The Hindu Business Line : Rajavilas on rails

The eye-catching royal purple coaches draw attention at the Yeswantpur Railway Station in Bangalore. It is a train built for a different experience, and the colour on the exterior hints at the experience that guests can expect inside.

People on the platform stop near the coaches for a close look. Curiosity gets the better of them, and some inch closer to peep through the large glass windows. A few others try their luck with the staff for a peek inside. It’s the same story at all the stations the train stops at — Mysore, Hassan, Hospet, Gadag and, finally, Goa.

The Golden Chariot luxury train is Karnataka’s answer to Rajasthan’s Palace on Wheels and Maharashtra’s Deccan Odyssey. “But what differentiates us from the other two luxury trains is the variety of destinations the itinerary offers,” says Anand Menon, Director of the Golden Chariot project. On offer is a mix of historical, heritage, wildlife and beach destinations. And unlike the Palace on Wheels, where about 85-90 per cent of the guests are foreigners, 75-80 per cent of guests on the Golden Chariot are Indians and NRIs, he adds.

Elegance on rails

Travelling on the train during a recent sponsored trip, I stepped inside a world of elegant, understated opulence.

There are 11 passenger coaches with 44 cabins in all — 26 with twin beds, 17 with double beds and one cabin for the physically challenged.

The coaches have been named after various dynasties that ruled the region, so you have Kadamba, Hoysala, Rashtrakuta, Ganga, Chalukya, Bahamani, Adil Shahi, Sangama, Shatavahana, Yadukula and Vijayanagara.

Each coach has a lobby with neatly laid carpets and adorned by photographs, handicrafts and paintings representing the State. The cabins have intricate carvings on the ceiling and wall panels, and furniture inspired by Mysore and Hoysala architecture. The bedspreads are hand-woven and each cabin has a vanity/writing desk, wall-mounted LCD TV with six satellite channels and DVD, a wardrobe and an attached toilet.

The cabins are cosy and the facilities on par with those normally offered at a five-star hotel; but the sheer size of the room, the toilet and the wardrobe strikes you at first glance… Menon agrees the wooden doors need some fine-tuning as they rattle, and open unless locked, when the train moves. It takes a while to get used to that noise before falling asleep.

The ‘Arogya’ coach has a gym, spa, and a business centre with Internet connectivity. Menon says soon WiFi connectivity will be available in the cabins. There are plans to add a conference coach in the next two months equipped with a library and a kids’ play area. With the conference coach and WiFi connectivity, the train hopes to attract corporates for company events.

The Golden Chariot has two restaurants — Nala and Ruchi, their interiors inspired by the Hampi and Halebidu schools of architecture, and a lounge bar — Madira — with interiors modelled after the Mysore Palace.

Each coach has an attendant; the staff of the Mapple Group, which is in charge of the hospitality, must be credited for their impeccable service.

Dining on the chariot

I’m not much of a foodie, but Chef Deepak Chaubey and his team dish out an eclectic choice of Indian and Continental cuisine. “The food experience is absolutely awesome… What Chef Chaubey and his team do from the restricted confines of their two kitchens on the train is stupendous. The food is mind-blowing and the presentation picture-perfect,” says a fellow traveller, Vijay Iyer, Director of Mentor Learning Services, Chennai.

The food is freshly prepared on board and not one item is outsourced, says the chef. “We have all the ingredients with us. We even make desserts on board.” His only regret is they cannot provide Chinese cuisine, as is done on Palace on Wheels, “because we have only electric stoves and hot plates here. For Chinese food, we need high-flame stoves. But as gas stoves have been avoided with guest safety in mind, I don’t have any complaints,” he says.

The trail

Many Worlds, One Voyage… reads the Golden Chariot’s tagline. A promise it tries to live up to by packing as many sights as possible for travellers.

The seven-night, eight-day journey starts on a Monday from Bangalore. On Day 1, passengers are treated to a sumptuous lunch at Hotel Leela Palace, Bangalore, and taken on a sightseeing tour of the city before leaving for Mysore. On Day 2, they visit the Nagarhole National Park — Kabini — for a boat safari, jungle safari and a night halt at the Jungle Lodges and Resorts. On Day 3 , we return to Mysore to visit the Mysore Palace, Srirangapatna and Chamundi Hills, before leaving for Hassan.

On Day 4, visits include Belur and Halebidu — famous for Hoysala temple architecture, and Shravanabelagola — the site of the 58-ft monolithic statue of Bahubali. The next stop is Hospet for a tour of Hampi — the ruins here speak eloquently of the past glory of the Vijayanagar empire. On Day 6, the train reaches Gadag; the sites on the itinerary include Aihole — considered the cradle of temple architecture, Pattadakkal — a temple town, and the Badami Caves. Day 7 (Sunday), the Golden Chariot chugs into Vasco da Gama railway station for a tour of Goa. The train leaves Goa the same night and returns to Bangalore on Monday around noon.

The ‘Golden Chariot’ bus travels alongside the train until Gadag for the sightseeing trips.

Passengers’ opinion

“The train enabled (us to cover) the distance in a short time. Otherwise, I don’t think we would have made it beyond Belur and Halebidu,” says Ina Kota, a Canadian of Indian origin. She says the itinerary amply proved that “there is lots in Karnataka beyond Bangalore”. But she quickly adds that foreign guests might need an introduction to Hinduism, its epics and other facets. “Else, these sites don’t mean anything. There is a need for context.” And this can be done by providing brochures on each site.

Her sister, Myna, points out that more sites on the itinerary means less time spent at each site. “We need more time to sit at the site and reflect,” she says. The daily sightseeing trips are a long and rushed affair. A typical day for passengers starts at 8.30 a.m. (when they assemble at the platform) and ends at about 7.30 p.m. Each tour session is 3-4 hours long, with two hours for lunch. If the site is closer to the station, you can return to the train for lunch and, if lucky, even grab a quick siesta. At other places, lunch is served at restaurants located close to the site.

The hectic schedule leaves no time for guests to use the spa or the lounge bar during the day. The only way to enjoy these facilities would be by skipping the sightseeing tour. Menon says there are plans to make the journey more relaxed by altering the itinerary and removing a few sites.

“This will enable guests to spend more time in the train and make full use of its facilities,” he says. Moreover, when the Badami railway station is opened to traffic, there are plans to stop there instead of Gadag on Day 6, which will ensure more time on board,” he adds.

Vijay Iyer sums up the experience: “The Golden Chariot is a trip through some wonderful and historic parts of Karnataka — the pace is quick and the price is steep, and if you are interested in delving deeper into any one place, you may need to come back separately. But the food alone is worth every moment and every penny.”

Related Stories:
Finetuning of Golden Chariot operations under way
Pratibha Patil to flag off Golden Chariot tomorrow

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