Sanjana Kumari, daughter of a daily wage labourer, never had the fortune to step out of her Amlabad home under Chandankyari block, Bokaro.

On Tuesday, the 15-year-old couldn't believe her luck as she happily hopped on a bus to set off on a three-day tour to Bodh Gaya in Bihar and Purulia in Bengal.

Sanjana along with 139 other students from Classes VI to VIII of various government schools across Bokaro, were part of an educational tour organised by the district education department under state's Innovative Education project.

Three buses crammed with students, school teachers and officials of the district education department took off from women's hostel grounds in Sector II at 11.30am on Tuesday.

The three-day tour from Tuesday to Thursday includes tourist spots like the District Science Centre in Purulia, Bengal, Bodh Gaya in Bihar and nearby places like Mahabodhi Temple, Bodhi Tree, Great Buddha Statue, Thai Monastery, Burmese Vihara, Vietnamese Temple, among others.

"Its like a dream come true. Today is the best day of my life," beamed Sanjana.

"The tour will be a learning experience for students. After we return on Thursday, a cultural programme will be held on the women's hostel campus followed by a question-answer session where students will be quizzed about the trip," said district gender coordinator of the education department Anita Prasad.

The entire cost of educational tour is being borne by the district education department. Each student also got a T-shirt, a pair of shoes, cap, copy and a pen.