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With the establishment of direct rail link between Ayodhya Dham, the birthplace of Lord Shri Ram, and Janakpur Dham (Nepal), the birthplace of Mata Janaki, the years-old dream of millions of devotees of both the countries is going to be fulfilled. To give a new dimension to the age-old religious, cultural and ‘Roti-Beti’ relationship between India and Nepal, Indian Railways has prepared a complete plan to run a weekly train from Ayodhya to Janakpur Dham (via Jaynagar). The commencement of this historic rail service, which will strengthen the Ramayana Circuit, will not only provide the pilgrims with the option of easy, safe and economical travel, but will also give a tremendous boost to religious tourism and local trade in the border areas of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Nepal. Till now, devotees had to change trains or buses at many places to go from Ayodhya to Janakpur, but with the operation of this direct weekly train service, this entire journey will become very comfortable and straightforward.
According to the proposed route prepared by the Railway Board, this weekly train will start its journey from the religious city of Ayodhya Dham (or Ayodhya Cantt) in Uttar Pradesh and, passing through major cities of Purvanchal, will reach Jaynagar located on the India-Nepal border via Mithilachal region of Bihar, from where passengers will be able to directly connect to Janakpur Dham in Nepal. Major stops on this route include Mankapur Junction, Basti, Khalilabad, Gorakhpur Junction, Deoria Sadar, Siwan Junction, Chhapra Junction, Hajipur Junction, Muzaffarpur Junction, Samastipur Junction, Darbhanga Junction, Sakri Junction and Madhubani. After reaching Jaynagar station, passengers will be able to directly reach Janaki Temple through the Kurtha-Janakpur Dham rail section of Nepal Railway located just a short distance away. With the selection of this route, the cultural heritage of Purvanchal and Mithilanchal will be woven into a single rail thread.
The operation of this weekly train between Ayodhya and Janakpur Dham is being started especially keeping in mind the crores of Ram devotees who visit both the holy cities throughout the year. Especially on big religious occasions like Vivah Panchami, Ram Navami and Janaki Navami of the upcoming Margashirsha month, a huge crowd of devotees go to Janakpur from Ayodhya. As per the preliminary schedule of the Railways, this train will depart from Ayodhya in the evening once a week, so that passengers can travel overnight and reach Jaynagar-Janakpur area via Darbhanga and Madhubani the next morning. In return also, this train will leave in the evening on a fixed day of the week and will take the devotees to Ayodhya Dham located on the banks of Saryu the next morning. Equipped with modern LHB coaches, this train will have sleeper, third AC, second AC and general class coaches, so that passengers of every category can book tickets as per their convenience.
Since the construction of the grand Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya, there has been a historic surge in the number of tourists and pilgrims coming from India and abroad. In such a situation, by running the train directly from Ayodhya to Janakpur Dham, the number of international and domestic tourists visiting Nepal is expected to increase manifold. This will create new employment opportunities for small businessmen related to hotels, transport, local handicrafts (like Mithila painting) and food around stations like Gorakhpur, Basti, Darbhanga, Madhubani and Jaynagar. Additionally, citizens living in the Terai region of Nepal will also get a direct and reliable means of reaching major cities of Uttar Pradesh for treatment, education and business.
As soon as Indian Railways releases the official notification and train number of the regular operation of this train, passengers will be able to book advance tickets from IRCTC’s official website, mobile app or any railway reservation counter. Since Janakpur Dham is located on the border of Nepal, Indian travelers must carry valid identity proof such as Aadhar Card, Voter ID or Passport with them to avoid any inconvenience during the trip. Indian citizens do not require a visa to enter Nepal, but are required to show a valid government identity card at border checkpoints. Railway officials believe that this train will not only connect the two stations, but will also prove to be an unbreakable bridge of faith between the two biggest centers of Sanatan culture.