By Neena Bhandari
ABOARD THE PALACE ON WHEELS, India, Nov 6 1995 (IPS)

The golden sands of the Thar desert, gleaming under a scorching midday sun, roll by the large picture window to provide a glimpse of the beautiful but unforgiving lands of west India.

From the air-conditioned confines of the ‘Palace on Wheels’ – one of the top luxury trains in the world – the desert, the arid Aravalli mountains and the magnificent palaces and forts of the state of Rajasthan appear like a cinematic unfolding of history.

Within the train too, history reigns supreme. Each of the train’s 14 carriages scattered throughout the train bears the coat of arms of the royal principalities which made up the desert state. And the decor of each is woven around a central theme.

As the train does a tour of the state, passengers can savour the colours, the motifs, the paintings and furnishings in each coach that highlight the distinct cultural ethos of the royal principality they represent.

Bharatpur, that is home to the renowned Keladeo Bird Sanctuary, has a saloon woven around the theme of the ‘Tree of Life’, relief work adorns the Dungarpur and Jhalawar saloons, the Jaiselmer carriage is full of the special carved windows that abound in the region, while Sirohi has delicate gold embossing.

But the overall ambience is one of studied elegance and one coach aesthetically blends into the other as a passenger passes through the interconnected vestibules.

Each carriage has four coupes manned by two smartly attired attendants who serve passengers around the clock. Every whim is looked after and each request waited upon by the attendants who treat the passengers like royalty.

At 2,000 dollars per head, the price of a ticket on this luxury train is not cheap. The fare, however, does includes stopovers and tours of all important natural and historical sites in the state.

From the exquisite palaces in the pink city of Jaipur through the tiger-infested Ranthambore sanctuary and the lakes and temples of Udaipur to the grand forts of Sawai Madhawpur — the ‘Palace on Wheels’ covers it all. As a bonus, there is a trip to the Taj Mahal and the Moghul city made from red sandstone — Fatehpur Sikri — in the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh.

Tulsi Ram, one of the attendants, can remember earlier versions of the train comprised of the original personalised coaches of the erstwhile rulers of the princely states of Gujarat and Rajputana, the Nizam of Hyderabad and the last Viceroy of British India.

In 1982, the Rajasthan and Indian Tourism departments together with the Indian Railways put all these coaches together to form a special heritage tourist train. (MORE)

= 11061841 DAP0126

Excerpt:

By Neena Bhandari
ABOARD THE PALACE ON WHEELS, India, Nov 6 1995 (IPS)

The golden sands of the Thar desert, gleaming under a scorching midday sun, roll by the large picture window to provide a glimpse of the beautiful but unforgiving lands of west India.

From the air-conditioned confines of the ‘Palace on Wheels’ – one of the top luxury trains in the world – the desert, the arid Aravalli mountains and the magnificent palaces and forts of the state of Rajasthan appear like a cinematic unfolding of history.

Within the train too, history reigns supreme. Each of the train’s 14 carriages scattered throughout the train bears the coat of arms of the royal principalities which made up the desert state. And the decor of each is woven around a central theme.

As the train does a tour of the state, passengers can savour the colours, the motifs, the paintings and furnishings in each coach that highlight the distinct cultural ethos of the royal principality they represent.

Bharatpur, that is home to the renowned Keladeo Bird Sanctuary, has a saloon woven around the theme of the ‘Tree of Life’, relief work adorns the Dungarpur and Jhalawar saloons, the Jaiselmer carriage is full of the special carved windows that abound in the region, while Sirohi has delicate gold embossing.

But the overall ambience is one of studied elegance and one coach aesthetically blends into the other as a passenger passes through the interconnected vestibules.

Each carriage has four coupes manned by two smartly attired attendants who serve passengers around the clock. Every whim is looked after and each request waited upon by the attendants who treat the passengers like royalty.

At 2,000 dollars per head, the price of a ticket on this luxury train is not cheap. The fare, however, does includes stopovers and tours of all important natural and historical sites in the state.

From the exquisite palaces in the pink city of Jaipur through the tiger-infested Ranthambore sanctuary and the lakes and temples of Udaipur to the grand forts of Sawai Madhawpur — the ‘Palace on Wheels’ covers it all. As a bonus, there is a trip to the Taj Mahal and the Moghul city made from red sandstone — Fatehpur Sikri — in the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh.

Tulsi Ram, one of the attendants, can remember earlier versions of the train comprised of the original personalised coaches of the erstwhile rulers of the princely states of Gujarat and Rajputana, the Nizam of Hyderabad and the last Viceroy of British India.

In 1982, the Rajasthan and Indian Tourism departments together with the Indian Railways put all these coaches together to form a special heritage tourist train. (MORE)

= 11061841 DAP0126

Excerpt: