Palace on Wheels
Encyclopedia
The Palace on Wheels is a luxury tourist train
. It was launched by the Indian Railways to promote tourism in Rajasthan
, and has been highly popular since its launch.
Following its success, other luxury and tourist trains have been started on other routes in the country.
The train service was refurbished and relaunched in August 2009 with a new decor, itinerary and cuisine.
The concept of the Palace on Wheels was derived from the royal background of the coaches, which were originally meant to be the personal railway coaches of the erstwhile rulers of the princely states of Rajputana
, Gujarat, the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Viceroy of British India.
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
. Facilities include a bar with selected Indian and international spirits, a lounge with a good collection of books, and a television and DVD player.
Each coach has four cabins (named chambers or saloons by the company) with twin beds, wall-to-wall carpeting, air-conditioning, DTH satellite television, channel music
, intercom
, attached toilets, running hot and cold water, with personal attendants.
The train has two restaurants, The Mahārāja
and The Mahārāni
, with a Rajasthani
ambience and serving continental
, Chinese, Indian and Rajasthani cuisines.
and during its eight day journey, travels around Rajasthan with stops in Jaipur
, Jaisalmer
, Jodhpur
, Sawai Madhopur
, Chittaurgarh, Udaipur
, Bharatpur
, and Agra
.
Earlier, tickets for the Palace on Wheels were restricted to foreign nationals only by the Government of India
, with Indian natives not allowed on board. However, it was later opened up to Indians as well, although even today tariffs are quoted in US Dollars.
Luxury trains
Luxury trains are special trains designed specifically to offer a sumptuous yet elegant train ride, and evoke a strong sense of association as in history, heritage and decadence of a leisure ride. Luxury trains operate in several countries and offer a luxurious and comfortable traveling option to...
. It was launched by the Indian Railways to promote tourism in Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, and has been highly popular since its launch.
Following its success, other luxury and tourist trains have been started on other routes in the country.
The train service was refurbished and relaunched in August 2009 with a new decor, itinerary and cuisine.
History
The Palace on Wheels was started on January 26, India's Republic Day, in 1982.The concept of the Palace on Wheels was derived from the royal background of the coaches, which were originally meant to be the personal railway coaches of the erstwhile rulers of the princely states of Rajputana
Rajputana
Rājputāna was the pre-1949 name of the present-day Indian state of Rājasthān, the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. George Thomas was the first in 1800 A.D., to term this region as Rajputana...
, Gujarat, the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Viceroy of British India.
Facilities
There are 14 coaches in the train. Each of them is named after former Rajput statesRajputana
Rājputāna was the pre-1949 name of the present-day Indian state of Rājasthān, the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. George Thomas was the first in 1800 A.D., to term this region as Rajputana...
and matches the aesthetics and interiors of the royal past: Alwar
Alwar State
-History:Alwar has been a part of Matsya region of olden times whose capital was Virat Nagar."Alwar" was formerly known as "Ulwar". This placed it in last position in alphabetically ordered lists, so a king renamed it to "Alwar" to bring it to the top. Till the 11 A.D. this area was ruled by a...
, Bharatpur, Bikaner, Bundi
Bundi State
Bundi State was a princely state in British India. It belonged to Rajputana Agency....
, Dholpur
Dholpur (princely state)
The Dholpur State was a kingdom of eastern Rajputana, India, which was founded in AD 1806 by the Bamraulia clan Jat Rana rulers. After 1818 the state was placed under the authority of British India's Rajputana Agency...
, Dungargarh
Dungargarh
Sri Dungargarh is a city and a municipality in Bikaner district in the state of Rajasthan, India.- Demographics : India census, males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Sri Dungargarh has an average literacy rate of 61%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is...
, Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer State
Jaisalmer State was a princely state during the British Raj and was entitled to a 15 gun salute.As traditionally, the main source of income for the kingdom was levies on caravans the economy was heavily affected when Bombay emerged as a major port and sea trade replaced the traditional land routes...
, Jaipur
Jaipur State
-History:During the British Raj, Jaipur was the capital of a princely state of the same name. Jaipur state, which existed from the twelfth century until Indian Independence in 1947, took its name from the city. It had a total area of 15,579 square miles in 1900. The maharajas of Jaipur belonged to...
, Jhalawar
Jhalawar State
Jhalawar State was a princely state in India.The former ruling family of Jhalawar belonged to the Jhala clan of Rajputs, and their ancestors were petty chiefs of Halwad in Jhalawar District, in Kathiawar. About 1709 one of the younger sons of the head of the clan left his country with his son to...
, Jodhpur, Kishangarh, Kota
Hadoti
Hadoti , is a region of Rajasthan state in western India...
, Sirohi
Sirohi State
Sirohi State was a princely state in India.In 1405, Rao Sobhaji founded the town of Shivpuri on the western slope of Siranwa Hill. Shivpuri today lies in ruins...
and Udaipur
Mewar
Mewar is a region of south-central Rajasthan state in western India. It includes the present-day districts of Pratapgarh, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Dungarpur, Banswara and some of the part of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The region was for centuries a Rajput kingdom that later...
. Facilities include a bar with selected Indian and international spirits, a lounge with a good collection of books, and a television and DVD player.
Each coach has four cabins (named chambers or saloons by the company) with twin beds, wall-to-wall carpeting, air-conditioning, DTH satellite television, channel music
Music television
Music television is a type of television programming which focuses predominantly on playing music videos from bands, usually on dedicated television channels broadcasting on satellite or cable. Music TVs may host their own shows charts, award prizes. Examples are VIVA, Scuzz, MTV, JBTV, MuchMusic,...
, intercom
Intercom
An intercom , talkback or doorphone is a stand-alone voice communications system for use within a building or small collection of buildings, functioning independently of the public telephone network. Intercoms are generally mounted permanently in buildings and vehicles...
, attached toilets, running hot and cold water, with personal attendants.
The train has two restaurants, The Mahārāja
Maharaja
Mahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
and The Mahārāni
Maharaja
Mahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
, with a Rajasthani
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
ambience and serving continental
European cuisine
European cuisine, or alternatively Western cuisine, is a generalised term collectively referring to the cuisines of Europe and other Western countries...
, Chinese, Indian and Rajasthani cuisines.
Route
The train departs from New DelhiNew Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
and during its eight day journey, travels around Rajasthan with stops in Jaipur
Jaipur
Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....
, Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer
Jaysalmer , nicknamed "The Golden City", is a town in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital Jaipur. It was once known as Jaisalmer state. The town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone, crowned by a fort, which contains the palace and several ornate Jain...
, Jodhpur
Jodhpur
Jodhpur , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital, Jaipur and from the city of Ajmer. It was formerly the seat of a princely state of the same name, the capital of the kingdom known as Marwar...
, Sawai Madhopur
Sawai Madhopur
Sawai Madhopur is a city and a municipality in Sawai Madhopur District in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is the administrative headquarters of Sawai Madhopur District....
, Chittaurgarh, Udaipur
Udaipur, Rajasthan
Udaipur , also known as the City of Lakes, is a city, a Municipal Council and the administrative headquarters of the Udaipur district in the state of Rajasthan in western India. It is located southwest of the state capital, Jaipur, west of Kota, and northeast from Ahmedabad...
, Bharatpur
Bharatpur, India
Bharatpur is a city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It was founded by Maharaja Suraj Mal in 1733. Located in the Brij region, Bharatpur was once an impregnable, well-planned and well-fortified city, and the capital of Jat kingdom ruled by Sinsinwar Maharajas.The trio of Bharatpur, Deeg and...
, and Agra
Agra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
.
Earlier, tickets for the Palace on Wheels were restricted to foreign nationals only by the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
, with Indian natives not allowed on board. However, it was later opened up to Indians as well, although even today tariffs are quoted in US Dollars.
Other tourism trains
- Maharaja ExpressMaharaja ExpressThe Maharajas' Express is a luxury train operated on the Indian Railways from early 2010. It is a joint venture between Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation and the travel agency Cox and Kings India Ltd....
- The Golden ChariotThe Golden ChariotThe Golden Chariot is a luxury tourist train that connects the important tourist spots in the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa. 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...
- Indian Maharaja
- Deccan OdysseyDeccan OdysseyThe Deccan Odyssey is a special luxury train modelled on the Palace on Wheels to boost tourism on the Konkan route of the Indian Railways...
- Royal Rajasthan on WheelsRoyal Rajasthan on WheelsThe Royal Rajasthan on Wheels is a luxury tourist train run by Indian Railways. It is modelled on the Palace on Wheels, and follows a similar route through Rajasthan...
- Fairy QueenFairy Queen (locomotive)The Fairy Queen, built in 1855, is the world's oldest steam locomotive in regular operation today, plying between New Delhi to Alwar in India. The locomotive was certified by the Guinness Book of Records to be the oldest operational locomotive after the Rajasthan government invoked it in 2004 to...