Palace On Wheels - The 'Palace on Wheels' is the most luxurious and lavish train of India. The very appearance tantalizes one to travel in the train at least for once. Palace on Wheels is a magnificent splendor that is reminiscent of the sumptuous world of the Royalty, their grand palaces and commanding forts of India. The luxurious 'Palace on Wheels' is a joint venture of the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation, Indian Railways, the State Government of Rajasthan and the Government of India.
This splendid train has made possible, to travel in royal splendor of the bygone era. The 'Palace on Wheel' starts from Delhi cantonment looking forward to a week-long trip all the way through Rajasthan and Agra. The Palace on Wheels takes its passengers to the colorful city of Jaipur, exotic land of Chittaurgarh, Lake City of Udaipur, Ranthambore National Park, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, red stone city of Fatehpur Sikri and Taj Mahal at Agra.
In presence of copious comforts and unequaled imperial luxury, Palace on Wheels provides a lifetime experience to its passengers. Here, people can actually feel the majestic grandeur and affluence of the erstwhile age. The opulence of this train has been acclaimed world-wide, being listed amongst the top ten luxury trains of the world. In fact, the 'Palace on Wheels' is regarded as one of best ways to tour the incredible land of India.
There are 14 coaches in the train. Each is named after former Rajput states 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.[6] Each coach has four cabins (named chambers or saloons by the company) with luxury amenities.[7]
The train has two restaurants, The Mahārāja and The Mahārāni, with a Rajasthani ambiance serving continental, Chinese cuisine.
The Palace on Wheels, started on January 26 in 1982.[4]
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.
The train departs from New Delhi 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 could be bought only in Dollars, but now it can be easily bought in INR.
