Palace On Wheels

What a train it is! Even the original could not have been as luxurious, or as magnificent. It may not be historic, but it wears the patina of history lightly, its inspiration clearly the past. Had the maharajas still be able to, it is just such a train they would have ordered.

It stands on its tracks, a gleaming, sealed carriage, every bit as royal as the original, and perhaps more. The air-conditioning works silently, creating a space where only the excitement of the history of the Rajput kingdoms permeates through, cleverly captured in contemporary mode. In all, there are fourteen saloons, each equipped with two twin-bedded and two double-bedded chambers, with attached baths that have been thoughtfully provided, sofas to sink into, strategically placed lights to read by wonderfully appointed beds with comfortable furnishings, inbuilt wardrobes for the storage of one's clothes and bags, and huge plate glass windows to watch the countryside roll past.

Outside the bedrooms, each coach also has a seating lounge where passengers can get together, just sit, watch the cities as they glide past outside the windows, or enjoy a quiet cup of tea. An attached pantry with each saloon helps provide beverages and refreshments to the accompaniment of soothing, piped music. Should you seed company, there is the comfortable bar cum lounge were you relax over your favourite drink, burrow in a book, or converse with co-passengers. Attached to it are two restaurant cars, Maharaja and Maharani respectively, with opulently draped curtains, exquisitely crafted lights, and table settings that world do a modern city restaurant proud. Here, accompanying chefs serve up a choice of Indian, including Rajasthani, Continental, and even Chinese cuisines that are a feast for the palette.

The train chugs out of Delhi Cantonment on a week-long run through Rajasthan every Wednesday night, with a trip also inbuilt to Agra and the Taj Mahal. Turban-wearing attendants take over from the moment you arrive at the platform, assigning you your coupes, and detailing all the facilities that are on board. The train moves by night, and arrives each morning at a new destination, where new experiences await you. If you are an early riser, you will see the sun rise over the horizon of the desert, a golden orb that flames in pastel colours before it ignites into brilliant orange as it mounts higher. So it has done for millions of years, and so it has been watched on its journey for thousands of them by the residents of the desert: Suryavanshi and Chandravanshi, moon- incredible how easy it is to believe it all possible!