Ganga Vilas launch: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off ‘Ganga Vilas’, the world’s longest luxury river cruise from Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi to Dibrugarh in Assam on January 13.
What places will be covered?
The cruise will cover a distance of 3200 km in 50 days and will pass through 27 river systems in India and Bangladesh. It will allow tourists to visit over 50 architecturally important places, including world heritage sites.
That’s not all, ‘Ganga Vilas’ will also pass through national parks and sanctuaries, including the Sundarbans Delta and the Kaziranga National Park. To make the travel interesting, tourists will be able to enjoy cultural programs, live music, a gym, a spa, an open-air observation deck, personalised butler service, etc.
The Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, in November, tweeted,“The world’s longest river cruise will commence its journey in January next year. Ganga Vilas will set sail from sacred Varanasi to Dibrugarh via Bangladesh covering 4,000 km on the two greatest rivers of India, Ganga and Brahmaputra.”
Details about Ganga Vilas:
As per the official website, the ‘Ganga Vilas’ cruise has a capacity of 80 passengers. With 18 suites, the cruise has been built with a unique design and a futuristic vision. “This cruise will meander across various prominent destinations that lie along Kolkata’s River Hooghly to Varanasi’s River Ganges,” the website stated.
Know about the timings and route?
As per the timetable released earlier, the luxury river cruise vessel will begin its journey from Varanasi and will reach Patna on the 8th day, passing through Buxar, Ramnagar and Ghazipur. From Patna, the cruise will set sail for Kolkata and will reach the West Bengal capital on the 20th day via Farakka and Murshidabad. The next day, it will set off for Dhaka and enter the Bangladesh border. It will remain in the country waters for the next 15 days. Finally, it will come back to India through Guwahati before sailing through Sibsagar and reaching its final destination at Dibrugarh.