On Tuesday, the world’s longest river cruise, the MV Ganga Vilas, will arrive in Dibrugarh, Assam. On January 13 in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 36-passenger capacity luxury cruise.
“The voyage of the MV Ganga Vilas will conclude on February 28 in Dibrugarh. On the same day, under the auspices of the ministry of ports, shipping, and waterways, the Inland Waterways Authority of India would host a welcoming ceremony in Dibrugarh “In a statement, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) stated.
The trip was expected to travel more than 3,200 kilometres via 27 river systems in five Indian states and Bangladesh. It is carrying thirty-two Swiss tourists. Monday, Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal stated that the ‘MV Ganga Vilas’ had placed India and Bangladesh on the global river cruise map, creating a new vista and vertical for tourist and cargo transport in the Indian subcontinent.
About the voyage of the MV Ganga Vilas:
– The MV Ganga Vilas was expected to take 51 days to reach Dibrugarh via Patna Sahib, Bodh Gaya, Vikramshila, Dhaka, the Sundarbans, and Kaziranga National Park.
-The daily fare for this magnificent cruise is between 25,000 and 50,000. The overall cost of the trip will be approximately 20 lakh per passenger.
Antara Luxury River Cruises offers the international cruise. Tickets may be purchased via their website. A Switzerland-based company has already reserved the ongoing journey. The next cruise will likely occur in September, and reservations will open then.
-The renowned ‘Ganga arti’ in Varanasi and Sarnath, a Buddhist holy site, Sundarbans, a Unesco world heritage site in West Bengal, Mayong, known for its Tantric craft, and Majuli, the largest river island and centre of Vaishnavite culture in Assam, are among the places that MV Ganga Vilas’ tourists could visit.
-Union shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal had previously stated that the ship would transport 32 Swiss tourists, 14 of whom would disembark at Kolkata and re-board for the journey to Dibrugarh, from whence they would fly back to New Delhi. He added that a second group of 32 tourists from the same nation would join the ship en route to Varanasi.
-According to Sonowal, the MV Ganga Vilas would usher in India’s new era of river cruise tourism. According to one estimate, the global river cruise business has expanded by 5% over the past few years and will account for 37% of the cruise market by 2027. In India, eight river cruise ships operate between Kolkata and Varanasi, and cruises are also available on the Brahmaputra.
(With inputs from agencies)
