PM Modi flags off World’s Longest River Cruise in Varanasi.

Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, January 13, flagged off the much awaited
World’s Largest River Cruise- MV Ganga Villas and inaugurated the Tent City at
Varanasi through video conferencing.
PM
also inaugurated and laid foundation stones for several other inland waterways
projects worthmore than Rs. 1000 crores.
“In
line with the Prime Minister’s endeavour to boost river cruise tourism, the
huge untapped potential of river cruises will get unlocked with the launch of
this service and it will herald a new age of river cruise tourism for India,” an official release stated.
MV
Ganga Vilas’s starting point will be from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and will
travel all the way to Dibrugarh in Assam via Bangladesh. The whole journey is
around 3,200 km and will take 51 days to complete the journey till Assam,
sailing across 27 river systems in India and Bangladesh.
The
cruise has three decks, 18 suits on board with a capacity of 36 tourists, with
all the luxury amenities such as spa, salon, gym etc. Apart from these, the
cruise has accomodation for 40 crew members and is 62 metres in length and 12
metres wide and requires a draft of 1.4 meters.
The
maiden voyage has 32 tourists from Switzerland signing up for the entire length
of the journey.
“The
MV Ganga Vilas cruise is curated to bring out the best of the country to be
showcased to the world,” another official press release stated.
The
51 days cruise is said to visit 50 tourist spots which will include the 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
journey will give the tourists an opportunity to embark upon an experiential
voyage and indulge in the art, culture, history, and spirituality of India and
Bangladesh,” the release stated.
According
to the cruise’s Director, Raj Singh, the cost of the travelling on the cruise will
cost Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 a day, hence, the total cost for the 51 day journey
will cost around 20 lakh for each passenger.
The
cruise is equipped with a pollution-free system and noise control technology,
Singh further said.
The
Director further stated that, there is also a Sewage Treatment Plant on the
cruise so that no sewage is drained out to the mighty Ganges, then there is
also a filtration plant which will purify the river water for bathing and other
purposes.
PM
Modi said with the flagging off the cruise will attract and benefit many tourist
places of Eastern India.
“With
this cruise, many places of Eastern India will now figure in World tourism map,”
PM added.
PM
Modi addresses the international passengers on board river cruise that, “India
has everything you can imagine. It also has lot beyond your imagination, India
can’t be defined in words. India can only be experienced from the heart because
India has opened her heart for everyone.”
"The
journey will give the foreign tourists an opportunity to embark upon an
experiential voyage and indulge in the art, culture, history, and spirituality
of India and Bangladesh," Union Minister for Port Shipping and Waterways
Sarbananda Sonowal told news agency ANI.
The
booking for the cruise can be done from the official website of Antara Luxury
River Cruises. Currently, the bookings cannot be done as the current voyage has
already begun. The next one is likely to open in September.
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