The Palace on Wheels

Railways In The Time Of The Raj
The railway is one of the inventions the British used in India. While its early arrival and use may have been governed by the Raj's (British Rule) need to ferry troops rapidly through the length and breadth of the country, it was also clearly marketed as an innovation. The princes, therefore, were quick to seize the idea, and various states were able to establish their own networks for the movement of people within their state-particularly those in Rajasthan where travel through the burning sands could hardly have been a convenience. Naturally, soon after independence, they were merged into the state-run railway network that now carries more than ten million people daily. However, fifty years back, the railways were the property of princely states.

While the princely railways evoke memories of an era of wooden carriages and spacious compartments, it was the private carriage of the princes that represented the best each state had to offer. Here, coaches were embellished with the state's coat of arms, and the suites on wheels became, literally, miniaturized palaces on wheels. Each princely coach or set of coaches, had formal living rooms and dining rooms, meeting rooms and studies, and, of course, bedrooms and zenana wings for the royal women. And they were lavishly furnished with all comforts and amenities-heavy furniture, which was the art déco of the turn of the century and which was sweeping across Europe and the Indian princely residences. Brocaded canopies on beds, and matched linen, along with drapes, priceless carpets on the rolling floors, expensive bric-a-brac-the saloons had them all!

The princes traveled in style indeed. The finest chefs prepared delicacies in the attached pantry cars. The Viceroy of India was invited on board to roll through the desert, as the princes went visiting, or attending lavish marriage ceremonies, or for a week's shikar on board their saloons. With independence, the integration of the royal states, and the withdrawal of princely privileges, most of the royal saloons were gradually abandoned. Many succumbed to the ravages of time; some were put into use (as in the case of the Maharaja's saloon in Jodhpur) for private purposes, and others lay forgotten.

Launching Of The Palace On Wheels
Till the eighties, that is, when the Indian Railways and Rajasthan Tourism got together to resurrect some of these forgotten symbols of its historic heritage. Thirteen carriages from different princely states were brought together and refurbished, and the Palace on Wheels was launched. A superb train that evoked the past with modern facilities and created a journey that was on offer to people around the world-wannabe princes who could be royals for their week of the journey.

For, along with the restored carriages-some still glowing with their original teakwood panels intact-came liveried attendants, royal repasts from the attached kitchen, a lounge, and a dining car. The tour has a fixed itinerary. The journey begins and ends in Delhi. En route, the train travels through princely Rajasthan, Jaipur, Chittaurgarh, Udaipur, Sawai Madhopur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, and Bharatpur as its principal highlights. Each morning, guests wake up to bed tea and breakfast on board. After this, one can opt for a hot water bath, and then visit to the town the train would halt in to see the sights and colors of Rajasthan. The forts and palaces and temples, the bazaars thronging with people, the incredible, amazing celebration of colour. It is nighttime now, visitors could sleep in their own palace, even if it is a palace on wheels, and by day they can visit the very sites that had made these palaces possible. It is an experience not to be missed.

The Palace on Wheels had become so popular and there is and would always be resistance to any move to discontinue it. The result was a spanking new train that faithfully recreated the old one, but much more comfortable, and intended to provide a smoother ride. However, this too was on the meter gauge being used for yet another exotic journey in the form of the Royal Orient Express that travels from Delhi to parts of Rajasthan, but is used primarily to discover the neighboring state of Gujarat.

The new Palace on Wheels, on broad gauge, is clearly the pride of the Indian Railways. It is luxurious, and it is modern. The coaches have different names derived from the former princely states and that provides the link for the coat of arms and the decor inside. Within each carriage are comfortable of showers, built-in wardrobes with full-length mirrors, overhead and night-lights, piped music, service bells and public address system. The rooms and corridors are carpeted, the furniture inlaid and upholstered especially for the train. Blinds drape large windows, which frame views across the desert and the passing arid landscape. At the end of each coach is a lounge.

Wood paneled walls, painted stained glass skylights, and liveried attendants who respond to every call, make the experience of the journey memorable. However, the vestibule coaches also connect with two restaurants, the Maharaja and the Maharani, and the bar where a range of cocktails is on offer. Damasks drape the tables, and the rear romantic lights and exclusive tableware, which makes the perfect setting for Indian, Continental, and occasionally Chinese meals, served on board. The service is unobtrusive, attentive, and efficient.

This, then, is the way the maharajahs must have traveled. It certainly is the way an exclusive group of world travelers chooses to relax. And if the journey aboard the Palace on Wheels is rewarded enough, the points of arrival in Rajasthan-Bharatpur, Jaipur, Chittaurgarh, Udaipur, and Sawai Madhopur (for visiting the Ranthambhore National Park) are like the icing on the cake. For sheer romance, the Palace on Wheels must be the most luxurious way to see Rajasthan. But how could one expect any less from a country like India, and a state like Rajasthan, where history is no figment of the past, but forms its palpable present.