The government has proposed to launch the world’s longest luxury river cruise ‘Ganga Vilas.’ This cruise will set off from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, enrouting Dibrugarh in Assam via Bangladesh.
The government plans to start this venture next year on January 10. This service is considered an important step towards inland waterways development in India.
The First Indian River Ship Cruise
Ganga Vilas, the luxury cruise voyage, will start sailing from the holy city of Varanasi. The ship will cover 4000 km to reach its final destination, Bogibeel, in the district of Dibrugarh, in Assam. The huge distance will be covered in 50 days, crossing through 27 river systems of two countries- India and Bangladesh.
Ganga Vilas, the first river ship built in India, measures 62.5 m (length), 12.8 m (width), and 1.35 m (draft). It has 18 suites and various associated facilities.
The suites have calming interiors with pastel color palettes. They are furnished with several amenities like a French balcony, smoke detectors, LED TV sets, convertible beds, and sprinklers.
The Amalgamation Of History And Present
Ganga Vilas blends modern and historical with minimalist and aesthetic designs and defines the boutique experience on the water. It has a spa, bar, sundeck, and a 40-seater restaurant on the main deck, that has continental and Indian cuisine in service.
The ship will halt at 50 architecturally and culturally important heritage points along Ganga(Varanasi) and Hooghly(Kolkata). It will pass through sanctuaries and national parks, including Kaziranga Park and Sunderbans Delta.
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What Do Authorities Say?
Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, and Union minister of ports, shipping, and waterways, Sarabnanda Sonowal, launched the timetable of the cruise in a programme organized by Inland Waterways Authority of India on Ravidas Ghat, Varanasi, on Friday. They also inaugurated seven community jetties and laid foundation stones for eight others.
According to The Mint, Sonwal said, “Ganga Vilas cruise will sail from Varanasi to Dibrugarh in the longest river journey of 50 days covering 27 river systems and visit over 50 tourist sites including World Heritage Sites. This will be the single largest river journey by a single river ship in the world and would put both India and Bangladesh on the river cruise map of the world.”
According to the Times of India, an official from Antara Cruise, who is in charge of operating the cruise said, ”The Cruise offers an experiential voyage into luxury, art, culture, history, spirituality and much more.” This cruise opens new horizons of tourism and helps foster other river cruises to open up.
Private Public Partnership
The Ganga Vilas voyage is expected to be run on a PPP model. The MoU is signed between the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), Antara Luxury River Cruises, and JM Baxi River Cruises, for the running of the first few liners of the cruise.
The operators will be deciding the ticket price, which will be based on a cost-plus basis, with no interference from the Centre.
The cruise will help the river tourism sector to grow, but there is no cap on the price, which means the people who already have been on the cruise will have more access to the cruise as they’re willing to pay more.
The primary question arises- When will the common citizens be able to afford the luxuries?
Image Credits: Google Images
Feature image designed by Saudamini Seth
Sources: Times of India, The Mint, News18
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This post is tagged under: Ganga Vilas, longest river cruise, made in India, Varanasi, Dibrugarh, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, PPP, luxurious, national park, sanctuary, modern, culture, historical, inland waterways development, Ganga, Hooghly, Kolkata
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