TFP Bureau, Raipur, July 14, 2025: In a landmark step towards promoting spiritual and cultural tourism, Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai will flag off a special train from Raipur to Ayodhya Dham on July 15 under the ongoing ‘Shri Ramlala Darshan Yojana’. The initiative, launched as part of Chhattisgarh’s silver jubilee celebrations, continues to deepen the state’s spiritual connect and heritage identity.
The train, carrying pilgrims from Raipur division, marks the first special journey of the financial year 2025–26. The flag-off ceremony will take place at Raipur Railway Station in the presence of cabinet ministers, MPs, MLAs, and key officials including Tourism Board Chairman Shri Neelu Sharma, Managing Director Shri Vivek Acharya, South East Central Railway DRM Shri Dayanand, Senior DCM Shri Awadhesh Trivedi, and IRCTC South Central Zone GM Shri P. Rajkumar.
The scheme was formally launched on March 5, 2024, when the first train under the MoU signed between the Chhattisgarh Tourism Board and IRCTC departed for Ayodhya from Raipur. The MoU, signed on February 23, 2024, aims to ensure that every resident of Chhattisgarh gets an opportunity to visit Shri Ram Lala at least once in their lifetime.
Following the inaugural journey, similar pilgrim trains have been launched across other divisions: Bilaspur (March 11, flagged off by Deputy CM Shri Arun Sao), Surguja (June 19), and a combined Durg-Bastar train (June 26), which carried over 850 pilgrims. Each event saw enthusiastic public participation and large turnouts from local citizens, media, and administration.
During the previous financial year, the yojana facilitated the pilgrimage of approximately 22,100 devotees to Ayodhya. In 2025–26, weekly trains will continue to operate from Raipur, Bilaspur, Surguja, and Durg-Bastar divisions, ensuring uninterrupted spiritual access for devotees across the state.
Chief Minister Sai’s vision behind the scheme is not only to promote religious tourism but also to strengthen the cultural and spiritual foundations of Chhattisgarh. “This initiative reaffirms our state’s identity as a land of faith, devotion, and heritage,” he said, calling it a significant stride toward cultural awakening during the state’s 25th anniversary year.
