Mid-air marriages are no longer novel, but how about a wedding on a luxurious train?
It should soon be possible to enter into wedlock on Karnataka’s Golden Chariot, the high-end tourism train run by the State Tourism Development Corporation in partnership with the Indian Railways.
KSTDC is planning to offer the train, which normally has a tour fare of Rs.1.82 lakh for a single ticket, for luxury weddings and business conclaves. This would avoid keeping it idle, especially off-season.
Packages are being worked out – at more affordable tariffs – for weddings and corporate meetings on board the Golden Chariot. The train’s interiors are inspired by Hampi and Halebid heritage. Lavish food served in dining cars ‘Nala’ and ‘Ruchi’ with imperial furnishings will be a bonus for guests and clients, officials say.
“A wedding can be planned on board the train or in a luxury hotel [by the couple] either on the Pride of the South itinerary or the Southern Splendour trip. This would be true for business meetings too. What we want to do now is design a package for every aspect of the occasion,” said Minister of State for Tourism, IT and Biotechnology, Priyank Kharge.
On the normal schedule, the Pride trip covers the State’s best-known tourist destinations: Mysuru, Kabini, Belur, Halebid, Hampi, Badami, and Aihole. It begins in Bengaluru and ends in Goa. The Southern Splendour starts at Bengaluru, covering ancient temples of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry besides the Kerala backwaters, before returning.
The Golden Chariot, which can take up to 80 passengers, is marketed through tour operators. This time, the KSTDC is looking at alternative commercial avenues. The service was first launched on March 10, 2008, and this year, the season starts in October and concludes in March, 2017.
The tariff for a double is Rs. 3.08 lakh and for a triple, Rs. 3.36 lakh, operators say. A minimum booking of 20 is needed for the tour to run.
