MAHARAJAS’
EXPRESS – INDIAN SPLENDOUR
The Indian Splendour is a spellbinding and
engrossing peregrination covering an
extensive list of worthy tourist spots. The tour commences from Luyten’s Delhi
and terminates at the financial capital of India, Mumbai. This opulent
wanderlust spans variegated places, luxuriating through Agra’s Taj Mahal, the
majestic fort and wildlife sanctuary at
Ranthambore, the Pink City of
Jaipur, the robust alcazars of Bikaner and Jodhpur in the depths of
Rajasthan, followed by the lake city of
Udaipur and finishing with a flourish in Mumbai.
The Maharajas' Express is a luxury
tourist train
owned and operated by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism
Corporation (IRCTC),
plying on seven circuits across the axis of North-West-Central and South–West
India.
However the centrifugal attraction is the
vibrant and colourful arid state of Rajasthan. Keeping in mind the
climate in most parts of the country, the trips are sandwiched between the ebbing summer in
October and the late spring of April.
The
estimable train Maharajas' Express
was voted “The World's Leading Luxury Train” five times in succession from 2012
to 2017 at the World Travel Awards. No mean achievement which skewers the
misgivings of the Cassandra’s of Doubt regarding the tourism-marketing prowess
of Indians.
It
is noteworthy to mention that Maharajas’
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.
The Maharajas' Express provides a plethora
of solutions under a single umbrella of ostentation - pneumatic suspension,
live television, Wi-Fi, attached bathrooms, dining cars, bar, lounge and a
premium souvenir shop. Larger cabins are endowed with roll-top baths and
spacious sitting rooms.
The train
comprises of twenty-three carriages which include accommodation, dining car,
bar, lounge and generator and store cars. Accommodation has been provided in
all the guest carriages with a capacity to haul eighty-eight passengers in
plush luxury.
The train
gloats of a lounge called the Rajah Club which has a private bar, two dining
cars and a dedicated bar car. There is a delectable on-board souvenir boutique
which offers tat for the pilgrims of this opulent odyssey. The train is also
equipped with a water filtration plant.
It is worthwhile to mention that there are
five carriages in the category of Deluxe Cabins, a total of 20 cabins
accommodating forty passengers (twelve twin bed cabins and eight double bed
cabins).
There are eighteen cabins in the Junior Suites
category that accommodate thirty-six passengers. Additionally, there are four
Suites available, which are endowed with large separate sitting and sleeping
areas. The train has a state-of-the-art kitchen car designed to provide a range
of cuisines in the restaurants Rang Mahal and Mayur Mahal.
The
Itinerary
Come Sunday and the guests board the
luxurious Maharajas' Express at
Delhi. The train chugs its way to Agra, to visit the splendid Agra Fort. The
Mughal Emperor Akbar began its construction in 1565 and his son Jehangir and
grandson Shah Jahan added structures to the edifice.
On Monday the ritzy tourists are awe
struck by the alluring Taj Mahal. Both the Agra Fort and Taj Mahal have been
deified as World Heritage sites by the UNESCO. After exploring the white-marble
structure that epitomises pristine love, the tourists are escorted to an
exclusive venue for breakfast.
Once they hop on to the train again, it proceeds
to Sawai Madhopur. After lunch at one of the lavish restaurants onboard, they detrain
for a safari in the Ranthambore National Park and visit the brawny forts built
by the Chauhan dynasty (UNESCO World Heritage sites in its own right) in 13th
century. After a sumptuous dinner on board, the train proceeds to Jaipur.
On the third day this lavish train drops
anchor at Jaipur. The travellers feast on breakfast aboard the train and then disembark
to visit the robust Amber Fort of Jaipur. In the evening, they are shepherded
to an exclusive venue for dinner.
The train at night scorches the tracks to Bikaner,
where after a leisurely breakfast onboard, tourists proceed to visit the Junagarh
Fort. This fort was constructed by Karan
Chand in 1594 for the King Raja Rai Singh the 6th ruler of the
dynasty. This is an exceptional fort in Rajasthan protected as it is by a moat
and not constructed on a hill top. The entire city of Bikaner is built around
the fort complex. Later on the princely family moved to Lalgarh. After an
exhausting day the silk-stocking guests are treated to an exclusive bar-be-cue
planned for evening on the golden sand dunes.
On the fifth day the well-heeled travellers
drop anchor at Jodhpur. The morning is free and begins with leisurely pursuits
on the train. After a delightful lunch, guests disembark and are treated to the
amazing sights of the gargantuan Mehrangarh Fort.
The night after Jodhpur is spent
travelling in ornate carriages and breakfast is on board the next morning. The
day begins at Udaipur, the city named after Rana Udai Singh of the Mewar
dynasty and father of the valorous Rana Pratap who never accepted Moghul
suzerainty. Rana Pratap is a legendary Rana, whose heroic feats on the esteemed
horse Chetak made him an icon in the memory banks of Rajputana. He acquired an exalted
status for the arduous Battle of Haldighati against the Moghul Emperor Akbar.
After a boat ride on Lake Pichola and a visit
to the City Palace the plush tourists entrain for the last leg of the journey
to Mumbai, famous for Bollywood, Juhu Beach, Marine Drive, the Elephanta caves and so much more, creating indelible memories
etched in their minds.
“Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a
change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living,” writes author
Miriam Beard.
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