India by Rail

Indian Railways is Asia's largest rail system and the fourth largest in the world. Over ten million passengers travel on the trains every day. Approximately 11,000 trains run every day connecting over 7,000 stations and covering a route length of around 60,000 km. monumental figures indeed!

Even if one is not a train enthusiast one can never forget that initial surge of excitement mingled with awe as a great long train drawn by a giant locomotive, hissing and steaming and belching out clouds of black smoke, pulls into the station. The ubiquitous coolie (porter) clad in red and carrying mountains of luggage of all shapes and sizes jostles the passengers that pour through Indian railway stations every day. On the platform is the chaiwallas often serving tea in little clay cups or kulars that are thrown away after use (in South India one will find coffee instead of tea); the fruitwalla selling seasonal fruits; cold drinks; various forms of sweet and savoury snacks and often the local speciality like the nan khatais of Surat or the pedas of Mathura are available on the platform for the passenger in transit. Vendors with magazines, journals, thrillers and romances rush up and down the platform while a wider selection of reading matter is invariably available at the ever-present station bookstall. Food, beverages, literature - all are available without ever having to leave the train - you just have put your head out of a window and yell to the nearest vendor

Hill Trains

Let us now move away from the baroque splendors of Victorian architecture to another especially charming aspect of rail travel in India - the little hill trains that haul passengers up from the steaming plains to the cool and refreshing mountain air of the Himalayas and the Nilgiris. Four fascinatingly different little mountain railways were built during the heyday of the Raj so that people could escape from the intense summer heat of the Indian plains. Engineers who spanned the vast rivers of this country with great rail bridges, laid tracks through dense jungles and desert sands also conquered the steep gradients of mountainous terrain. By the turn of the century, Simla, the summer capital of British India, Ootacamund in the Niligiris, Matheran, a hill resort near Bombay, and Darjeeling, the heart of the teagrowing area of the Eastern Himalayas, were all connected to the plains by their own unique train system. To each of these hill stations the people of Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta and Madras - the four major cities of India - travelled up the mountainside in a quaint and leisurely fashion. Today these little trains are still plying. But how long they will remain is anyone's guess. Until very recently, all four train systems used steam locomotives - today we are, alas, down to two out of four. The Matheran and Simla trains have moved on to diesel engines which are undoubtedly more efficient but definitely less romantic.

The Kalka - Simla line

The Delhi Gazette, in 1847, predicted that if a railway line was built between Shimla and Kalka one might see a shift in the seat of the government to a more salubrious spot. This prophecy did indeed come true and Shimla became the summer capital of The Raj and the most important hill station in India. The Kalka-Shimla line was opened in 1903. In 1956 the steam engines were replaced by diesel and today a diesel rail-car, first-class only and known as the 'Shimla Queen' is run in addition to the little train to connect with the Howrah-Kalka Mail coming in from Delhi and Calcutta.

Tour Itinerary

Day 01 - Calcutta: Arrive in Calcutta now called Kolkata. On arrival transfer to hotel

Day 02 - Tour of Calcutta: Tour of Calcutta visiting the Botanical gardens, The Kali Temple, The Ghats to see the daily rituals performed by devotees by the river Ganga and see the flower market there. Later visit Victoria Memorial. Interested can also visit the Missionaries of Charity and Sound and Light show in the evening at the Victoria memorial.

Day 03 - Calcutta to Puri: Calcutta to Puri by overnight train. Train leaves Calcutta at 2155 Hrs. and Arrives in Puri the next morning at 0850. Hrs.

Day 04 - Puri: Arrive Puri and transfer to hotel. Explore the beach areas and the town on foot.

Day 05 - Puri: Puri – Sightseeing of Puri, visiting the mighty Jaggannath Temple and later in the afternoon visit to the famous Sun Temple of Konark.

Day 06 - Puri: Easy day practicing the beach culture and in the evening visit the colorful beach marrkets.

Day 07 - Puri to Bhubaneshwar: Drive from Puri to Bhubaneshwar and stop at Pipli to see the famous applique work and palm leaf painting and inscription work.
Also visit Dhauli to see the white peace pagoda.
On arrival at Bhubaneshwar visit Lingaraj Temple Mandir and later dinner and transfer to train station to board overnight train to Varanasi.
Train Leaves at 2147 Hrs. and Arrives in Varanasi at 1640 Hrs.

Day 08 - Varanasi: Train arrives at Mughal Serai station and transfer to Varanasi. Transfer to hotel in Varanasi. Later in the evening paddle rickshaw ride to see the busy streets and markets of Varanasi. Dinner and overnight in the Hotel.

Day 09 - Varanasi: Early morning Ganges tour to see the sunrise over the holy river Ganga and witness the rituals performed by the devotees and see the cremation ghats by boats and later visit the Shiva Temple called Vishwanath Temple.
Explore on foot the narrow streets of this ancient city. Overnight at the hotel.

VARANASI AND THE GANGES
The city of Shiva on the bank of the sacred river Ganga is one of th4 holiest places in India. Hindu pilgrims come to bathe in the waters of the Ganges, a ritual which washes away all sins. The city, also known as Benaras (or Banaras), is an auspicious place to die. Since expiring here ensures release from the cycle of rebirths and an instant passport to heaven. It's a magical city where the most intimate rituals of life and death take place in public on the city’s famous Ghats ( steps which lead down to the river). It’s this accessibility to the practices of an ancient religious tradition that captivates so many visitors.
Varanasi has been a center of learning and civilization for over 2000 years, and is the oldest living cities in the world.

Day 10 - Varanasi to Kalka: Transfer from Varanasi to Mughal Serai train station to board train to Shimla. Train Leaves at 0640 Hrs. and Arrives at Kalka at 0500 Hrs. the next morning.

Day 11 - Kalka to Shimla: Kalka to Shimla by Shivalik Express.Train leaves Kalka at 0530 Hrs. and arrives in Shimla at 1015 Hrs. A narrow Gauge line and a deluxe train with wide screen windows to give you a splendid view of the hills.

Day 12 - Shimla: In Shimla visiting Museum, Libraries, Local bazaars, Temples and the Mall Road.

SHIMLA
Shimla was discovered by the British in 1819. Three years later the first "British" house was erected, and in 1864 Shimla became the summer capital of India. Every summer until 1939 the Government of India would pack its bags and migrate almost 2000KM from the sweltering heat of Calcutta or Delhi to the cool heights of Shimla. After the construction of the Kalka-Shimla railway line in 1903, Shimla really blossomed. Following the independence Shimla was initially the capital of Punjab, then became the capital of Himachal pradesh in 1966.
Today Shimla is a pleasant, sprawling town, set among cool pine-clad hills with plenty of crumbling colonial charm.

Day 13 - Shimla: Day free for individual activities.

Day 14 - Shimla/Kalka/Delhi: Leave Shimla by Shivalik Express at 1745 Hrs. and Arrive at Kalka at 2255 Hrs. and again board overnight train for Delhi at 2345 Hrs.

Day 15 - Arrive Delhi: Train arrives in Delhi at 0730 Hrs. Afternoon walking tour of Old Delhi and overnight at the hotel.

Day 16 - Delhi/Agra/Delhi Same day tour of Agra by Shatabdi Express train. In Agra visiting the famous Taj Mahal and the Red Fort of Agra and also the deserted capital of King Akbar the Fatehpur Sikri.
Shatabdi from Delhi leaves at 0615 Hrs. Arrives in Agra at 0815 Hrs. and again it leaves Agra at 2010 Hrs. and Arrives in New Delhi at 2215 Hrs. On arrival in Delhi transfer to hotel and overnight at hotel.

Day 17 - Delhi: Morning visit to the Rail Museum in Delhi. Afternoon free for individual activities and later in the evening departure transfer to International airport to board flight for onward destination.

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