There is a well-used adage: “If wishes were horses, men would fly.” Maybe it’s a voguish predisposition of humans to transcend mountains, skies and water bodies like the avian species. Humans, through the innovative ability and ingenuity of the Wright brothers, realised the cherished dream of being airborne.
Rewind to April 16, 1853 - a truly momentous day when iron trudged on iron. It appeared eons ago. Yes, 171 years to be precise. This was the day when Sahib, Sindh and Sultan, three robust steam engines hauled 14 carriages on a broad-gauge track over 34 kilometres. This historic journey took place between Boribunder (in present-day Mumbai) and Thane.
Today Indian Railways (IR) operates around 25,000 trains daily to move approximately four million tonnes of freight cargo and more than 23 million passengers - no mean achievement! IR has become a crucial driver of the Indian economy. To run these trains, passengers and freight, the organisation has a gargantuan fleet of resources. At the apex level, the organisation is headed by the Railway Board, which is further segregated into 17 Zonal Railways, 67 Divisional offices and several production units. The apparently monolithic organisation has an assemblage of 10,000 locomotives, 58,000 coaches with an aggregate seating capacity of 50 lahks, 2.5 lakh wagons with aggregated freight carrying capacity of 13.5million tonnes and about 68,103 route kilometres of the network (as of March 2022).
Maharajas’ Express: I reckon we all engage in travelling. The exercise is nothing short of a wanderlust odyssey. We discover and explore new places, savour resplendent and robust historical sites; get connected with the past, absorb breathtaking sites or just revel and luxuriate on a cruise or in an opulent train. These moments provide a quintessential slice of inspiration which is perfect to handle any situation that we may encounter as the mind metamorphoses to become lithesome and can make alacritous decisions after a rejuvenating travel experience.
A few decades ago, India provided an old-fashioned and very much tried and tested tourism package that attracted foreigners and some propertied Indians to the orbit of the Delhi-Agra-Jaipur triad. Then the Indian panorama altered the tourism ecosystem with the Indian Railways introducing ingenuous, luxury train services like ‘Palace on Wheels’, ‘Fairy Queen’ and ‘Royal Orient Express’ in the post-globalised world (in collaboration with State Tourism Departments and private players).
The pioneers skilfully tweaked various packages. In that series were launched the ‘Maharajas’ Express’ which chugged on several routes over different parts of the country. It’s a luxury tourist train owned and operated by the IRCTC. Deftly tying together the more historically significant cities, the opulent train plies on four circuits traversing more than a dozen destinations across the axis of North-West-Central India.
Keeping in mind the climate in several parts of the country, the trips have been sandwiched between the ebbing summers in October and the late spring of April. The estimable train was voted as ‘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 of doubt and Prophets of doom who prophesised about the lack of tourism marketing prowess of Indians.
It’s noteworthy to mention that ‘Maharajas’ Express’ is the most extortionate and high-priced luxury train operating in the world. For its pre-eminent service, it was the first runner-up in the ‘Specialist Train Operators Category’ at Conde Nast Travellers’ Reader Choice Travel Award in 2011. This estimable train service commenced operations in March 2010. A joint venture of ‘IRCTC Limited’ and ‘Cox and Kings India Limited’ was to establish a company called ‘Royale Indian Rail Tours Ltd’ (RIRTL), to oversee the functioning and management of the ‘Maharajas’ Express’.
The ‘Maharajas' Express’ provides a plethora of solutions under a single umbrella of ostentation - pneumatic suspension, live television, Wi-Fi, attached bathroom, dining cars, bar, lounge and a premium souvenir shop. Larger cabins are endowed with roll-top baths and spacious sitting rooms. The train comprises 23 carriages which include accommodation, dining, bar, lounge, generator and store cars. It gloats of a lounge called the ‘Rajah Club’ with a private bar, two dining cars and a dedicated bar car. There’s a delectable onboard souvenir boutique that offers ‘tat’ for the pilgrims of this opulent odyssey. The train is also equipped with a water filtration plant. This luxurious train boasts a ‘Presidential’ suite offering breathtaking five-star accommodation: LCD televisions, eco-friendly toilets, direct dial phones, DVD player, internet, individual climate control and electronic safes in each guest cabin.
It's worthwhile to mention that there are five carriages in the category of ‘Deluxe Cabins’, a total of 20 cabins accommodating 40 passengers (12 twin bed cabins and eight double bed cabins); all suitable to haul passengers in plush luxury. There are 18 cabins in the ‘Junior Suites’ category that accommodate 36 passengers. Additionally, there are four suites available, which are endowed with large separate sitting and sleeping areas.
The ‘Presidential Suite’ is constructed on an entire rail carriage, incorporating a separate sitting-cum-dining room, a master bedroom and bathroom with shower and bathtub and a twin bedroom and bathroom with shower. The Maharajas’ Express’ ‘Presidential Suite’ is the first such rail carriage of its kind in the world meant for commercial usage. The superabundant train has two dining cars which have been designed to provide expansive dining service, each with a seating capacity of 42 guests at a time so that all the guests dine together. 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’.
A dedicated bar carriage, the ‘Rajah Club’, offers the choicest of wines, liqueurs, spirits and beers along with snacks and starters. The lounge cum bar, called the ‘Safari Bar’, is equipped with a multilingual library and board games and offers a casual lounge experience.
Maharajas’ Express - The Indian panorama: The Indian panorama covers the capital Delhi, resplendent Jaipur, breathtaking Ranthambore, Fatehpur Sikri, Agra, statuesque Orchha, awe-inspiring Khajuraho and the distinguished and the spiritual ancient city of Varanasi.
The day is a salubrious Sunday when the esteemed guests board the ‘Maharajas’ Express’ in Delhi. Well-ensconced in the comfort of the opulent train, the sovereign train heads towards Jaipur once the guests take part in a sumptuous brunch aboard. Dinner is scheduled at an exclusive venue in the Pink City of Jaipur and then the guests retire for the night on the ritzy train.
The following day after savouring a hearty breakfast onboard, the tourists disembark for a visit to the lordly Amber Fort. Lunch is subsequently organised for the guests on board and the tourists spend the night on board as the train chugs to Ranthambore. The fabled and imposing Ranthambore Fort was built in 944 AD by the Rajput king, Sapaldaksha of the Chauhan dynasty.
The princely guests are treated to the vagaries of the verdant wildlife sanctuary, where a man encounters menacing tigers, leopards and crocodiles in the marshy terrain. Thereafter the luxury express train heads towards Fatehpur Sikri. This red sandstone fort was founded by Akbar the Great in 1569 and is celebrated for its ‘Buland Darwaza’, the palace of Jodha Bai and the tomb of Sufi saint Salim Chisti.
On the fourth day as the train reaches Agra, the occupants de-board for an early morning visit to the Taj Mahal. The beauty of the Taj, followed by breakfast at an exclusive venue is indeed a magical start to the day. This is followed by lunch on board. In the afternoon travellers visit the splendid Agra Fort.
This itinerary conjures Mandrake-like magic as it weaves Mughal, Rajputana and Bundelkhandi history into a single tapestry. Orchha and Khajuraho are known for their unalloyed and pristine history and architecture. The early morning visit to the Orchha Fort and the Raja Ram temple (the only place in India, perhaps the globe, where Lord Ram is also accorded the status of a king) leave the tourists in a trance.
Come afternoon and the plush tourists visit the incredible Khajuraho temples, the landscape dotted with the exalted Kandariya Mahadev Temple, Lakshmana Temple, the Chaturbhuj Temple and Devi Jagdamba Temple distinctively carved in the Nagara style of architecture. The entire spectrum has been accorded the status of being a UNESCO World Heritage.
The tourists pine for more as the grandiose train chugs its way to the ancient town of Varanasi. The day is spent paying obeisance at the famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple and visiting Sarnath, where Gautama Buddha delivered his first sermon after attaining enlightenment. In the evening is the mandatory visit to the ghats of Varanasi where the tourists witness the memorable aarti at the Assi Ghat. This marks the end of a wondrous journey cherished by the tourists, their memory banks brim-full with magical moments.
Maharajas’ Express - Treasures of India: This package focuses on the sublime and exotic Taj, the robust and brawny Ranthambore Fort and the Pink City of Jaipur before returning to Lutyens’ Delhi.
The itinerary: The expedition chugs to Agra. Guests travelling by this superabundant train are taken to Agra Fort (incidentally this monument is the centrepiece in the Sherlock Holmes mystery ‘The Sign of the Four’).
The majestic fort and grand palaces are UNESCO Heritage Sites. Agra was the capital of the Mughals till 1638 before the potentate moved to Delhi. The visitors are then escorted to the Taj Mahal, the ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of River Yamuna. The breathtaking structure was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his favourite wife Mumtaz Mahal. The historical site houses the tomb of Shah Jahan too.
On the second day, after a sumptuous breakfast at an elite destination, the train navigates its way to Sawai Madhopur. The guests are treated to a delicious lunch and head for a wildlife safari at Ranthambore National Park. The park served as hunting grounds for the ‘maharajahs’ of Jaipur until the time of India’s independence and was built by the Chauhan dynasty.
On its last leg, this striking journey drops anchor at Jaipur. Guests marvel at the grandeur of the Amber Fort, the Hawa Mahal and the Jantar Mantar. Taste buds are tickled through a delectable lunch onboard. The entire day is spent taking in the sights of the Pink City at a relaxed pace.
Finally, the plenteous train begins its journey back to New Delhi. The sojourn ends on a gastronomic high as guests are served a seven-course dinner aboard the train. The final treat is a swanky breakfast on the fourth day of the trip as they chug into Delhi and bask in some priceless treasures of India.
There are two more circuits - ‘Heritage of India’ and ‘The Indian Splendour’ - which are also operating. These will be covered in the next segment.
Thus, Indian Railways has successfully weaved some breathtaking tourist spots through some dexterous planning where a traveller can view Indian panorama.
“Remember that happiness is a way of travel - not a destination,” wrote the American politician Roy M Goodman. One could very well say that travel is a way of happiness!
Ravi Valluri is working as the CEO of ‘Chhattisgarh East Railway Ltd’ and ‘Chhattisgarh East West Railway Ltd’. He was an officer of the ‘Indian Railway Traffic Service’ and worked on various zonal railways. He has authored several works of fiction and non-fiction and is a faculty of the ‘Art of Living’. He contributes regularly to ‘The Daily Pioneer’, ‘The Daily Guardian’ and ‘Hans India’. He also runs a literary website along with his wife, called RustleofWords.com.