http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...Jambughoda-for-lunch-/articleshow/5703626.cms
When Maharaja express chugged into Jambughoda for lunch
Kumar Manish, TNN, Mar 20, 2010, 01.06am IST
AHMEDABAD: The erstwhile royal family of Jambughoda in Panchmahal played host to foreign tourists on the first run of the Maharajas' Express, the pan-India super luxury train.
The Jambughoda palace where it halted for lunch, offered a specialised Gujarati Silver Thali' with more than 21 different types of dishes in three different lunch menus for tourists onboard the dazzling red train.
The Maharajas' Express, touted among the world's top luxury trains rolled out its maiden journey on March 6 from Mumbai. The train visited Vadodara on March 7 for the first time, Karamvir Singh of Jambughoda royal family says, "Before selecting us a part of the luxurious express, a team of officials visited our palace to see the facilities. They were visibly impressed by the ambience, traditional cuisine and rich tapestry of flora and fauna surrounding it."
"This March, we had the first lot of Maharajas's Express 60 foreign tourists, who visited the palace for the lunch. We served them traditional Gujarati cuisine in a Gujarati thali' in a traditional manner of serving food "adds Singh.
According to Singh, the ingredients used for cooking are completely organic, the fruits and vegetables are grown up in agricultural farms around the palace by using natural manure without fertilisers and pesticides.
The train, is a joint venture between Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and Cox & Kings. The express has facilities such as LCD TVs, DVD players, direct dial telephone, and Internet.
Singh said, "Gujarat has a lot more to offer to tourists from across the globe, the need is to give impetus through different initiatives and support from the government agencies. The tourists were in complete awe of Gujarati thali culture."
The palace is located on the periphery of Jambhughoda wild life sanctuary, spread over 12 acres of land. During their day-long stay in Vadodara, the tourists were taken to the World Heritage site of Champaner-Pavagadh, Jama Masjid and later to the Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum, with painting exhibits of Raja Ravi Verma among others and also the majestic Laxmi Vilas Palace.
The seven day royal India tour of the Maharajas' Express embarks from Delhi and travels to princely regions in the country spread in Agra, Ranthambore, Jaipur, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Vadodara and finally ends in Mumbai.