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Palace on Wheels for Punjab to roll out soon

Sujay Mehdudia

Heritage train for Karntaka in pipeline

NEW DELHI: After the successful run of the Palace on Wheels in Rajasthan, the Indian Railways are all set to run the luxurious heritage train in Punjab and Karnataka.

Labelled as a train with a quaint old-world charm and all the modern conveniences, the Place on Wheels for Punjab and Karnataka will have all the aura and royal touch reflecting the rich culture and heritage of the two States. It will bring the princely travels of Maharaja days while covering the length and breadth of the two States.

"We are in the final stages of rolling out these two new Palace on Wheels luxury trains. There has been a demand from the two State Governments to start this kind of a luxurious service that would not only bring people close to the past but also give a major boost to tourism.

Modern facilities

The trains will also be equipped with all modern facilities including health centres, business centres and multi-cuisine restaurants,'' says Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Managing Director P.K. Goel.

The Punjab Palace on Wheels on its eight-day tour will touch the world famous Taj Mahal, the Pink city of Jaipur, and the hill resorts of Dharamsala and Kangra Valley in Himachal Pradesh. In addition, it will unveil the splendour of Patiala, the cultural capital of Punjab housing the Sheesh Mahal and Quila Mubarak.

The train will then move to the spiritual capital of Amritsar housing the Golden Temple. It will also provide a look into the abode of the royal dynasty at Kapurthala that houses the Jagjit Palace. From there the luxury train will move to the unexplored paradise of the Kangra Valley by Kangra Queen and culminate at the Wagah border where the Indian territory ends.

For those taking the Karnataka Palace on Wheels, the journey will extend from the Arabian Sea and the fertile forested ridges of the Western Ghats with their thriving plantation of coffee, spices and the boulder-strewn region of Deccan Plateau.

World heritage sites

The eight-day luxurious package will include visits to the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Hampi and Pattadakal, the grandeur of the Mysore Palace, the famed backwaters of Kerala with Ayurvedic massages, the Silicon Valley of India -- the Garden city of Bangalore, and the ruins of Vijayanagara Empire.

It will also provide an insight into the wildlife of Kerala in Periyar and a visit to the coir factory and spice plantations.

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