Deccan Odyssey oozes super-luxury

On its trial run, this ''five star'' train boasts nothing but the best
Unheralded, much unlike the hype that preceded its creation, the Deccan Odyssey chugged slowly onto platform number 2 of the Pune Railway Station at 1.55 pm on Monday.
On its trial run, the state''s five star luxury hotel on wheels, will complete 2,385 km before officially launching on January 16, 2004. In Pune, to fuel and change drivers, the excitement among the staff was palpable. With 18 centrally air conditioned coaches, exteriors painted in royal blue carrying the insignia of the railways in gold and a lotus, the Deccan Odyssey seems to be everything the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) promised.
The wood finish on the interiors and the plush upholstery give the train an air of sophistication. Vijay Chavan, chief project manager for the train said, "This project has taken us a long time to put into action. Finally we are on our trial run. It''s like a dream come true. This kind of train is definitely needed to boost Maharashtra''s image as one of the most sought after tourist destinations."
The coaches are named after famous forts of Maharashtra. Beginning the journey from Mumbai, the train will travel to Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Goa, Pune, Aurangabad, Ajanta-Ellora, Nashik and then back to Mumbai.
The Taj group of hotels has been given the honour keeping house on the train. General manager, Rajni Mohan Sharma, along with his team of chef Pratap Reddy, food & beverage manager Biresh Sharma, bar in-charge Rajendra Singh Yadav and housekeeping Manager Hindol Biswas, will be the team in charge.
"There are 44 rooms and four suites on this train, which has a capacity of 104 tourists. This is besides the two restaurants and bar," says Sharma.
"It''s a complete five star hotel on wheels with a sauna, gym, conference hall, recreation room and business centre," he adds. Chef Reddy has planned to recreate the menus region-wise.
"We will serve dishes according to the stops on the itinerary. When we pass Pune, we will serve them dishes popular in Pune," he says. The basic cuisine will be coastal though.
"When I was asked to head this kitchen, I was thrilled because it was going to be a totally different experience. Working in a moving kitchen needs space management and a lot of patience," he says.
Behind the bar, Yadav is busy trying out different cocktails and mocktails. "The idea is to bring the flavour of the hills and the plateaux into the bar. I am concentrating on giving the drinks an authentic Maharashtrain flavour, with names like Deccan Delight," he smiles.
"The train will travel only in the nights and dinner and breakfast is what we are concentrating on," says Sharma. During the day, the train will be halted at stations allowing for sight-seeing. A toot from the engine signals that the stop at Pune is over. The train slowly, but majestically, ambles out with the guard waving the green flag and curious passengers staring in awe.
The Deccan Odyssey will be back. Only this time, those on board would have paid a minimum of $350 to be on it.
prachi.bari@timesgroup.com