Here’s what you get for Rs 20 lakh for a six-night journey
In a video that’s just gone viral, content creator Kushagra shared a sneak-peek of India’s most luxurious train suite — the Presidential Suite of the IRCTC’s famous Maharaja Express.
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The most expensive train ticket you can book through the Indian Railways, the suite costs just under 20 Lakhs to book for a six-night journey. Inside the suite, you can immediately grasp a sense of true old-world charm — with colonial-era furnishings, rare tapestries, semi-precious stone embellishments, and curated artworks. Apart from these trimmings, the suite offers massive panoramic windows, air-conditioning, live television, DVD players, and wi-fi.
The 14 cabins or guest carriages on the Maharajas’ Express are divided into four categories: Deluxe Cabin, Junior Suite, Suite, and Presidential Suite — the example Kushagra showed us comes with a twin-bedroom setup and a luxuriously-decorated bathroom as well.
Ever since its launch in 2010, the Maharaja Express has been something of a Mecca for fans of old-school luxury travel — having won the ‘The World’s Leading Luxury Train’ award at the World Travel Awards seven years in a row from 2012-2018. Along with its jaw-dropping levels of luxury, the train also allows passengers to choose between four routes designed with specific themes in mind, with Rajasthan serving as a sort of common ground between each route. These are:
- The Heritage of India (6 Nights/7 Days): Mumbai – Ajanta – Udaipur – Jodhpur – Bikaner – Jaipur – Ranthambore – Agra – New Delhi
- The Indian Panorama (6 Nights/7 Days): Delhi – Jaipur – Jodhpur – Ranthambore – Fatehpur Sikri – Agra – Gwalior – Orchha – Khajuraho – Varanasi – Lucknow – Delhi
- The Indian Splendour (6 Nights/7 Days): Delhi – Agra – Ranthambore – Jaipur – Bikaner – Jodhpur – Udaipur – Balasinor – Mumbai
- Treasures of India (3 Nights/4 Days): Delhi – Agra – Ranthambore – Jaipur – Delhi
The Maharaja Express is also noted for its incredible lounge spaces and restaurants, such as the Mayur Mahal and Rang Mahal Restaurants, Safari Bar, and Rajah Club Bar Lounge, pictured below.
While the suite drew a lot of eyeballs, it also caught some flak from viewers on the Internet — some of whom said that the suite ‘wasn’t worth’ the asking price, and that the money would be better spent on charity and social work.
Images: IRCTC
