Chug along in luxury
Raisa Simula
Karnataka's latest luxury train - The Golden Chariot will ply between
Bangalore and Goa. Find out what kind of a train costs Rs 38 crores.
From the outside, the purple and gold coaches of The Golden Chariot don't
really do justice to the plush interior of the latest luxury train in India.
It is also the most luxurious one in the whole country, according to IM
Vitala Murthy, the Secretary of Kannada Culture, Information and Tourism.
"This is the current flagship of Karnataka tourism," he says.
The magnificent
The Golden Chariot has 19 coaches, two restaurants, gym, spa and an
Ayurvedic center among other things. Each cabin is equipped with Wi-Fi and a
plasma-TV with satellite reception that works even when the train is moving.
These features cannot be found in any other luxury trains in the world. A
total of 1,000 craftsmen have worked on the interiors. The entire
compartment is inspired by the Mysore and Halebid style of architecture. The
challenging small spaces like bathrooms on the train have been made very
practical, but at the same time they have a spacious feeling that is usually
lacking on trains.
How much?
For 350 USD per night, the Golden Chariot offers you a journey through the
best parts of Karnataka. In six days and seven nights, the train takes you
from Bangalore to Mysore and thereon to Kabini, Hasan, Hospet and Gadag
before reaching Goa.
During these seven stops, you can visit three World Heritage Sites and
several attractions near the towns where the train stops. The destinations
aren't the only attraction. According to Secretary Vittala Murthy. "We want
to showcase culinary and crafts experiences as well as our state's
heritage," he says.
The Golden Chariot has been marketed heavily in the USA and Europe. It is
estimated, that about 60 per cent of the passengers will be foreign
tourists. Only time will tell if the Golden Chariot has something, which
will interest Indians to explore their home country in a luxurious way.
The golden chariot will begin chugging on march 3 on a route from Bangalore
to Goa
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