Palace on Wheels – Rediscovering Opulence

Palace on Wheels – Rediscovering Opulence The ‘empire over which the Sun never set’ singularly invested in spreading the railway network to spread their suzerainty across the swathes of the hinterland. The East India Company and subsequently the British Empire ferried its troops via the rail to conquer native Indians. But this was the very mode so effectively utilised by the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi to observe India. The first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru wrote in his celebrated “Discovery of India”, that his political mentor Bapu discovered India by travelling third class, uncovering and unearthing the real India, that Congressmen had hitherto not connected with. That was aeons ago. Today the Indian Railways runs suburban trains, mail express and passenger trains, high speed trains like Rajdhani Express, Shatabdi Express and Gatiman Express. T-18, christened as Vande Bharat Express is latest to scorch the tracks. Each set of trains cater to different segments of the burgeoning travel market. India transports the equivalent of ‘one Australia’ on its wheels every day. The maiden journey of the Palace on Wheels was on 26 January, 1982. The state of Rajasthan is richly steeped in history. The valour of Rajputana, the grandeur and majesty of its forts, resplendent colours in the arid desert, the pluck and hardihood of kings like Prithvi Raj Chauhan and Rana Maharana Pratap, who waged relentless battles against the Moghuls without surrendering their sovereignty and independence, add vivid strokes to the canvas of the region and exert a strong magnetic pull. Rajasthan is fabled for the Sufi and Bhakti movements. Meera Bai, the staunch devotee of Lord Krishna hailed from Merta, in close proximity to Jodhpur. India also tested its atomic potential in the rugged deserts of Pokhran. The country unleashed its nuclear might by testing the atomic bombs twice in this region, demonstrating its military might. The bijou town is in proximity to Jaisalmer. Thus this exalted and statuesque state can be discovered through various means of transportation. But an unparalleled attraction among foreigners, NRIs and the silk-stocking Indians is to traverse it by this lush and luxuriant train and carouse in its opulent trappings. The Palace on Wheels indisputably is a luxury tourist train. The train was launched by the Indian Railways in association with the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation to promote tourism in Rajasthan. The train service was refurbished and re-launched in August 2009 with a new decor, itinerary and cuisine. It is a matter of immense pride that the train was voted the fourth most luxurious train in the world in the year 2010. The concept of the Palace on Wheels was derived from the royal background of the coaches used in the train. These were originally the personal railway coaches of the erstwhile rulers of the princely states of Rajputana, Gujarat, Hyderabad and the Viceroy of British India. Each saloon highlights the cultural ethos of the state, represented through the use of furniture, handicrafts, painting and furnishings typical of that state. The Delhi-based interior designer Monica Khanna did the honours of developing the refurbished interiors of the train. The Palace on Wheels begins its journey from Delhi Cantonment Station and has a 7 nights & 8 days itinerary, covering Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur and Chittorgarh over 3 days. From Chittorgarh the train traverses Udaipur, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur before covering Bharatpur and Agra on Day 7. Having travelled through Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, the train returns to its base at Delhi Cantonment. It is worth mentioning that the train has been feted with numerous high-end awards. • The train received the PATA Gold Award in 1987, within a few years of its inception. The award is bestowed by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). • Several television channels like the BBC, MTV, ZEE TV, National Geographic and Discovery Channel have filmed this quintessential train journey in various shows. • A survey conducted by the global travel magazine Conde Nast voted the Palace on Wheels as the 4th best luxurious train in the world and the best in Asia. These accolades should gladden the hearts of all the arm-chair critics of Indian Railways and tourism in India. Motoring by the Palace on Wheels, any tourist or lover of nature and history can experience the splendour of the ‘Pink City’ Jaipur, view the iconic and breath taking Taj Mahal, climb atop the ramparts of Jodhpur’s Mehrangarh Fort and gaze the shimmering pool of water from the superabundant Lake Palace Hotel at Udaipur. The legendary writer Oscar Wilde once wrote, “I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.” But those carrying novels, gizmos, laptops, ipods are unlikely to have any use for them during their journey by the regal and luxuriant Palace on Wheels.