said the tour package has been attractively priced at Rs 13,155 per person in Economy (sleeper class), Rs 19,840 per person in Comfort (3AC) and Rs 27,365 per person in the Superior (2AC) category.
New Delhi, May 2 (PTI) The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is all set to operate a first-of-its-kind heritage tour to cover the key sites associated with the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha kingdom.
'The first destination is Raigad, known for the eponymous hill fort where Chhatrapati Shivaji's coronation took place. It later became his capital from where he ruled,' the release said.
'After the sightseeing, the train will proceed for the next destination, Pune, where the tourists will have dinner followed by night stay at a local hotel,' it said.
On Day 2, the tourists would cover some popular sites in Pune, including the Lal Mahal, Kasba Ganapati and Shivsrushti, the IRCTC said.
'Lal Mahal, as the name suggests, is a red-coloured palace constructed by Chhatrapati Shivaji's father Shahaji Bhosale for his wife Jijabai and son in 1630 CE,' the press note said.
As per the tour itinerary, the guests will have a night's rest in Pune. On Day 3, they will visit the Shivneri Fort atop a hill located at a distance of 95 km from Pune.
'It is the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji and a symbol of Maratha pride,' a senior IRCTC official said.
'Post lunch, the tourists will visit the Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga temple, one of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples, before returning to Pune for night halt,' the release said.
'On Day 4, the tourists will head to Satara where they will visit the Pratapgarh Fort, which holds historical importance because of the Battle of Pratapgad that took place in 1659 between Chatrapati Shivaji and Bijapur Sultanate general Afzal Khan,' the IRCTC official said.
'This battle set the stage for the establishment of the Maratha empire,' he added.
From Satara, the train will proceed towards its last destination — Kolhapur, according to the itinerary.
'In Kolhapur, the tourists will visit the Mahalakshmi Temple popularly known as 'Ambabai' before proceeding towards the Panhala Fort,' it said.
Sitting atop the Sahyadri range, the hill fort bears a testament to many battles and is closely connected to Chhatrapati Shivaji, who spent more than 500 days there after he was held captive before escaping.
From Kolhapur, the train will commence its return journey to Mumbai, the IRCTC said.
'The all-inclusive price in all categories will cover train journey in respective classes, night stay at comfortable hotels, all meals (vegetarian only), all transfer and sight-seeing in buses, travel insurance, services of tour escort etc.,' it added. PTI JP ARI
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
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