From the luxurious Palace on Wheels to the spiritual Mahaparinirvan Express:
If you thought train journeys in India are all about adjusting your luggage below the lower berth and exchanging the upper berth on request, you need to travel by these Indian trains soon. How about spending a week exploring palaces, forts, cave paintings, while you're treated like royalty on a train? Yes, you heard that right. Luxury trains in India offer you all that and more.
The Palace on Wheels was the first luxury train to be launched in India in 1982 to promote tourism in Rajasthan. The concept of this train was derived from coaches that were meant to be personal railway coaches for the erstwhile rulers of the princely states of Rajputana, Gujarat, Nizam of Hyderabad and the Viceroy of British India.
Following the success of this lavish train, other trains like the Maharajas' Express and Deccan Odyssey were launched later. The Maharajas' Express even offers five itineraries and has been listed in the world's top 25 trains! Apart from these, there are other special trains the Indian Railway has launched to boost tourism. The Mahaparinirvan Express is a tourist train that takes you around Buddhist sites in India while the Steam Express is the world's oldest running steam engine. If you are fond of train journeys, here are a few tours you should definitely pack your bags for.
http://static.ibnlive.in.com/ibnlive...ainsindia1.jpgThe Maharajas’ Express: The Maharajas' Express is among the most expensive luxury trains in the world. It runs on 5 circuits covering more than 12 destinations across North-West and Central India, mainly centered around Rajasthan between the months of October to April. The Maharajas' Express was voted "The World's Leading Luxury Train" twice, in a row at The World Travel Awards, 2012 & 2013. It was named in the 2011 list of World's Top 25 Trains by The Society of International Railway Travelers. The Maharajas' Express is equipped with modern amenities to offer comfortable on board experiences to the guest, such as pneumatic suspension, live television, Wi-Fi, attached bathroom, dining cars, bar, lounge and souvenir shop. The train comprises 23 carriages which include accommodation, dining, bar, lounge, generator and store cars. Accommodation is available in 14 guest carriages with total passenger capacity of 88. The train also has a lounge called the Rajah Club with a private bar, two dining cars and a dedicated bar car. An on-board souvenir boutique offers memorabilia for passengers. The train is also equipped with a water filtration plant.
http://static.ibnlive.in.com/ibnlive...ainsindia2.jpgPalace on Wheels: The Palace on Wheels is a luxury tourist train. It was launched by the Indian Railways & 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 was voted the 4th luxurious train in the world in 2010. There are 14 coaches in the train. Each is named after former Rajput states and matches the aesthetics and interiors of the royal past: Alwar, Bharatpur, Bikaner, Bundi, Dholpur, Dungargarh, Jaisalmer, Jaipur, Jhalawar, Jodhpur, Kishangarh, Kota, Sirohi and Udaipur. Each coach has four cabins (named chambers or salons by the company) with luxury amenities. The train has two restaurants, The Maharaja and The Maharani, with a Rajasthani ambience serving continental and Chinese cuisine, and one bar-cum-lounge along with a spa salon.
http://static.ibnlive.in.com/ibnlive...ainsindia3.jpgDeccan Odyssey: The Deccan Odyssey is a special luxury train modelled on the Palace on Wheels to boost tourism on the Konkan route of the Indian Railways. The route starts in Mumbai and travels to Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Goa, Belgaum, Kolhapur, Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad, Ajanta-Ellora and then back to Mumbai. It is a venture of the Maharashtra Government and the Ministry of Railways, Government of India. In addition to being a train that touches tourist spots, this aims to be a complete 5-star hotel on wheels, with two restaurants and a bar, a sauna, business centre and other such amenities on board. The coaches fitted with special amenities were manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai. In 2004, the Maharashtra government stopped its run of the Deccan Odyssey, citing poor response, but restarted it after the monsoon season. The duration of the tour is 7 nights, starting every Wednesday from Mumbai.
http://static.ibnlive.in.com/ibnlive...ainsindia4.jpgThe Golden Chariot: The Golden Chariot is a luxury tourist train that connects the important tourist spots in the Indian states of Karnataka, Goa, Kerala & Tamil Nadu as well as Pondicherry, depending on the selected itinerary. It is named after the Stone Chariot in the Vitthala Temple at Hampi. The 19 coaches on the train are coloured purple and gold, and sport the logo of a mythological animal with the head of an elephant and a body of a lion. The train, along with the Deccan Odyssey, is designed on the lines of the more popular Palace on Wheels with accommodations, spa treatments and dining. It was awarded the title of "Asia's Leading Luxury Train" at World Travel Awards, 2013. The train is operated by the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation and The Maple Group handles the hospitality services on the train. It has two restaurants, a lounge bar, and conference, gym and spa facilities, onboard Wi-Fi connectivity, and satellite antennae that provide live television service in the cabins.
http://static.ibnlive.in.com/ibnlive...ainsindia5.jpgRoyal Rajasthan on Wheels: The Royal Rajasthan on Wheels is a luxury tourist train run by the Indian Railways. It is modelled on the Palace on Wheels, and follows a similar route through Rajasthan. Tourists are taken to several important tourist, wildlife and heritage sites across Rajasthan. The cabins on this train are reminiscent of royalty and are called Hawa Mahal, Padmini Mahal, Kishori Mahal, Phool Mahal and Super Deluxe Coach Taj Mahal. There are 2 dining cars in Royal Rajasthan on Wheels which are named Swarn Mahal and Sheesh Mahal. Whereas Swarn Mahal is patterned on brass and gold theme, the Sheesh Mahalrestaurant features spectacular floor lamps and crystal pelmets.
http://static.ibnlive.in.com/ibnlive...ainsindia6.jpgMahaparinirvan Express: The Buddhist Circuit Train, popularly known as Mahaparinirvan Express is a tourist train, which was launched by Indian Railway Ministry on March 28 2007, to attract Buddhist pilgrims. The train takes passengers for 08 days/07 nights on a spiritual tour across various Buddhist places across Northern India. The train gets its name from the Mahaparinirvana Sutra that includes some of well known episode in the final months of the Buddha - a sacred journey which includes Buddha's visit to various important Buddhist pilgrimage sites, such as Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Varanasi and Kushinagar. The Mahaparinirvan Express is operated by Indian Railways using carriages from a Rajdhani Express train. This is a fully air conditioned train offering three different classes of travel.
http://static.ibnlive.in.com/ibnlive...ainsindia7.jpgBharat Darshan: Bharat Darshan special train is operated by Indian Railways which takes passengers on all inclusive tours to some of the most popular destinations in India. It provides an affordable option for people to see the country, as costs are kept as low as possible. The destinations are mainly of historic, religious and other tourism importance. The trains operate on a number of different itineraries across the country. The itinerary also keeps on changing from time to time. The package includes rail travel, road transfer, meals, accommodation as well as sight-seeing and comes at an affordable cost. While the operation of the train is undertaken by the Railways, the on-board / off-board services, ticketing, etc. is managed by Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd.
http://static.ibnlive.in.com/ibnlive...ainsindia8.jpgSteam Express: The Fairy Queen is a steam locomotive, plying between the Indian capital of New Delhi and Alwar, in Rajasthan. It was certified by the Guinness Book of Records in 1998 as being the world's oldest one in regular operation after being restored to haul a luxury train in order to boost tourism in Rajasthan. The journey of the heritage train, Fairy Queen is a 1 night/2 day journey where one does not get an overnight stay on the train. The Queen, with the privileged ones aboard reaches the picturesque town of Alwar in Rajasthan the same day, from where the guests are taken to Sariska National Park. The train leaves from Delhi Cantonment Railway station (every 2nd and 4th Saturday) in the months of October to March. One gets an overnight stay at one of the hotels of the destination, Alwar. During the stay, one can enjoy various cultural programs that are organized during that evening. At the time of the journey, the travelers get a chance to visit numerous historical monuments of Delhi, sightseeing of Alwar and visiting the world-famous Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary where one can enjoy the facility of a Jeep Safari for exploring the amazing wildlife.
Re: From the luxurious Palace on Wheels to the spiritual Mahaparinirvan Express:
Re: From the luxurious Palace on Wheels to the spiritual Mahaparinirvan Express:
Quote:
Originally Posted by
CaLmInG MeLoDy
If you thought train journeys in India are all about adjusting your luggage below the lower berth and exchanging the upper berth on request, you need to travel by these Indian trains soon. How about spending a week exploring palaces, forts, cave paintings, while you're treated like royalty on a train? Yes, you heard that right. Luxury trains in India offer you all that and more.
The Palace on Wheels was the first luxury train to be launched in India in 1982 to promote tourism in Rajasthan. The concept of this train was derived from coaches that were meant to be personal railway coaches for the erstwhile rulers of the princely states of Rajputana, Gujarat, Nizam of Hyderabad and the Viceroy of British India.
Following the success of this lavish train, other trains like the Maharajas' Express and Deccan Odyssey were launched later. The Maharajas' Express even offers five itineraries and has been listed in the world's top 25 trains! Apart from these, there are other special trains the Indian Railway has launched to boost tourism. The Mahaparinirvan Express is a tourist train that takes you around Buddhist sites in India while the Steam Express is the world's oldest running steam engine. If you are fond of train journeys, here are a few tours you should definitely pack your bags for.
http://static.ibnlive.in.com/ibnlive...ainsindia1.jpgThe Maharajas’ Express: The Maharajas' Express is among the most expensive luxury trains in the world. It runs on 5 circuits covering more than 12 destinations across North-West and Central India, mainly centered around Rajasthan between the months of October to April. The Maharajas' Express was voted "The World's Leading Luxury Train" twice, in a row at The World Travel Awards, 2012 & 2013. It was named in the 2011 list of World's Top 25 Trains by The Society of International Railway Travelers. The Maharajas' Express is equipped with modern amenities to offer comfortable on board experiences to the guest, such as pneumatic suspension, live television, Wi-Fi, attached bathroom, dining cars, bar, lounge and souvenir shop. The train comprises 23 carriages which include accommodation, dining, bar, lounge, generator and store cars. Accommodation is available in 14 guest carriages with total passenger capacity of 88. The train also has a lounge called the Rajah Club with a private bar, two dining cars and a dedicated bar car. An on-board souvenir boutique offers memorabilia for passengers. The train is also equipped with a water filtration plant.
http://static.ibnlive.in.com/ibnlive...ainsindia2.jpgPalace on Wheels: The Palace on Wheels is a luxury tourist train. It was launched by the Indian Railways & 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 was voted the 4th luxurious train in the world in 2010. There are 14 coaches in the train. Each is named after former Rajput states and matches the aesthetics and interiors of the royal past: Alwar, Bharatpur, Bikaner, Bundi, Dholpur, Dungargarh, Jaisalmer, Jaipur, Jhalawar, Jodhpur, Kishangarh, Kota, Sirohi and Udaipur. Each coach has four cabins (named chambers or salons by the company) with luxury amenities. The train has two restaurants, The Maharaja and The Maharani, with a Rajasthani ambience serving continental and Chinese cuisine, and one bar-cum-lounge along with a spa salon.
http://static.ibnlive.in.com/ibnlive...ainsindia3.jpgDeccan Odyssey: The Deccan Odyssey is a special luxury train modelled on the Palace on Wheels to boost tourism on the Konkan route of the Indian Railways. The route starts in Mumbai and travels to Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Goa, Belgaum, Kolhapur, Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad, Ajanta-Ellora and then back to Mumbai. It is a venture of the Maharashtra Government and the Ministry of Railways, Government of India. In addition to being a train that touches tourist spots, this aims to be a complete 5-star hotel on wheels, with two restaurants and a bar, a sauna, business centre and other such amenities on board. The coaches fitted with special amenities were manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai. In 2004, the Maharashtra government stopped its run of the Deccan Odyssey, citing poor response, but restarted it after the monsoon season. The duration of the tour is 7 nights, starting every Wednesday from Mumbai.
http://static.ibnlive.in.com/ibnlive...ainsindia4.jpgThe Golden Chariot: The Golden Chariot is a luxury tourist train that connects the important tourist spots in the Indian states of Karnataka, Goa, Kerala & Tamil Nadu as well as Pondicherry, depending on the selected itinerary. It is named after the Stone Chariot in the Vitthala Temple at Hampi. The 19 coaches on the train are coloured purple and gold, and sport the logo of a mythological animal with the head of an elephant and a body of a lion. The train, along with the Deccan Odyssey, is designed on the lines of the more popular Palace on Wheels with accommodations, spa treatments and dining. It was awarded the title of "Asia's Leading Luxury Train" at World Travel Awards, 2013. The train is operated by the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation and The Maple Group handles the hospitality services on the train. It has two restaurants, a lounge bar, and conference, gym and spa facilities, onboard Wi-Fi connectivity, and satellite antennae that provide live television service in the cabins.
http://static.ibnlive.in.com/ibnlive...ainsindia5.jpgRoyal Rajasthan on Wheels: The Royal Rajasthan on Wheels is a luxury tourist train run by the Indian Railways. It is modelled on the Palace on Wheels, and follows a similar route through Rajasthan. Tourists are taken to several important tourist, wildlife and heritage sites across Rajasthan. The cabins on this train are reminiscent of royalty and are called Hawa Mahal, Padmini Mahal, Kishori Mahal, Phool Mahal and Super Deluxe Coach Taj Mahal. There are 2 dining cars in Royal Rajasthan on Wheels which are named Swarn Mahal and Sheesh Mahal. Whereas Swarn Mahal is patterned on brass and gold theme, the Sheesh Mahalrestaurant features spectacular floor lamps and crystal pelmets.
http://static.ibnlive.in.com/ibnlive...ainsindia6.jpgMahaparinirvan Express: The Buddhist Circuit Train, popularly known as Mahaparinirvan Express is a tourist train, which was launched by Indian Railway Ministry on March 28 2007, to attract Buddhist pilgrims. The train takes passengers for 08 days/07 nights on a spiritual tour across various Buddhist places across Northern India. The train gets its name from the Mahaparinirvana Sutra that includes some of well known episode in the final months of the Buddha - a sacred journey which includes Buddha's visit to various important Buddhist pilgrimage sites, such as Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Varanasi and Kushinagar. The Mahaparinirvan Express is operated by Indian Railways using carriages from a Rajdhani Express train. This is a fully air conditioned train offering three different classes of travel.
http://static.ibnlive.in.com/ibnlive...ainsindia7.jpgBharat Darshan: Bharat Darshan special train is operated by Indian Railways which takes passengers on all inclusive tours to some of the most popular destinations in India. It provides an affordable option for people to see the country, as costs are kept as low as possible. The destinations are mainly of historic, religious and other tourism importance. The trains operate on a number of different itineraries across the country. The itinerary also keeps on changing from time to time. The package includes rail travel, road transfer, meals, accommodation as well as sight-seeing and comes at an affordable cost. While the operation of the train is undertaken by the Railways, the on-board / off-board services, ticketing, etc. is managed by Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd.
http://static.ibnlive.in.com/ibnlive...ainsindia8.jpgSteam Express: The Fairy Queen is a steam locomotive, plying between the Indian capital of New Delhi and Alwar, in Rajasthan. It was certified by the Guinness Book of Records in 1998 as being the world's oldest one in regular operation after being restored to haul a luxury train in order to boost tourism in Rajasthan. The journey of the heritage train, Fairy Queen is a 1 night/2 day journey where one does not get an overnight stay on the train. The Queen, with the privileged ones aboard reaches the picturesque town of Alwar in Rajasthan the same day, from where the guests are taken to Sariska National Park. The train leaves from Delhi Cantonment Railway station (every 2nd and 4th Saturday) in the months of October to March. One gets an overnight stay at one of the hotels of the destination, Alwar. During the stay, one can enjoy various cultural programs that are organized during that evening. At the time of the journey, the travelers get a chance to visit numerous historical monuments of Delhi, sightseeing of Alwar and visiting the world-famous Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary where one can enjoy the facility of a Jeep Safari for exploring the amazing wildlife.
yeahhh
i also heard about this
but never have a tym to travell
