World’s longest river cruise on its way
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday virtually flagged off the world's longest river cruise that will travel through India and Bangladesh, offering tourists a unique opportunity to experience the art, culture, history, and spirituality of both countries.
While stressing the importance of waterway connectivity between the countries, the Indian PM also inaugurated a multi-modal terminal in West Bengal's Haldia port.
Modi, while addressing the event virtually, said the terminal, which is connected with India-Bangladesh protocol waterways, will link the Kolkata port with Bangladesh, facilitating businesses from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal states.
He emphasised the need to build a modern multi-modal network of waterways and talked about partnerships with Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries that have strong water connectivity with the northeastern part of India, reports our New Delhi correspondent.
After the virtual launching, the private cruise vessel MV Ganga Vilas left Modi's parliamentary constituency Varanasi on its maiden journey with 32 tourists from Switzerland who signed up for the entire length of the journey.
Operated by India's Antara Cruises, a private enterprise, MV Ganga Vilas will travel 3,200km through five states in India and parts of Bangladesh over 51 days.
The 62-metre-long vessel with three decks has 18 suites. Equipped with a gym and spa, the vessel can accommodate 36 tourists. For a tourist, the cruise will cost between 25,000 rupees to 50,000 rupees per day, the cruise's director Raj Singh said.
According to the website of the operator of the cruise, tourists who prefer a shorter itinerary can do so in two parts -- a 20-night trip from Varanasi to Kolkata (or vice-versa) along the Ganges, and a 30-night trip from Kolkata to Sivasagar (or vice-versa) via Bangladesh.
Besides connecting India's National Waterway 1 (NW1) which includes the Ganges and National Waterway 2 (NW2) on Brahmaputra, the cruise will cross 27 river systems.
The cruise is planned to touch 50 tourist spots including World Heritage Sites including the Sundarbans, Kaziranga national park in Assam, river ghats, historical sites and major cities like Patna in Bihar, Sahibganj in Jharkhand, Kolkata in West Bengal, Dhaka in Bangladesh and Guwahati in Assam.
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