Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the MV Ganga Vilas, the world’s longest river cruise, from Varanasi on January 13 to explore India’s river tourism potential.
Ganga Vilas is a 62-meter-long vessel, 12 meters in width and comfortably sails with a draft of 1.4 meters. It has three decks and 18 suites on board with a capacity of 36 tourists, said a statement issued by the shipping ministry.
The 51-day cruise between Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and Dibrugarh in eastern Assam will cover 50 tourist spots including world heritage sites, national parks, river Ghats, and major cities like Patna in Bihar, Sahibganj in Jharkhand, Kolkata in West Bengal, Dhaka in Bangladesh and Guwahati in Assam. The cruise will sail through the India-Bangladesh river route.
At least 32 tourists from Switzerland will enjoy the inaugural voyage of the MV Ganga, which will end on March 1 in Dibrugarh, the center of famous Assam tea production.
Following the famous “Ganga Arti” in Varanasi, the cruise will stop at Sarnath, a Buddhist pilgrimage in Bihar, as well as Sundarban in Bengal, Mayong in Assam, known for its Tantric craft, and Majuli, Assam’s largest river island, and Vaishnavite culture hub. The travelers will also visit the Bihar School of Yoga and Vikramshila University, allowing them to immerse themselves in India’s rich spiritual and educational heritage. Sundarban, famous for its Royal Bengal Tigers in the Bay of Bengal delta, and Kaziranga National Park, Assam’s rhino hub, are two other major stopovers on the cruise.
“The MV Ganga Vilas cruise is a step towards unlocking the huge potential river tourism in the country has to offer. Our rich heritage will get further transcended on the global stage as tourists will be able to experience the spiritual, the educational, the cultural richness of the biodiversity of India,” said Sarbananda Sonowal, the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
