(From top): A worker adds the finishing touches to the Heritage On Wheels; a view of the dining carriage; one of the train’s 14 saloons

We’ve all heard of the Palace On Wheels, which chugs its way through Royal Rajasthan giving well-heeled tourists a glimpse of India at its most exotic. Now the Palace has just got a slightly less affluent cousin ? the Heritage On Wheels.

What’s the difference? For starters, there’s the price. The Palace offers luxury, haute cuisine and superlative service. But alas it’s also a vacation that few Indians can afford at upwards of Rs 1 lakh per person.

The Heritage is aimed at people who can’t fork out six-figure prices to wander around Rajasthan. It’s a slightly watered-down version of the Palace. In fact, it’s the spruced up luxury train, The Royal Orient, that was Gujarat’s answer to the Palace On Wheels. Since the train failed to impress foreign and international tourists despite an impressive itinerary through both Gujarat and Rajasthan, it was discontinued and lay in disuse for a few years. But now it’s back on the tracks as the Heritage On Wheels that is charting a different route in Rajasthan. In its new avtar, Heritage is a pocket-friendly, three-night four-day version of the Palace’s journey (with some differences thrown in).

The fare on Heritage is some 40 per cent to 45 per cent lower than that of the Palace. A trip on Heritage will set you back by an equivalent of $300 (Rs 14,000) per day for single occupancy, $200 (Rs 9,400) per person for double occupancy and $150 (Rs 7,000) per head for triple occupancy. “A journey on the Heritage On Wheels is quite affordable by Indian standards, especially since the fare includes all meals, transfers and conducted sightseeing in deluxe coaches, entrance fee for monuments, palaces and cultural entertainment at most destinations,” says Vinod Zutshi, the state’s tourism secretary. Heritage with a capacity of 104 passengers, targets corporates and high-end domestic tourists.

Since its first journey on February 17, the train has been setting off every Tuesday and Friday ? though on a different route from the one that Palace takes. The Palace pulls out of Delhi to touch Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Ranthambhore, Udaipur and Agra before backtracking to the Capital, Heritage begins and ends its journey in Jaipur. On the way, it traverses the lesser-explored Shekhawati region including Bikaner, Chapar and Nawalgarh. “The train is an effort to put Shekhawati on the tourist circuit,” says Zutshi.

For those who aren’t familiar with Rajasthan, the Shekhwati belt comprises several small villages and towns including Nawalgarh, Sikkar, Mukundgarh, Fatehpur and is described as an ‘open art gallery’ with good reason. The region is dotted with elaborately painted havelis, step-wells and temples. Shekhawati is also celebrated for its frescoes ? colourful records of the historical and religious events, folk heroes and bloody battles of long past. Heritage stops at Bikaner and here the palaces, temples, havelis, Junagarh Fort and camel breeding farm are worth a visit.

Now for a peek into the train: the air-conditioned metre-gauge train has 14 saloons and two dining rooms, and a well-stocked bar-cum-lounge area. Some saloons have two berths while others have three. Each saloon projects a facet of the state’s colourful and vibrant culture in its decor ? in the heavy wood furniture, the vegetable-dyed furnishings, paintings and handicrafts. The interiors have been painted in typical Shekhawati style by students of Jaipur’s School of Arts. Since Heritage also ran as The Royal Orient for some years, some Gujarati influences (like lavish mirror-work) linger.

The Maharani and Maharaja dining rooms sparkle with countless tiny mirrors in a craft called mandana. In the dining rooms, the ceilings have striking geometric designs. The bar-cum-lounge has extensive mirror-work, while murals decorate the sitting area. The dining rooms serve both Indian and Continental cuisines. And to ensure that guests are well taken care of, each saloon comes with its own captain and attendant.

Since the ‘80s, the Palace On Wheels has caught the fancy of the affluent intrepid travellers globally. Now Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporate (RTDC) is hoping that Heritage On Wheels too will soon boast of a waiting list. The Rajasthan state government is expecting that the train will be able to rake in profits for both the railways and the RTDC.

So finally, here’s your chance to take in the many allures of Rajasthan and also an opportunity to indulge in a hands-free holiday. But you must hurry as the train will retire for the sweltering summer months on April 28 and resume when the weather is more conducive to puff through Rajasthan.

Photographs by Rohit Jain

My favourite holiday

Shantanu Goenka,
fashion designer

London gets the maximium points according to me. Everything about that city is just amazing — even the weather. I went there in the first week of February this year and even though it was terribly cold, I enjoyed it. Mine was a working vacation but, I did manage to squeeze in quite a bit of leisure time as well. My wife and I ensured we packed in all the major sights during our 10 days there. So Madame Tussaud’s naturally featured on our list as did the London Eye (or the Millennium wheel), Tower of London and London Bridge.

The shopping in London is in another league altogether. All the major names in the fashion business have sprawling, lavishly-done up stores, and it was great seeing them. I did manage to do a bit of shopping and especially enjoyed trawling the flea markets.

Route map

• Ireland, the land of James Joyce and U2 is fast becoming a hot ticket with travellers this season according to travel agents Thomas Cook. Their package, aptly titled The Charms of Ireland offers six days of fun, including two nights in Dublin and three nights in Killarney. Included in the deal is accommodation in three-star hotels, daily breakfasts and a return train ticket from Dublin to Killarney. As far as sightseeing goes, there’s a full-day coach tour of the Ring of Kerry that offers spectacular views of Ireland’s south-western coastline, and the rugged Dingle Peninsular.

The package price is Rs 53,999 (per head on twin-share basis, ex Mumbai/Delhi, taxes extra) and includes a single-entry Irish visa and return airfare (Economy) on Gulf Air. The offer is valid from April1 to September 30. Call toll-free: 180022COOK(2665).

• Kingfisher Airlines has just tied-up with Galileo International in a bid to expand its distribution network and reach out to a wide customer base. Galileo International is a leading global distribution system (GDS) with access to 65 per cent of IATA (International Air Transport Association) recognised travel agents in India.

Additionally, Galileo is hooked to the systems of some 50,000 travel agents globally. With the tie-up, Kingfisher Airlines’ fares and schedules have become available on the Galileo global distribution system, thereby increasing its access to air travellers within India. Also, the airline now also hopes to grab the attention of international travellers flying within India.