The amazing beauty of Rajasthan is best captured in its palaces, monuments and structures. The tradition of the land gives the right highlights to the enigma of art that resides in Rajasthan. This land of Rajputs is best enjoyed on Palace on Wheels. Even before you visit Rajasthan, the Palace on Wheels will bombard you with the art, architecture and history of the land with the interior of the train. Read More Top 15 Reasons to Choose Palace on Wheels to Experience India.

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Art, Architecture and History

Palace on Wheels coaches were borrowed from the government for keeping up the heritage of the land, alive. These coaches were used by the rulers of the former princely states of Rajasthan before independence. The art and architectural factors of each Coach is closely related with iconic factors of the princely states, each coach is named after. Know More The Decor Inside the Palace on Wheels Train.

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1. Alwar Coach

Alwar used to be a princely state which connected a trade route between Rajasthan and Delhi. The city also enjoyed beauty of natural habitat and forests. To respect the natural resources of the land, the coach is decorated with cone work and oil works. The royal emblem of the princely state is showcased in the lounge. You can also find miniature paintings, which are one of the top sophisticated souvenirs to buy in this region. To top it all, a mild pink tone is shown in all elements to embrace the romantic factor of the land. Also Read History Behind Palace on Wheels Logo.

2. Bharatpur Coach

Bharatpur is very famous for being the land for ornithologist. This beauty of the land is incorporated into art work. You can find art works of birds, habitat of birds and natural beauty. Overall, the coach has a nature theme. The region of Bharatpur was once admired for its chivalry and courage. Combination of aqua green and beige is added to give more highlight to the proudness of the rulers and to emphasis that Bharatpur is one of the nature-rich places of Rajasthan.

3. Bikaner Coach

Bikaner became an important point in the ancient map of Rajasthan only by 15th century. Rao Bika created a new kingdom and made it famous by erecting many monuments. The best of all is the Junagarh Fort. To emphasis this architectural factor, the coach is decorated heavily with gold and red, similar to the coronation rooms of Padam Mahal and Anup Mahal located inside Junagarh Fort. Bikaner is famous for ceiling art works and the lounge’s ceiling is decorated with relief work. Oil paintings garnish the walls of the coaches. To add value to the history of the land, you can find art works of legendary couple, Dhola and Maru riding on a camel. Most of the artworks in the coaches were influenced by the famous Bikaner School of Art.

4. Bundi Coach

Bundi is one of the lesser known attractions of Rajasthan. This magnificent princely state stands in history with the exclusive Bundi Palace. This palace is famous for ramps, Hati Pol and others. The details of this structure are expressed with water color paintings that hang in the suites of the coach. Bundi is famous for Rag Ragini oil painting and such paintings can be seen on the walls of the coaches. The main decoration of this region is the frescoed ceiling which can be found in almost all the historic structures. You can find similar decoration in the coaches too.

5. Dholpur Coach

The Dholpur region is quite famous for sandstone, which were used all around Rajasthan and surrounding regions for lattice works (even found in Taj Mahal). To honor this resource, the same lattice work is made on teak ply, which covers the interior part of the coach. Fine craftmenship is the beauty of Dholpur and it is well expressed in the decor of the coach.

Read More: Top 10 Must See Forts in Rajasthan

6. Dungargarh Coach

This coach has a unique architecture as it mirrors the tribal structures of this hill region. The historic art beauty of the land comprises of Lep work, mirror work and relief work. You can find all these beauties in this coach. To add more beauty and royalty to the tribal culture, the coach is decorated with zardozi work.

7. Jaisalmer Coach

This 12th century desert fort city is an iconic attraction of Rajasthan with its emblematic structures like havelies, Jain temples and sandstone structures. To feature these elements, the coach has Jharokhas carved on the ceiling, lattice works to represent havelies and teakwood walls to enhance these carvings. The color theme of the coach is in beige to indicate the desert sands. Get the complete guide on Pink, Blue, Brown, White City – Colorful Rajasthan.

8. Jaipur Coach

You would have guessed that this coach will be in a pink hue as Jaipur is the Pink City. Built in 18th century, this city has higher grades in architecture and planning. Vibrant festivals are important part of this city and that is why artworks representing festivals are used for decorating the ceiling of this coach. Foil wok is used to represent the historic art forms of the land. The royal emblem of the state is hung in the walls and is made with zardozi work. Jaipur artwork world relishes miniature painting and you can find several of those in the walls. To indicate the royalty, gold and blue colors are used in the frescoes in the ceiling.

Read More: Teej Festival in Jaipur – A Colorful Celebration

9. Jhalawar Coach

Jhalawar was once a powerful region home to tribal people who valued bravery and handicrafts as main elements of their life. The land also has equal beauty in nature value. To represent the core of tribal culture, the theme of the coach represents the traditional tribal houses of the locals. Mirror works are made with plaster of Paris to create this unique theme. To adore their ancient handicrafts, zardozi works are used to decorate the place.

10. Jodhpur Coach

The moment someone mentions Jodhpur, all that flashes in your mind is the Mehrangarh Fort. Even Palace on Wheels gives more importance to this fort during its itinerary. To pay salute to this fort, the coach has adapted many elements from the structure like cusped arcades, Mughal style ceiling, miniature paintings and other craftworks. The entire Jodhpur coach would resemble Mehrangarh Fort in a milder version.

11. Kishangarh Coach

Kishangarh might not be an eminent tourist destination in Rajasthan. However, the artwork of this land, Bani Thani paining is found in almost all the popular markets of the state. To indicate this craft, you can find many paintings of Bani Thani style in this coach. The color combination and theme of this place indicates the richness of the land with emerald green. Ceiling works and zardozi works are used to decorate the whole coach. To know more, Top 10 Offbeat Destinations to Visit in Rajasthan.

12. Kota Coach

This is one of the most prosperous princely states of Rajput. Located on the banks of River Chambal and endowed with lush forest, this place has its wealth in nature. To represent the historic figures of the land, the coach has numerous oil portraits of kings of the land. The ceiling painting shows Raja Ram Singh in a procession in 19th century.

13. Sirohi Coach

The princely state of Sirohi was established around the Gold Fort. To represent this feature of the region, the coach is decorated with Indo-European style similar to the fort. Gold foil and glass works along with semi-precious stone decorations of this coach resemble the Gold Fort and also expresses the wealth of the region. Just like many other regions, miniature painting is a common art form here and you can find such paintings on the walls of this coach.

14. Udaipur Coach

This is one of the most beautiful destinations of Rajasthan. In the past, it was the Sisodia capital and a throne city for Rajputs. The beauty of this region is adapted from the nature, architecture, culture and history of the land. Udaipur is called as the White City of Rajasthan, thanks to the lakes of the region. To enunciate this, the theme of the coach is white with blue highlights. The lounge of this coach takes a lot of inspirations from the Peacock Court of the City Palace. Patra work (work with oxidized metal) and relief work with Zardozi work are used for decorating the coaches.

Read More: 10 Best Places for Shopping in Udaipur

Art, Architecture and History in Itinerary

Palace on Wheels has one signature itinerary, which takes you on a seven nights and eight days trip covering Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur (Ranthambore), Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Bharatpur of Rajasthan and Agra. The trip starts and ends in Delhi. At each destination, the train halts and the tourists are taken for a city tour, which focuses on the art, architecture, history, nature and culture of the land.

Important highlights in the itinerary are:

• A traditional welcome ceremony similar to the one conducted when a king returns back after a war victory is celebrated for the tourists when they enter the Rajasthan via Jaipur railway station.
• Meals inside Palace on Wheels and in the city are focused on introducing the local cuisine of the land.
• Every destination chosen in the itinerary will have a list of architectural beauties with art works, which would be showcased to the tourists with a guided city tour.
• To explore the natural beauty, tours are arranged at Ranthambore National Park and Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary.
• Light and sound shows are also included in the itinerary to make history of the land more colorful for the tourists.
• Starting from camel ride to cultural programs, every unique element of this land is introduced to the tourists.
• To enjoy the art wealth of the land, tourists are taken on market trip for shopping souvenirs and exploring the culture of the colorful land.

Suggested Itinerary:

• Palace on Wheels itinerary

Read more: What to Do, See and Eat in Palace on Wheels Train

Must check out the Palace on Wheels train fares for the peak and lean season.

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