Special guest speaker departure begins on March 20, 2010.
The 11-night Maharajas' Express 'Celestial India' train journey departs Calcutta on March 20, 2010 and includes 7 nights aboard the luxurious Maharajas' Express. Distinguished writer and broadcaster, Sir Mark Tully, will be aboard, offering his expert insights on Indian history and culture during a series of talks en route. Sir Mark Tully was the Chief of Bureau, BBC, New Delhi for 22 years.
The son of an accountant, Sir Tully was brought up by a strict European nanny in Calcutta and did not come to Britain until he was ten. He was educated at Marlborough College and at Trinity Hall, Cambridge University, where he studied History and Theology.
He joined the BBC and quickly became India Correspondent in 1964. Whether it was dodging the bullets on the India-Pakistan border, describing the poverty of Calcutta's street beggars or detailing the horrific aftermath of the Bhopal chemical disaster, he gave a unique insight into the life of the subcontinent.
Sir Mark left the BBC in 1997 and now, still based in Delhi, he works as a freelance writer and broadcaster. His books include No Full Stops in India, Heart of India, India in Slow Motion and India's Unending Journey. He was made an Officer of The Order of the British Empire in 1985 and was awarded the Padma Shree in 1992, a rare distinction for a non-Indian. He was knighted in 2002.
I have authored a book on Indian Railways at a glance, it is 300 pages with 250 colour pictures of all heritage places like DHR, NMR and steam locos and all national leaders like Gandhiji travelling in trains.
Mark Tully's pictures and his Palace on Wheels, Royal Orient and other trains are also printed in 'irctc' page.
Cost is Rs 300 from Higginbothams, and Rs 200 for Mr Tully and any Railwayman.
Very useful gudie for any foreigners to know more about Indian Rlys and about Indian Heritage pictures and sites.
laliram_75@yahoo.com
Posted by: VENKATRAMAN | 04/21/2010 at 05:41 PM