INDIA: PM Modi waves off the green signal to the world’s longest river cruise, the MV Ganga Vilas, in Varanasi. The inauguration took place via video conferencing in the presence of the minister for ports, shipping, and waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, alongside Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
PM Modi also set in motion the ‘Tent City built’, on the banks of River Ganga in Varanasi today. Apart from this, the Indian PM also laid the foundation stone for several inland waterways projects, costing over ₹ 1,000 crores.
PM Modi virtually flags-off MV Ganga Vilas cruise
The ultra-luxurious MV Ganga Vilas will kick off its journey from Varanasi to Uttar Pradesh. The first cruise ship built in India is the recently launched MV Ganga Vilas. The five-star moving hotel cruise journey would travel 3,200 km, in 51 days, to reach Dibrugarh in Assam via Bangladesh.
The cruise has 18 suites on board with a capacity of 36 tourists. It will offer tourists a panoramic view of the famed ghats of the sacred river alongside the city view, accompanied by live ritualistic chanting, ‘aarti’ in the evening, and complimentary yoga sessions.
‘Yoga’ has been an integral part of ancient Indian culture; however, it’s been revived and brought to the forefront.
The new cruise service will provide employment opportunities to many people, so PM Modi said, “With the help of this cruise, several locations in eastern India will now appear on the tourism map of the world.”
“The fact that thousands of people living along the Ganges have had to travel for employment since Independence makes it all the more unfortunate,” he concluded.
As per recent updates, the latest cruise ship is 62 meters in length, 12 meters wide, and requires a draft of 1.4 meters.
According to Uttar Pradesh Tourism Minister Jaiveer Singh, “In addition to key towns like Patna in Bihar, Shahiganj in Jharkhand, Kolkata in West Bengal, Dhaka in Bangladesh, and Guwahati in Assam, the cruise will stop at 50 tourist spots, including national parks, world heritage sites, river ghats, and world heritage sites.”
The tourism minister further added saying, the cruise is available with all luxury amenities and facilities such as a spa, salon, and gym. It will cost ₹ 25,000 to ₹ 50,000 a day, with the total cost for the 51-day journey totalling around ₹ 20 lahks.
Moreover, the water vessel is equipped with a pollution-free system and noise control technology to make the journey more comfortable.
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