Good news for Lord Ram devotees in Himachal as HRTC to operate direct buses to Ayodhya from Shimla, 2 other stations
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TNR Desk
Himachal Pradesh residents seeking to visit the Ram temple in Ayodhya will soon have the opportunity as the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) is set to start bus services to the Uttar Pradesh city.
The HRTC had sought permission from the Uttar Pradesh government to commence bus services to Ayodhya, a request that has been granted by the Yogi Adityanath administration. While there was a proposal to operate buses to Ayodhya from six routes in Himachal, permission has currently been granted for three routes.
Initially, bus services will be started from Shimla, Hamirpur and Una to Ayodhya. The HRTC management is in the process of finalising the remaining formalities to commence bus services on these routes. Once all formalities were completed, the bus service to Ayodhya would be operational, bringing ease and convenience to pilgrims and travellers from Himachal Pradesh, said an HRTC official.
Earlier, in accordance with the directives of Himachal Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, the corporation management had dispatched a team of officers to Ayodhya for the purpose.
The team submitted its report to the corporation management on Tuesday (March 5, 2024). The total distance from Shimla to Ayodhya is 1,124 km. The distance from Shimla to Delhi is 392 km while the journey from Delhi to Ayodhya covers 732 km.
The HRTC management communicated with the Uttar Pradesh government via official correspondence and submitted an application for the necessary permits. While plans were initially laid out to operate buses on six routes, the current arrangement entails bus services to Ayodhya on only three routes.
While the HRTC has not yet finalised fare for the journey, it is expected to be in the range of Rs 1,800 to Rs 2,000 from the three stations in Himachal to Ayodhya. The HRTC has initiated the ‘Darshan Scheme’ to operate buses to temples and renowned religious sites and these buses will operate under the scheme.
