IRCTC has opened bookings for the Divine East Temple Tour, a 10-day, 9-night, pilgrimage package on a Bharat Gaurav tourist train that runs from Delhi to Varanasi, Kolkata, Gangasagar, Puri, Bhubaneswar, Konark, Chilika and Deoghar, before returning to Delhi. The train departs on March 9, 2026, and for anyone weighing whether it’s worth booking, here is what the fare actually buys. Check the glaring gaps and what to keep in mind before booking the tickets.

Divine East Temple Tour: Where you can board, and where the train actually goes

The train leaves from Delhi Safdarjung, but it also picks up passengers at Ghaziabad, Moradabad, Bareilly and Lucknow, so travellers don’t necessarily need to get to Delhi first. On the return leg, the same five stations are used for de-boarding.

Once underway, the route covers Varanasi for the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and an evening Ganga Aarti by boat, two nights in Kolkata with visits to the Victoria Memorial, Dakshineshwar Kali Temple, Belur Math and Kalighat, and a day trip to Gangasagar, the island pilgrimage site reached by road, a ferry crossing, and then another bus, ending at the Kapil Muni Temple for a ritual dip at the Sagar Sangam. 

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From there, it’s two nights in Puri, with the Jagannath Temple, the Konark Sun Temple, the Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar, a stop at Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves, a boat ride on Chilika Lake, and a visit to the artisan village of Raghurajpur. The trip ends with a stop at Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar before the train heads back to Delhi.

Bharat Gaurav train: Train fare by class

The train has 150 seats across four categories: Superior AC I (Coupe), Superior AC I (Cabin), Deluxe AC II tier and Comfort AC III tier. Pricing depends on both the class and how many people share a room or berth, and it works out as follows, per person:

Superior AC I (Coupe and Cabin) costs Rs 1,22,160 on single occupancy, Rs 1,06,940 on double-sharing, Rs 1,04,765 on triple-sharing, and Rs 98,920 for a child aged 5 to 11.

Deluxe AC II tier costs Rs 1,14,145 on single occupancy, Rs 98,925 on double-sharing, Rs 96,755 on triple-sharing, and Rs 90,905 for a child aged 5 to 11.

Comfort AC III tier costs Rs 94,505 on single occupancy, Rs 79,285 on double-sharing, Rs 77,120 on triple-sharing, and Rs 73,070 for a child aged 5 to 11.

As per the notification, these listed prices already include a roughly 33% discount that Indian Railways applies to Bharat Gaurav trains to promote rail tourism. So the number on the price chart is the final fare, not a starting point before discounts.

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Divine East Temple Tour: What’s actually included 

The fare covers the train journey itself, four nights of hotel stays in 3-star properties, two nights each in Kolkata and Puri, plus a same-day wash-and-change halt in Varanasi, and five nights spent on the train during overnight journeys. Meals are vegetarian throughout. AC I and AC II passengers eat in the train’s dining car, while AC III meals served directly at the berth. Local sightseeing by AC bus, monument entry tickets, guide charges, accident insurance and an onboard IRCTC tour manager are also part of the package.

Divine East Temple Tour: Practical details to factor in before booking

Berth allocation is only finalised three days before departure, and IRCTC has specified that one lower berth is assigned for every two passengers travelling together, worth keeping in mind for elderly travellers or anyone who specifically needs a lower berth.

The cancellation terms are also worth reading closely before paying. Cancelling 15 days or more ahead of departure costs a flat Rs 250 per person. That rises to 25% of the package cost if cancelled 8 to 14 days before departure, and 50% if cancelled 4 to 7 days before. Cancelling with less than four days’ notice means forfeiting the entire fare, so this isn’t a trip to book on a flexible whim.

The train is scheduled to return to Delhi Safdarjung by March 18, 2026.