The Desert Circuit Train

Golden sands, brooding camels, and smiling men and women in colourful clothes and ornate silver jewellery—all the imagery typical of Rajasthan—make an appearance on this Desert Circuit route. Starting in Delhi, this semi-luxury train makes its first stop at Jaisalmer. Passengers explore the city duringthe day, while the evening is spent on the Sam Dunes with a camel/jeep safari, dinner, and folk music. As the train winds its way across the state’s varied sights, its history and legends come alive. These include Jodhpur’s Mehrangarh Fort, and Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, and City Palace in Jaipur. The sojourn ends with a traditional Rajasthani meal.

desert-circuit-train-1 — Vast stretches of Rajasthan’s Thar dominate the vistas from abroad the Desert Circuit Train

Letter for a Loo

In 1909, Okhil Chandra Sen wrote a letter to the Sahibganj divisional railway office that has been carefully preserved at the National Rail Museum in New Delhi. The letter is believed to have been one of the reasons that we have loos on trains today.

“I am arrive by passenger train Ahmedpur station and my belly is too much swelling with jackfruit. I am therefore went to privy. Just I doing the nuisance that guard making whistle blow for train to go off and I am running with lotah in one hand and dhoti in the next when I am fall over and expose all my shocking to man and female women on plateform. I am got leaved at Ahmedpur station.

Th is too much bad, if passenger go to make dung that dam guard not wait tra in five minutes for him. I am therefore pray your honour to make big fine on that guard for public sake. Otherwise I am making big report! to papers.”

Other Beautiful Indian Rail Routes: