Special train for Bhutan royal couple
October 25th, 2011 - 5:51 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, Oct 25 (IANS) The railways have extended the famed Indian hospitality to Bhutan’s visiting royal couple by arranging a special luxury train for their honeymoon trip to Rajasthan.
Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema, who married Oct 13, arrived in India Sunday on a nine-day visit.
The royal couple will honeymoon in Rajasthan on the special train that will take them to its forts and palaces and its tiger sanctuaries.
The Bhutan King had visited the Ranthambhore tiger sanctuary last October and returned fascinated by the state’s forts, forests and heritage hotels.
Sources said Tuesday that following a request from the ministry of external affairs, the railways have provided a small train with a saloon — a luxury coach with a bedroom, dining space and a pantry — besides a few air-conditioned bogies to accommodate the security personnel and staff accompanying the royal couple.
“It will be a small train pulled by a light engine. It will be treated as a VIP movement on our tracks,” said a senior railway official.
The Indian Railway operates a special train on the Rajasthan circuit called the Palace on Wheels, aimed at foreign tourists.
The 31-year-old Oxford-educated monarch is a close friend of Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, who was one of few guests from outside Bhutan at his marriage reception.
Jigme Khesar and Jetsun have both lived in India during their student days.
Bhutan has no train network and India is helping the country build some rail links.
- Bhutan's newly-wed royal couple heading to India - Oct 21, 2011
- India rolls out red carpet for Bhutan's royal couple - Oct 24, 2011
- Lawrence School invites Bhutan royals - Oct 21, 2011
- Bhutan king to marry India-educated bride Oct 13 - Sep 16, 2011
- India to host Bhutan's royal couple - Oct 13, 2011
- Himachal-educated girl to marry Bhutan king - May 22, 2011
- Greetings from India ring bells at Bhutan's royal wedding - Oct 13, 2011
- Oxford-educated Bhutan king weds commoner - Oct 13, 2011
- Oxford-educated Bhutan king weds commoner (Lead) - Oct 13, 2011
- Bhutan King meets President Pratibha Patil in New Delhi - Oct 22, 2010
- Bhutan to help promote tourism in Bihar - May 06, 2011
- Nitish Kumar in Bhutan to study hydel projects - May 04, 2011
- Bhutan King meets Prime Minister Manmohan Singh - Oct 20, 2010
- Bhutan PM to carry home Buddha's relics - Oct 01, 2011
- Bhutan King to arrive in India on 9-day visit on Wednesday - Oct 19, 2010
Tags: bogies, general secretary, honeymoon trip, indian hospitality, indian railway, jetsun pema, jigme khesar namgyel wangchuck, king jigme khesar namgyel wangchuck, luxury coach, luxury train, ministry of external affairs, palace on wheels, rahul gandhi, railway official, ranthambhore tiger sanctuary, royal couple, security personnel, small train, tiger sanctuaries, train network