INDIAN LUXURY TRAINS (ILT) CELEBRATES SECOND ANNIVERSARY

INDIAN LUXURY TRAINS (ILT) CELEBRATES SECOND ANNIVERSARY

Royalty on Wheels

One of the best ways to tour the heritage destinations in Rajasthan is to travel on board a luxury train. Rajasthan, literally translating to the lands of the Rajahs is one of the most enchanting and mystical destinations of India. Resplendent fortresses, majestic palaces, undulating sand dunes and friendly locals characterize this colorful state. There are a plethora of activities at your disposal to keep you busy while you are in Rajasthan.

Available Luxury Trains for a Royal Ride

• Royal Rajasthan on Wheels
• Palace on Wheels
• Maharajas Express

Royal Rajasthan on Wheels:

Traveling on board the Royal Rajasthan on Wheels is one of the most luxurious ways to tour Rajasthan. This luxury train in India takes you on a whirlwind tour of some of the choicest destinations in Rajasthan. The destinations of this train include Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur, Jodhpur, Chittorgarh and Jaipur along with Agra and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh.

The guests on board the Royal Rajasthan on Wheels get treated like royalty. The interiors of the train are a walking gallery of all grandeur with different salons depicting a distinct color of Rajasthan. There are two restaurants and a bar salon for the delight of the connoisseurs. Menu on the train includes Thai, Chinese and Mexican cuisine along with succulent Indian delicacies.

Royal Rajasthan on Wheels

This Indian luxury train is equipped with world class amenities like a lounge salon, a spa saloon and a souvenir shop for the pleasure and rejuvenation of the guests. Guests can enjoy themselves at leisure and play games or just savor the stunning panorama offered by the large windows in the lounge or unwind and rejuvenate with a spa session.

Restaurant: Royal Rajasthan on Wheels

The itinerary of the Royals Rajasthan on Wheels is designed meticulously to offer inclusive, regaling and insightful travel experiences to the guests. From wildlife, to spirituality, to medieval temples forts and palaces; guests are offered a slice of the best that India (Rajasthan) has to offer other than of course the beaches! Recent inclusion of Varanasi (Benaras) and Khajuraho in the itinerary showcases two different yet evocative facets of India. While Khajuraho temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site is often associated with the Kamasutra due to its erotic sculptures, Benares is the spiritual nerve centre of India and the point of confluence of Ganges and Yamuna rivers, considered to be the most holy and legendary rivers in India.


Palace on Wheels:


Looking forward to pampering yourself like never before? Opt for a luxury train tour. India is a fascinating destination to visit and with the luxury trains traversing across some of the most pristine tourist attractions, a luxury train sojourn becomes all the more enjoyable. Palace on Wheels is one of the most popular means of travel, in this genre. Being the first luxury train in India, Palace on Wheels is already a known feature that guests visiting the country want to explore. Recently been awarded the 4th best luxury train in the world, the beeline of guests booking their tickets aboard this train is naturally increasing.

Palace on Wheels

With this article we look forward to doing a quick recap for you about the amenities and services available aboard the Palace on Wheels:

Palace on Wheels - Train

Beginning its operations in 1982, the Palace on Wheels at that time only catered to the international guests in India. With time, this restriction was relaxed and today foreign guests as well as Indians can both comfortably undertake a regal sojourn aboard this train. It is the brain child of Indian Railways and is equipped with several modern comforts and services such as DTH TV service, Spa, attached toilets, and also a gym where you can take care of your fitness regime. 2 restaurants and a bar wait here to treat you royally. Guests are accommodated in the 14 luxury coaches that have each been named after a princely city in Rajasthan. They are Jaipur, Bikaner, Alwar, Kota, Dungarpur and Bharatpur etc.

Palace on wheels Train

Palace on Wheels - Tour

The Palace on Wheels tour has been designed to promote tourism in Rajasthan. No wonder, guests on board this train are taken across some of the most fascinating destinations in the state. The 7 nights 8 day journey aboard this train begins from the national capital New Delhi and travels across Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bharatpur and Agra. The sojourn begins on Wednesday and concludes on the following Wednesday, after completing a round trip.

Palace on Wheels: Interior

Palace on Wheels - Tariff

The best aspect of the travel aboard the Palace on Wheels is definitely the attractive fares that enable each guest to enjoy a complete value for money experience. The luxury coaches, the fitness facilities, the dining and wining services and the travel to exotic destinations are all made available to guests for as less as USD 2380 for a 7 night journey on triple sharing basis! The tariff of the Palace on Wheels offers complimentary travel to children below 5 years and half fare of children between 5 and 12 years. Travel, sightseeing, cultural programmes, and entrance fee at monuments are included in the train tariff. The fare however does not include drinks, tips and laundry expenses.

palace on Wheels: Dinning

Rajput Kingdoms (8th to 11th centuries)

The first Rajput kingdoms date back to the 7th century, and it was during the 9th to 11th centuries that the Rajputs rose to prominence. The four Agnivanshi clans, namely the Pariharas (of the Pratihara), Solankis (of the Chalukya dynasty), Paramaras, and Chahamanas and Karnawats of the Chauhans rose to prominence first, establishing territories and creating kingdoms.

A water reservoir inside Chittorgarh Fort as seen in 2006

Bappa Rawal of the Gahlot dynasty established his rule in 734 CE at Chittor. Chittor was until that time ruled by the Mori clan of Rajputs. Maan Mori was their last king at Chittor. It is believed the word Mori is a corruption of Maurya, the dynasty of Ashoka (ruled 269 to 232 BCE).

The Kachwahas or Kacchapghata dynasty were originally from Bihar; they founded Gwalior and Narwar in the 8th century. One of their descendants, Dulah Rai (grandson of Raja Isha Singh and son of Prince Sodh Dev of Narwar) established his rule in Dhundhar in the 11th century.

In 1156 Rawal Jaisal Bhati, the sixth in succession from Deoraj, founded the fort and city of Jaisalmer, and made it his capital as he moved from his former capital at Lodhruva (which is situated about 15 km to the north-west of Jaisalmer).

The imperial Pratiharas established their rule over Malwa and ruled from the cities of Bhinmal and Ujjain in the 8th and 9th centuries. One branch of the clan established a state in Mandore in the Marwar region in 6th and 7th centuries where they held sway until they were supplanted by the Rathores in the 14th century. Around 816 CE, the Pratiharas of Ujjain conquered Kannauj, and from this city they ruled much of northern India for a century. They went into decline after Rashtrakuta invasions in the early 10th century.

Ajmer: The Sufi Capital of Rajasthan

Sacked by Mohammed of Ghori on one of his periodic forays from Afghanistan, and later patronized by the great Mughals, Ajmer used to be a strategically important city in the days of yore. Located in the heart of Rajasthan, this historical city is surrounded by the majestic Aravali Hill Range. Founded in late 7th century by the Chauhan clan of the Rajputs, Ajmer is also famous as the abode of Prithviraj Chauhan, one of the most romanticized Rajputana rulers of all time.

                                                        (Ajmer Sarif)

      
Often overlooked by the foreign tourist due to the popular allure associated with nearby Pushkar which combines piety and playfulness, Ajmer is more about piety and witness who’s who of India paying obeisance to the shrine of Kwaja Muin-ud-din Chisti. Ajmer signifies India's true rendezvous with secular religious convictions, where a saint is revered by all, irrespective of his caste or creed. The secular nature of true India is enlivened in the life and history of this sacred city.

                                                (Adhai- Din- Ka- Jhopra)

One of the important Muslim pilgrimages in India, Ajmer is famous for the Tomb of Hazrat Mu'inuddin Chishti, the founder of the Chishti Sufi order. Ajmer is a walkable city, once you get your bearings. The Dargah bazaar is about 10 minutes walk and Ana Sagar (the "lake" - which has marble pavillions in a garden and is a wonderful place to sit, especially on hot days) is about 30 minutes walk. There are some wonderful back-alleys -- just wander down small side streets from the Dargah bazaar and you'll see some wonderful old architecture and murals before you stumble back across a main street. 

 

     

 (Ana Sagar Lake) 

  

Maharana Pratap: The Legendary Rajput Prince

Maharana Pratap is unarguably the most heroic Rajput King in the annals of Rajputana princedom epitomizing the Rajputana pride and self respect. Known for his indomitable valor and chivalry, Maharana Pratap resisted the mighty army of Mughal Emperor Akbar and fought for the pride of Rajput till his last breath. His exploits against the Mughal army has become the stuff of legends and has been embossed indelibly on the mind and spirits of Rajputs and others alike.

Descendent of the rulers of Mewar, the Sisodiya clan of Suryavanshi Rajput, Maharana Pratap exemplifies the qualities to which Rajputs even nowadays aspire to. In 1572, the time when Maharana Pratap ascended to Mewari kingdom was a turbulent time as Akbar had successfully laid siege to the Chittorgarh fort from where the Prince of Mewar used to rule their kingdom. \Maharana Udai Singh, father of Pratap Singh, has fled from the fort in face of impending doom together with his family and had moved his base to another location in the foothills of the Aravili hills. This place was later went on to be known as Udaipur.

Maharana Pratap was one of the few Rajput princes who refused to submit to the rule of Akbar the great and defied him till the end of his life. Maharana Pratap was also against the custom of marrying Rajput princesses to Mughal kings and lords in order to appease them as practiced by many Rajput clans of that time. The most famous battles fought between the Maharana and Mughal forces was the battle of Haldighati in 1576 which has become a stuff of legends in Rajput folklore. Not only did this battle immortalized and romanticized the story of valor and daring of Maharana in the annals of Rajputana history, but the battle is also remembered for the bravado of the Chetak, horse which Maharana Pratap rode during this battle. The famous battle of Haldighati was fought with 20,000 Rajputs against a Mughal army of 80,000 men commanded by Raja Man Singh of Amber. The battle was fierce though indecisive, to the Mughal army's astonishment.

The battle of Haldighati was lost but Mughal too sustained heavy damages and Prince Man Singh leader of the Mughal forces barely surviving the assault of Maharana. In January 1597, Rana Pratap Singh I, Mewar's greatest hero, was seriously injured in a hunting accident. He left his body at Chavand, aged 56, on January 29, 1597. He died fighting for his nation, for his people, and most importantly for his honor.