It was in the eighties when Indian Railway and Rajasthan Tourism decided to work together on a project to resurrect some of these forgotten symbols of its historic heritage. Thirteen carriages from different princely states were brought together and refurbished, and the Palace on Wheels was launched. A superb train that evoked the past with modern facilities and created a journey that was on offer to people around the world-wannabe princes who could be royals for their week of the journey.

For, along with the restored carriages-some still glowing with their original teakwood panels intact-came liveried attendants, royal repasts from the attached kitchen, a lounge, and a dining car. The Palace on Wheels had become so popular and there is and would always be resistance to any move to discontinue it. The result was a spanking new train that faithfully recreated the old one, but much more comfortable, and intended to provide a smoother ride. However, this too was on the meter gauge being used for yet another exotic journey in the form of the Royal Orient Express that travels from Delhi to parts of Rajasthan, but is used primarily to discover the neighboring state of Gujarat.

The new Palace on Wheels, on broad gauge, is clearly the pride of the Indian Railways. It is luxurious, and it is modern. The coaches have different names derived from the former princely states and that provides the link for the coat of arms and the decor inside. Within each carriage are comfortable of showers, built-in wardrobes with full-length mirrors, overhead and night-lights, piped music, service bells and public address system. The rooms and corridors are carpeted, the furniture inlaid and upholstered especially for the train. Blinds drape large windows, which frame views across the desert and the passing arid landscape. At the end of each coach is a lounge.

Wood paneled walls, painted stained glass skylights, and liveried attendants who respond to every call, make the experience of the journey memorable. However, the vestibule coaches also connect with two restaurants, the Maharaja and the Maharani, and the bar where a range of cocktails is on offer. Damasks drape the tables, and the rear romantic lights and exclusive tableware, which makes the perfect setting for Indian, Continental, and occasionally Chinese meals, served on board. The service is unobtrusive, attentive, and efficient.

This, then, is the way the maharajahs must have traveled. It certainly is the way an exclusive group of world travelers chooses to relax. And if the journey aboard the Palace on Wheels is rewarded enough, the points of arrival in Rajasthan-Bharatpur, Jaipur, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, and Sawai Madhopur (for visiting the Ranthambore National Park) are like the icing on the cake. For sheer romance, the Palace on Wheels must be the most luxurious way to see Rajasthan. But how could one expect any less from a country like India, and a state like Rajasthan, where history is no figment of the past, but forms its palpable present.