1. India by Train. By Jayant Doshi
(On a recent visit to India I had two different but interesting train journeys. First was to Lucknow and the second was the famous
Palace on Wheels in Rajasthan. Many members have requested me to write about these, and I am presenting my report
herewith. )
To Lucknow with Love
It was a wedding invitation that I could not resist because this type of wedding nowadays would be rare.
It had a feel of nostalgia and I knew that this type of invitation comes once in a lifetime, and I had to go.
The wedding party was to travel by train from Mumbai to Lucknow , a distance of 900 miles to be
covered by train in 27 hours of travelling. The whole trip was to be over 5 days including 3 days stay in
Lucknow, the cultural capital of India.
It is said that “match is made in heaven”, but in this case the match was arranged by internet , and I
mean it literally . The boy, a Gujarati from Mumbai,
was studying in USA . The girl, from an educated
family from the Hindi belt area of India was in
Lucknow. Both met on the internet and became
friends. For nine months they communicated via
internet, exchanged pictures and perhaps talked on
the phone but never met. They became very close
and decided to become life partners. The boy flew to
Mumbai and told his parents, who reluctantly agreed
to meet the girl. The girl , for the very first time,
met them at the Lucknow station without her parents
knowing about it . The boy liked the girl even more,
the parents were happy and so they went to see the
girl’s parents who reluctantly, but then happily
agreed to the wedding. To emphasise this internet
connection, the wedding card was also designed like a floppy disc.
There were 162 members in the wedding party, and the ages ranged from 5 to 80 . The logistics of
managing such a large group was incredible, and overall it was a mammoth task. On average each
passenger had 3 bags. Due to the winter, and fear of much colder weather up north, passengers carried
blankets for the trip, which added to the total luggage carried. When the platform is packed with

2. people, and when the train stops for a very limited time, it was a great challenge to put all the bags and
the passengers onto the train in a limited time. Even bigger task was to make sure each passenger knew
which compartment, and which seat they would be
occupying, and then ensuring that each one got
their bags where they were sitting. Also each
passenger had to be informed in which hotel and
which room they will be staying while in Lucknow,
and it had to be tied up with the baggage of each
passenger. Every detail was worked out and put on
the computer and all the organising members were
carrying files with all the details. Each passenger
was given a card with name, seat number on the
train, and the hotel room number, and each card
had a colour ribbon to tie it on the bag, and the
colour also indicated the hotel where the bag was
going.
Arrangements were made to cook hot meals in the train kitchen, but all the provisions had to be carried
with the party. Also provision was made for snacks and fruits so that everyone was well fed and looked
after over the long journey. Even minute details were not overlooked. A hand towel was put near each
sink, and a bucket put in each toilet. A doctor and a nurse were also included in the party, and the
doctor was kept pretty busy over the five days trip. In short, every minute detail of the trip, and the
comfort of the passengers was thought of and catered for. Nothing was left out or no mistakes were
discernible for anyone to criticise.
We reached the Chhtrapati Shivaji Station in Mumbai at 7.00 in the morning when, as is normal in
Mumbai, the station was buzzing with thousands of people. The station name, which is a mouthful for
anyone to repeat, is still known by its old name of Victoria Terminus, or VT in short. We were all
directed to stand on the platform at a point where it was assumed our compartment would stop. When
the train came, and panic set in with thousands rushing to get a space, we were informed that while two
compartments would be where we were standing, one would be at the other end. Moving through those
crowds, and keeping one’s baggage also, is a very difficult task. After that early commotion and
confusion, and some haggling and pulling strings with the staff at the station, it was then arranged that
all the three compartments would be near to each other. One compartment was fully reserved for our
group, while the rest of the group were scattered
in the other two compartments.
After all that commotion, that running around and
frayed tempers, everyone was safely on board and
settled down in no time. Soon, groups were
formed, and every one occupied themselves in
some sort of activity. While 27 hours seems a long
time, surprisingly the time just flew. Snacks,
fruits and food kept flowing, and that in turn
meant that time also kept flowing. Sleeping on
the train is not easy. The changing speeds, the
rollicking on the uneven rails, stopping and
slowing of the train, the buzzing and shouting at

3. passing stations hardly is conducive to sound sleep. At the same time, the rocking and the sort of musical
notes formed by the rails are pleasant to the ear. To some, this musical movement of the trains has its
own charm and lulls one to sleep as a baby is rocked to sleep in its cradle.
We reached Lucknow at about 11.00 in the
morning and we all were transported to the main
guest house which was to be our base for the
next three days. Each member of the wedding
party, or “barati” in Hindi, was welcomed with
garlands and a red spot on the forehead. After
tea and light snacks, all went to their respective
guest house and room, where the baggage was
already there, had shower and came back for
lunch. After an afternoon nap, everyone
gathered in the hall for what was to be an
entertaining evening of some artistic
presentations. For the next three days, we were
pampered and lavished with variety of delicious meals.
The bride family perform “mehndi” ceremony which involved some singing from the mother and aunts of
the bride. The bride herself gave some exquisite dance performances. Later the groom’s family members
presented a mixture of singing, jokes and dancing performances by various members of the family. The
whole programme lasted for over 5 hours and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the presentation.
Next day, a sightseeing tour of Lucknow was arranged and everyone enjoyed the sigtseeing. Lucknow ,
like most cities in India, have some wonderful historical buildings and monuments. The Mogul and Islamic
influence is evident in its buildings. Lucknow, the city of Nawabs , the city of Urdu the sweet and poetic
language and city of Islamic architecture at its best. The language of the city is so sweet and polite that
it is said that even a quarrel involving abusive language is conducted in a polite language. The maze in
one of the palaces was amazing and an architectural wonder. There are no supporting pillars in the huge
palace, and at the same time the ceiling supports the whole maze with thick walls on top of the ceiling.
At five in the evening the “barat” or the wedding party left for the reception followed by wedding.
According to their customs, wedding takes place as late as possible at night, and is traditionally held in
the home of the bride. As the space at home is normally limited, the very immediate family members
normally stay for the wedding. It was so cold that everyone was wrapped in blankets and quilts while
watching the wedding ceremony.
Next day the bride is collected from her home
by five members of the groom’s family. After
lunch, preparations were made to depart for
homeward journey. There were some farewell
and thank you speeches from both sides, and
after all the baggage had been loaded on truck
we reached the station by five in the evening.
Unloading the trucks, and separating the
luggage was a huge task, and ensuring that each
passenger got their bags was even more
daunting. But with joint efforts of several
volunteers it was accomplished successfully in
time. The return journey passed by as smoothly
and quickly as the out bound journey.

4. This was a wonderful journey. People interacted with people they had just met. Friendships were made,
and old acquaintances were renewed or refreshed. For five days, everyone had forgotten the world. For
five days, we had moved from a fast moving hectic life to a slow leisurely trip that relaxed and gave
great pleasure.
A Palace on Wheels
We arrived at the Delhi Cantonment station at
4.00 on a Wednesday afternoon. Many of the
passengers were there and all the baggage was
lying around. As is usual to see in India, there
was lot of confusion and chaos in the small
waiting room. There were two men playing flute
and drums. But soon, we were led onto the
platform leading to the train. Two girls , clad in
traditional colourful saris , put red spot on our
foreheads and a fresh flower garland around our
necks. We were led to the trains by our
attendants, who were to be at our service for
the next week.
The train was long stretching from one end to the other end of the long platform. All the carriages were
inter-connected so it was possible to walk from one end to the other. It was painted in ivory colour, with
coats of arms or similar design to imply its royal connection. The train had 21 carriages. Besides the
engine, the store room , there were 13 carriages for the passengers, one carriage was converted into two
kitchens, there were two carriages converted into dining rooms, one carriage was converted into a bar
saloon and a general lounge. Each passenger carriage had four cabins with two beds. The beds were
wider than normal train beds and quite comfortable. Some cabins had an extra bunk bed in case of three
passengers were sharing. There was a small cupboard to keep clothes, and a mirror and side table.
Adjoining the cabin was a toilet, a sink and a shower with hot water provided all hours. Like a hotel, all
the toiletries were provided. The upholstery, consisting of the bed spread, pillow covers and the
curtains, in the cabin was rich looking. In the same carriage there was a small lounge area where
breakfast was served, and also where the passengers of that carriage could meet and relax and watch
the television whenever reception was possible. On the other end of the carriage there was double bunk
bed for the attendants. There was also a refrigerator, and heating equipment to make tea and breakfast.
We left Delhi at 6.00 p.m. After a while the train stopped to let the passengers eat their dinner without
much rollicking and movement. Five course dinner is served with a wide choice of items which could be
termed as a mixture of Indian and western
cuisine, and vegetarian and non-vegetarian
mixture in its variety. We soon found that any
special request was immediately attended to
and implemented. So we started getting lassi
and had khichadi also. A request for more spicy
curries was also complied with . The morning
breakfast is served either in the cabin or in the
carriage lounge. Besides tea and coffee,
breakfast included cereals, toast, puris,
omlette and parathas . We were woken up
before seven on most days as we were expected
to leave for sightseeing by eight.

5. As our first destination, Jaipur, is a short distance from Delhi, the train stayed stationary for most of the
night, allowing us to have peaceful sleep. We were welcomed to Jaipur, the pink city of India, by
colourfully decorated elephants, muscians on shehnai and dholaks, and pretty girls with garlands. There
were three air-conditioned coaches to take the eighty or so passengers on a sightseeing tour of the city.
Each coach had a professional guide who gave a historical background to the various sites. True to its
reputation, the city is built entirely in pink stone, and buildings which are not in pink stone are painted
pink. After a photo session outside the Wind
Palace, we stopped at Amer Palace with its
beautiful marble carvings, wall paintings and a
hall totally fitted with small mirrors. The mirrors
were a way of saving on lighting. One candle
would reflect in thousands of those tiny mirrors
and give light that many fold. The palace also had
intricate water cooling system which would puzzle
any modern engineer. The palace had huge
gardens, and in one compound there were
quarters for 12 wives of the king. The planning
was such that the King could visit any of the
queens, without any one else knowing about it
even though all the twelve quarters were within
one compound only.
We had lunch at Rambagh Palace Hotel, with beautiful architecture and artistically laid gardens. We
visited Janatar Mantar in the afternoon. This is a garden with all types of astronomical structures which
were originally built in metal but were later changed to marble and stone. Built in 1728, the sundial still
is accurate to 20 seconds which is a remarkable piece of architecture. We visited a museum in a palace,
part of which is still occupied by the former king who owns the palace. The museum has clothes from the
past kings and their servants, and include clothes of a king who believed in eating and living , was 7 ft
tall and weighed 500 pounds. As is usual on such tours, the sightseeing ended with a visit to a carpet
factory where we were shown the making of a carpet which involved over twenty operations and took
over 6 months to make one carpet.
As our next destination was over a long distance, the train left Jaipur by 5.00 p.m. to go to Jaiselmer,
the golden city of India. Jaiselmer, on the very
prosperous silk route, and now a skeleton of its
former glory, still has signs of its past prosperity in
its architectural heritage. With the discovery of
sea route to India by the Europeans, the silk route
lost its prosperity and with it Jaiselmer lost its
prosperity. Jaiselmer has buildings made from
yellow stone, hence its fame as golden city, and is
famous for its very intricate and minute carvings
on the buildings. We walked through the town,
admiring its havelis with its architecture and
intricate carvings on the walls and railings. We
walked around the fort, which is claimed to be the
only fort with a population living to this day. We
went back to the train for our lunch, and as we had some free time, we organised a taxi and visited some
Jain temples on the outskirts of the town. In the afternoon, we drove to the desert, which divides India
and Pakistan, and did camel riding and watched the sun set under the golden sand. We were treated to a
five star dinner at a palace hotel in its gardens, and there was a cultural show during our dinner.

6. Jodhpur, the blue city or the Sun city, was visited on the third day. As per its reputation, most of the
buildings were in blue. The cenotaph for the royal family, and a well maintained fort were the highlights
of this visit. We were treated to a lunch at Palace Umedrai Hotel. It was a modern impressive building
and had some beautifully laid gardens. On the fourth day we left early to visit Sawai Madhopur national
park. We were taken in open vehicles sitting 20 people in each. It was very cold that time of the morning
and we did not see much by way of wild life. We were back to the train before 11 and we had our first
day time train journey of the trip. We reached Chhitorgarh by late
afternoon. Chhitorgarh has a very impressive, well planned and
well built fort. It is 3 miles long and is the biggest fort in Asia. The
fort, which is 3 miles long and the biggest in whole of Asia, is most
impressive in its defence capabilities.
On the fifth day, we visited Udaipur, the marble city of India. As
the tracks to Udaipur have still not been converted to broad gauge,
we were taken to this beautiful city by coach. The city is beautiful
with lakes and well laid gardens, the road planning seems much
modern and the buildings look in much better state then in other
places. We were taken for lunch to the world famous Lake Palace
Hotel, built in the middle of a lake. It is a wonderful building with
a wonderful location and some eye catching scenery from its
balconies. After dinner, our train moved to our next destination at
Bharatpur , where we all went for a visit to the bird sanctuary
riding in bicycle rickshaws. The bird sanctuary is
listed by the world heritage foundation and is
preserved as such. From there, we were taken to the
palaces of Fateh Sikripur by coach. The guided tour
of the palaces and the forts was very interesting. The
large compounds, some interesting carvings and
architecture and the detailed history outlined by the
guide made the tour very interesting. We were taken
to Agra, where we were taken to the newly build
grand JayPee Palace Hotel, where President Clinton
stayed during his recent visit to India. After a
sumptous lunch, we were taken to the Taj Mahal,
one of the eight wonders of the world. We were
given plenty of time to savour the wonder and the
tranquillity of this grand monument. With all the
action taken by the government to prevent damage
by the environment, we could see a great difference
in the atmosphere compared to my last visit there
only a few years back.
(more reports on website
www.jayantdoshi.yolasite.com)