MAHARAJAS’
EXPRESS – THE INDIAN PANORAMA
“I am not the same having seen the moon
shine on the other side of the world,” writes the celebrated author Mary Anne
Radmarcher.
For years overseas tourists explored
Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. Yes, they discovered the prepossessing Luytens Delhi,
the grandeur of the Red Fort, the Purana Quila and the lofty Qutub Minar. They
motored down or flew to Jaipur to explore the majesty of Rajasthan. Like
several natives they travelled by the Taj Express to be enthralled by the sheer
architectural poetry of the Taj Mahal.
This was prior to profit and luxury not
being called a feculent word. Reagonomics, Thatcherism, globalisation, the fall
of the Berlin Wall and virtual collapse of Communism fuelled the imagination of
a fossilised bureaucracy, which turned visionary overnight. As a result the Indian
Railways (IR) collaborated with the State Tourism Departments and private
players to launch an array of luxury trains. Today T-18 called Vande Bharat, the fastest train in India
capable of clocking 160kmph is a reality;
a couple of decades back propertied Indians, NRIs and foreigners got a glimpse
of “Palace on Wheels”, “Fairy Queen” and “Royal Orient Express” to name some splendorous trains.
In that series were launched the Maharajas’ Express which chugged on several
routes over different parts of the country. The Maharajas' Express is a luxury
tourist train owned and operated by the Indian
Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).
The opulent train plies on seven circuits of which Indian Panorama is a
prestigious one. Keeping in mind the climate in several parts of the
country, the trips have been sandwiched between the
ebbing summers in October and the late springs of April.
The Indian Panorama covers the capital Delhi, resplendent
Jaipur, breathtaking Ranthambore, Fatehpur Sikri, Agra, statuesque Orchha,
awe-inspiring Khajuraho and the distinguished and sublime ancient city of
Varanasi.
The
estimable train Maharajas' Express
was voted as “The World's Leading Luxury Train” five times in succession from
2012 to 2017 at the World Travel Awards. This is certainly no
mean achievement
which skewers the misgivings of the Cassandra’s of Doubt about tourism-marketing
prowess of Indians.
It
is noteworthy to mention that Maharaja Express is the most extortionate and
high-priced luxury train operating in the world. For its pre-eminent service Maharajas' Express was the first
runner-up in the Specialist Train Operators Category at Conde Nast Travellers’
Reader Choice Travel Award in the year 2011.
This
estimable train services commenced operations in March 2010 and currently the
train is manoeuvred exclusively by IRCTC.
The train
comprises of twenty-three carriages which include accommodation, dining, bar,
lounge, generator and store cars. Accommodation has been provided in all the
guest carriages with a capacity to haul eighty-eight passengers in plush
luxury.
This luxurious train crows of twenty deluxe
cabins, junior suites, four suites and a Presidential suite offering
breathtaking 5-star accommodation. Both the suites and the Presidential suite
have a bathtub in the toilet, in addition to the bath cubicle.
The Presidential Suite is constructed on an
entire rail carriage, incorporating a separate sitting-cum-dining room, a
master bedroom and bathroom with shower and bathtub, a twin bedroom and
bathroom with shower. The Maharajas' Express Presidential Suite is the first
such a rail carriage of its kind in the world meant for commercial usage!
The superabundant train has two dining cars
which have been designed to provide for expansive dining service, each with a
seating capacity of 42 guests at a time so that all the guests dine together.
A dedicated bar carriage, the Rajah Club,
offers the choicest of wines, liqueurs, spirits and beers along with snacks and
starters. The lounge cum bar called the Safari Bar is equipped with a
multilingual library and board games and offers a casual lounge experience. For
tipplers and lovers of Bacchus, the tariff includes drinks on board!
The day is a salubrious Sunday when the
esteemed guests board the Maharajas' Express at Delhi. Well-ensconced in the
comfort of the opulence of the train, the sovereign train heads towards Jaipur
once the guests partake of a sumptuous brunch aboard. Dinner is scheduled at an
exclusive venue at the Pink City of Jaipur and then the guests retire for the
night on the ritzy train.
The following day after savouring a hearty
breakfast onboard, the tourists disembark for a visit to the lordly Amber Fort.
Lunch is subsequently organized for the guests onboard and the tourists spend
the night on board as the train chugs to Ranthmbore.
The fabled and imposing Ranthambore fort
was built in 944 AD by the Rajput king Sapaldaksha of the Chauhan dynasty. The
princely guests are treated to the vagaries of the verdant wildlife sanctuary,
where man encounters menacing tigers, leopards and crocodiles in a marshy
terrain. Thereafter the luxury express train heads towards Fatehpur Sikri. This
red sandstone fort was founded by Akbar the Great in 1569, and is celebrated
for its “Buland Darwaza”, the palace of Jodha Bai and the tomb of Sufi saint
Salim Chisti. This is the place from where Akbar proclaimed the secular
religion of “Din-e-Illahi”.
On the fourth day as the train reaches
Agra, the occupants de-board for an early morning visit to the Taj Mahal. The
beauty of the Taj, followed by breakfast at an exclusive venue is a
quintessential start to the day. This is followed by lunch onboard. In the
afternoon travellers visit the splendid Agra Fort.
This particular itinerary conjures
Mandrake like magic as it weaves Mughal, Rajputana and Bundelkhandi history
into a single tapestry. Orchha and Khajuraho are known for their unalloyed and
pristine history and architecture. The early morning visit to the Orchha Fort
and the Raja Ram (the only place in India, perhaps the globe where Lord Ram is
also accorded the status of a king) temple leave the tourists in a trance. Come
afternoon and the plushy tourists visit
the incredible Khajuraho temples landscape dotted with the exalted Kandariya
Mahadev, Lakshmana Temple, the Chaturbhuj and Devi Jagdamba Temple
distinctively carved in the Nagara style of architecture. The entire spectrum
has been accorded the status of being a UNESCO World Heritage.
The tourists pine for more as the
grandiose train chugs its way to the ancient town of Varanasi. The day is spent
paying obeisance at the famous Kashi Vishwanath temple and visting Sarnath
where Gautama Buddha delivered his first sermon after attaining enlightenment.
In the evening is the mandatory visit to the ghats of Varanasi where the
tourists witness the memorable “Aarti”
at the Assi Ghat.
This marks the end of a wondrous journey
cherished by the tourists, their memory banks brimful with magical moments.
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