Railways announces Samanta Express from April 2019 to mark Ambedkar's 128th birth anniversary

The Railways Thursday announced a special tourist train - Samanta Express, in celebration of the 128th birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar, from April 2019. The new train will cover Buddhist sites in India and Nepal, according to a senior official.

To mark the birth anniversary of Ambedkar, the Samanta Express will start its 12-day journey on April 14, from Nagpur, Maharashtra, also known as 'Deekshabhoomi'. It is here that Ambedkar embraced Buddhism in 1956 along with his supporters.

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The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) mapped out the 12-day tour to mark the birth anniversary of the great leader. The train will cover important places associated with Buddhism and the life of Ambedkar, including his birthplace Mhow (Madhya Pradesh), Mumbai. The other places include Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, Kushinagar and Lumbini in Nepal.

The tour package will include rail journey, road transfers and sightseeing in buses, accommodation in dharmashala and pure vegetarian food in an all inclusive price of Rs 11,340 per person, according to the Railways announcement.

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The 'Samanta Express' tour package can be booked online from IRCTC tourism website. The booking window in the website will open from December 10, 2018. The trip can also be booked offline at any of the IRCTC offices.

(With PTI inputs)