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India's Great Romantic Trains – The Royal Orient Express and the Palace on WheelsBy Walter Glaser
The Royal Orient Express was probably my favourite --- though it’s older and a little frayed at the edges. But the service, staff and the train’s history more than made up for all of this.
But recently India commenced a program of rail-gauge changes that meant that the Royal Orient Express could no longer follow its old route, so this wonderful train has been temporarily taken out of service, though it is still advertised on the web. India being India, no-one is able to say when it will re-commence. But do not despair! The Government of Rajasthan, which owns and operates both trains has an ace up its sleeve in the form of The Palace on Wheels, a more modern version with comfortable, air-conditioned cabins, equally outstanding staff, and a splendid itinerary that criss-crosses Rajasthan without running to Gujarat, and so avoiding rail-gauge problems. A trip on this train will add a wonderful new dimension to any visit to India. Cabins on the train are larger and more modern than on its predecessor. Every cabin has its own mini-bathroom with toilet, shower and hot and cold running water, and every rail car has its own chief steward to look after your every need. The train has two dining cars, one for Indian and one for European cuisine, and there are many other luxury touches – efficient air-conditioning, a public address for piped music and announcements, a luxurious saloon car with comfortable arm chairs, kitchenette and mini-bar where turbaned cabin staff will mix you a drink of your choice. We joined The Palace on Wheels at the Delhi Cantonment station, late afternoon, where our red-turbaned train crew warmly welcomed us and settled us into our train. By the time we had unpacked and headed for the dining car, the train had taken off on its journey across Rajasthan. We were on our way! Dining on the train was a pleasant surprise. The food was excellent, the choices very satisfactory, and the service outstanding. Most people dressed for dinner, and after-dinner drinks in the lounge car gave us an opportunity to get to know some our fellow-travellers with whom we would be spending the next week.
Then back to the train for dinner onboard as we moved on towards Jaisalmer. This was to be the pattern of our whole trip --- travel at night on the train and switch to the buses that obediently followed the train throughout the whole journey, returning to the train in the evening, when it moved off to take us to the next destination.
Our next morning tour was to that city, founded in 1459 and the second largest in Rajasthan. The Fort complex, set on a hill, was huge – and hugely interesting. The size of a miniature city, it contained the equivalent of another palace. But then the buses took us to the real thing, the Umaid Bhawan Palace, one of the most lavish and exquisite structures I have ever seen. After a pleasant lunch we retuned to the train and headed for the largest tiger reserve in India – the Ranthambhor National Park, where we arrived the next day. Tigers are an extremely endangered species, and though this is one of the areas that has many tigers, we did not see one on this trip. However we saw many other native species in a spectacularly beautiful jungle setting. Departing mid-morning, we then proceeded to Chittaurgarh, where we arrived mid-afternoon.
In this last battle, 8,000 soldiers, seeing that their cause was hopeless, donned orange robes and marched or rode out of the fort to certain death at the hands of the attackers. In the meantime the women bathed, dipped their hands in henna and put handprints on the wall adjacent to the fort's gate to signify their fate. Then, dressed in their finest silks, they climbed the funeral pyre that had been prepared and, setting it alight, jumped into the flames rather than face rape and dishonour from the attackers. The fort has been abandoned ever since. Our next stop was Udaipur. Located on the banks of a man-made lake this best represents the classic image that foreigners conjure up when they think of India. Boarding a boat at the jetty, we first passed the town steps where people came to bathe, do their laundry, and enjoy a social chat in a riot of colour and activity. Our boat headed to the famous 'Floating Palace' in the middle of the lake. Built on the shallow lakebed, its visual effect makes a picture so beautiful that it appears on a large proportion of all posters advertising India. Today it is a 5-star hotel, and those privileged to stay there describe it in raves. Back to the jetty and soon we were visiting the Palace of the Maharajah of Udaipur, two wings of this Palace now hotel accommodation, and another a museum. Among the displays were photographs of the tiger-shoots during which the then-Maharajah had bagged 33 tigers during one hunt. Their mounted heads leered at us from almost every room. Needless to say, the only tigers now found in this area decorate palace walls.
The following day our outing took us to the Keoladeo Ghana National Park, the largest bird sanctuary I had ever seen. This was again in a totally natural setting --- a nature-lovers delight and an experience I will never forget. The tour had left the best for last, and before returning to Delhi took us to Agra, the home of world famous Taj Mahal. On arrival, our first surprise was that more than 90 percent of tourists were Indians rather than foreigners. “It is every person’s wish in India to visit the Taj Mahal at least once,” our guide explained. “Like the rest of the world, we think that the Taj Mahal is the most beautiful building on earth. But for us it is more than just a building, it is India itself --- beautiful, lasting, and an inspiration to us all”. I asked him whether the fact that it was a Moslem shrine rather than a Hindu one made a difference --- after all, I knew that some 80% of India’s almost-billion population are Hindu. “None at all,” he replied. “the Taj Mahal transcends all religion with its beauty. To us it is not a religious symbol but the essence of India.” Once through the second gates we could see the Taj Mahal, bathed in the soft glow of the morning sunlight. I don’t recall ever seeing a structure that had such an impact on me that it gave me goosebumps. But the beauty and perfect symmetry of this edifice was so breathtaking that it had just this effect.
The beauty of the building is nothing short of awesome, and is to many Indians as meaningful as a national symbol as the Imperial Palace in Beijing is to the Chinese, Statue of Liberty is to Americans, the Eiffel Tower to the French or the Houses of Parliament to the British. Fortunately the beauty of the Taj Mahal has been maintained, undamaged, through the ages, and, though now threatened by pollution and other problems, is as splendid today as it was on completion. The building was constructed of brick, then clad with white Indian marble. The grave of the Queen for whom this monument was constructed, was located seven feet below ground level as prescribed by Islamic law, but to show the position to visitors, a replica grave was built directly above the actual location, but on the ground floor. The inner section of the Taj Mahal is marble carefully inlaid with semi-precious gems like jade, rubies, amber, agate, amethyst, jasper, lapis lazuli, carnelian, chalcedony, onyx and coral in designs of flowers and excerpts from the Koran. This inlay work of the semi-precious stones, a process known as pietra dura, is amazing. As I took a last look at this beautiful building just prior to leaving, the story of why it was built again flashed through my mind. It is perhaps the saddest, yet most romantic love-story of all time --- one of a King who loved his favourite wife so much that he had no children by any other of his many wives. The King’s name was Shah Jahan. He adored his favourite wife Mumtaz Mahal (chosen one of the Palace). Mumtaz was his great love, his friend, advisor and main confidant. when, after seventeen years of marriage she died while giving birth to their fourteenth child, the King was heartbroken. The King mourned for two years, becoming almost a recluse, denying himself uniforms, state occasions, music and banquets. Subsequently, he commissioned Persian architect Isa Khan from Shiraz, in what is now Iran, to design the Taj Mahal, gave the running of the State over to his sons, and devoted himself to the construction of the magnificent mausoleum. Twenty thousand men laboured for 22 years, starting in 1632 and completing the Taj Mahal in 1654. India is one of the great travel destinations of the world today, and those who want the very best experiences of that country will make sure that they include a trip on one of these two serendipitous trains. If they do, they will not only experience one of the greatest rail journeys of the world, but they will also get a most wonderful insight into the history and life of India, both past and present. Resources for Palace on WheelsBest time to go – May to September Price -- US$2695 for double occupancy per person. Includes accommodation, meals and sightseeing for the 7 day trip. Train is heavily booked, so check availability on website www.palaceonwheels.net Dress code -- Elegant casual Take – camera, large-capacity memory cards or lots of film, comfortable shoes, sunglasses, sun screen, wide brimmed hat, not too much luggage (perhaps one case each) Resources for Royal Orient Express – This train is not currently running, but when it re-starts it will be offered on the Palace on Wheels website |
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If I had to name the world’s most romantic trains, India’s
Royal Orient Express and this country’s Palace on Wheels would be in the top
three, because my journeys on these two trains were hyperloaded with romance,
history and charm. No, they are not the most modern, but they work exceptionally
well. And the wonderful personal service of the cabin staff, tour guides and
dining staff on both trains were unbeatable. The itineraries also were
fascinating, and no trip to India should be considered complete without a
journey on one or other of these trains.
This train was made up of carriages that once belonged to
the Royal Maharajas of Gujarat and Rajasthan when they were at the peak of their
power during the British Raj. In those days the Maharajas could raise their own
taxes, enabling them to build lavish palaces, hold regular royal parties – and
run their own royal trains. When India gained it’s independence from Britain and
the Maharajas lost their high positions and taxing powers, the trains became a
burden and were set aside. Subsequently, they were purchased, refurbished and
mechanically modernised, and made into the Royal Orient Express. It ran a seven
day sightseeing tour of the States of Gujarat and Rajasthan, with buses that ran
parallel to the train. Passengers would sleep and dine on the train while it ran
– mostly at night – from destination to destination, but during the day the
train would stop, passengers would transfer to sightseeing buses, and every day
would be filled with new experiences and wonders. The train would leave from
Delhi Cantonment station each Wednesday and head for Jaipur, Agra Chittaurgarh,
Udaipur, Ahmedabad and back to Delhi. It was a trip of serendipity and delight!
During the night the train arrived in Jaipur, the Capital
of Rajasthan founded in 1727 and, after breakfast, we left the train for the
buses that were to take us sightseeing in this beautiful City mostly built of
pink-honeycombed sandstone. The famous Amber Fort followed and then, after lunch
at the hotel that had once been a palace we went to the real thing, the City
Palace that is home to the former Royal family. In the gardens we were amazed by
the Royal Observatory, the Jantar Mantar, built by Sawai Jai Singh II, where we
saw a series of astrological measuring instruments which, in their time, were
among the most accurate in the world. Half relied on the sun and half on the
moon for their accuracy, and they included a clock sundial correct, even now, to
within three seconds.
Jaisalmer lies in the heart of the desert that borders
Pakistan, but when it was built in 1156 AD it was an important and strategic
centre. Here we saw many of the Havelis – gracious houses built by the wealthy
of the day and beautifully decorated. In the afternoon the buses took us to the
edge of the desert for a camel ride --- quite an experience and one that made
walking afterwards quite a challenge. Then off to one of the government stores
for shopping --- no surprise as the same people own the stores and the train.
After dinner and cultural show at one of the local hotels we returned to the
train, to be lulled to sleep by the clackity-clack of the rails as we moved on
to Jodhpur.
Chittaurgarh Fort is both romantic and tragic. The area is
right on the demarcation line between Hindu and Moslem India. As a result,
Maharajahs were constantly caught up in fighting the opposing side and, if
defeated, could expect no mercy. In 1568 the last of nearly 200 years of
battles resulted in the sacking and destruction of the fort and the palace by
the Mughals.
As we departed the Palace we spotted the current Maharajah,
a small portly figure with a huge handlebar moustache, supervising the delivery
of some new furniture. Diplomatically we did not ask about the number of his
wives. His predecessor had one thousand - all confined to the Palace grounds.
Poor man, to have to cope with that.
The Taj Mahal is not a temple or a mosque, but rather a
mausoleum of great beauty and perfect proportions, best viewed from the inside
of the entrance pavilion. Two watercourses criss-cross the vast, often
flower-carpeted grounds which stand between the main building and the entrance.