The ''Mahaparinirvan Express'' is a tourist train which was launched by the
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is an Indian public sector undertaking that provides ticketing, catering, and tourism services for the Indian Railways. It was initially wholly owned by the Government of India and operated ...
(IRCTC) on 28 March 2007, to attract Buddhist pilgrims. The train takes passengers on an eight-day, seven-night spiritual tour which visits Buddhist sites across
North India
North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Central ...
.
History
The train gets its name from the
Mahaparinirvana
In Buddhism, ''parinirvana'' (Sanskrit: '; Pali: ') is commonly used to refer to nirvana-after-death, which occurs upon the death of someone who has attained ''nirvana'' during their lifetime. It implies a release from '' '', karma and rebirth a ...
of
the Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...
. A sacred journey which includes Buddha's visit to various important Buddhist pilgrimage sites, such as Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Varanasi and Kushinagar.
Features and Services
The Mahaparinirvan Express is operated by Indian Railways using carriages from a
Rajdhani Express Rajdhani may refer to:
* ''Rajdhani'' (film), 1956 Indian film
* ''Rajadhani'' (1994 film), Indian Malayalam-language film
* ''Rajadhani'' (2011 film), Indian Kannada-language film
* Rajdhani, Kotli, a village in Pakistan
* Rajdhani, Gorakhpur, a ...
train. This is a fully air conditioned train offering three different classes of travel (first class, two tier, and three tier).
See also
*
Fairy Queen
In folklore and literature, the Fairy Queen or Queen of the Fairies is a female ruler of the fairies, sometimes but not always paired with a king. Depending on the work, she may be named or unnamed; Titania and Mab are two frequently used name ...
*
Palace on Wheels
The ''Palace on Wheels'' is a luxury tourist train. It was launched by the Indian Railways in association with Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation to promote tourism in Rajasthan. It is now known as Heritage Palace on Wheels.
The train ...
*
Royal Orient
The ''Royal Orient'' is an Indian luxury tourism train that runs between Gujarat and Rajasthan, covering important tourist locations in the two states.
Modelled on the ''Palace on Wheels'', India's first luxury tourist train, the train offers ...
*
Deccan Odyssey
The ''Deccan Odyssey'' is an Indian luxury train modeled on the ''Palace on Wheels'' and put into service to boost tourism on the Maharashtra route of the Indian Railways. The train, owned by travel company Cox & Kings since 2014, takes visit ...
*
Golden Chariot
The ''Golden Chariot'' is a luxury tourist train that connects the important tourist spots in the Indian states of Karnataka, Goa, Kerala & Tamil Nadu as well as Pondicherry, depending on the selected itinerary. It is named after the Stone Ch ...
*
Royal Rajasthan on Wheels
The ''Royal Rajasthan on Wheels'' is a luxury tourist train run by Indian Railways. It is modelled on the Palace on Wheels, and follows a similar route through Rajasthan. Tourists are taken to several important tourist, wildlife and heritage s ...
*
Maharajas' Express
The ''Maharajas' Express'' is a luxury tourist train owned and operated by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). It serves four routes across North-West and Central India, mainly centered on Rajasthan between the months of ...
References
# http://www.indianrail.gov.in/luxury_Train.html
#
External links
Mahaparinirvan Express (Buddhist train circuit) Named passenger trains of India
{{Indian Railways
Religious tourism in India
Buddhism in India
2007 establishments in India
Tourism in Delhi
Rail transport in Delhi
Tourism in Uttar Pradesh
Rail transport in Bihar
Luxury trains in India
Railway services introduced in 2007
Transport in Rajgir
Transport in Varanasi
Transport in Gaya, India
Tourism in Bihar
Buddhist pilgrimages