INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
CHHAPRA: The flagship Ganga Vilas Cruise, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, got stuck on the third day of its
51-day journey in Bihar's Chhapra due to shallow water in the Ganga, officials said on Monday.The cruise which was scheduled to dock at the
shore for the tourists to visit Chirand, an archaeological site, got stuck because of water deficiency in the Ganges near the Doriganj area
of the district.Chirand Saran, situated 11 km southeast of Chhapra near Doriganj Bazar, is the most important archaeological site of the
Stupanuma fillings built on the banks of the Ghaghra river are seen to be associated with Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim influences
However, owing to the shallow water at the shore, it was difficult to bring the cruise to the shore, officials said.Upon receipt of the
information, the SDRF team reached the spot to rescue the tourists through a small boat so that they do not face difficulties in reaching
Chirand Saran.Chhapra's CO Satendra Singh who is a part of the arrangement-making team said that adequate arrangements have been made for
the tourists in Chirand."SDRF team is stationed at the ghat so that immediate action can be taken on any untoward situation
Due to less water, there is a problem in bringing the cruise to the shore
Therefore, efforts are being made to bring tourists through small boats," he said.Ganga Vilas Cruise also has special features
Its speed is up to 12 kilometres per hour upstream and 20 kilometres downstream
The cruise has an RO system for drinking water, along with a sewage treatment plant
The cruise has all the necessary facilities for the convenience of the people and their needs
Its fare in India is Rs 25,000 a day, while in Bangladesh the fare is Rs 50,000 a day.PM Modi had flagged off the cruise from Varanasi on
January 13.The luxury triple-deck cruise will travel on the world's longest waterway from Varanasi to Dibrugarh in Assam
The cruise has a capacity of 80 passengers with 18 suits.This cruise will go on an adventurous journey for 51 days and pass through
Bangladesh for 15 days.Following this, it will go to Dibrugarh through the Brahmaputra river in Assam.The luxury cruise will cover a
distance of more than 3,200 kms and pass through 5 states in India and Bangladesh.This cruise will pass through a total of 27 river systems
of UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Bangladesh, and Assam
The cruise will pass through three major rivers Ganga, Meghna, and Brahmaputra.The cruise will enter the Bhagirathi, Hooghly, Bidyavati,
Malata, and Sundarbans river systems in Bengal.1/20Varanasi to Dibrugarh: Ganga Vilas cruise covers 27 rivers in 51 daysPreviousNextShow
CaptionsMV Ganga Vilas, a 62-metre-long and 12-metre-wide luxury river cruise, is all decked up for its 51-day voyageThe 51 days cruise is
planned with visits to 50 tourist spots
It will cover a distance of more than 3,200 km across 27 river systems in five states of India and Bangladesh.This fully India-made cruise
fulfils European standards not only in luxury, but also in avoiding river pollution
The cruise liner will be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 13.The cruise has 18 luxury suites with multi-star
facilities on its three decks and can carry 36 passengers.The cruise has a gymnasium, a spa, restaurant, sunbath deck and other amenities on
board to entertain the tourists and also to provide them a comfortable experienceIt has its own sewage treatment plant besides a water
treatment plant that lifts water from the river for daily useIt has a fuel tank of 40,000 litres and a water tank of 60,000 litres on boardA
crew of 40, including marine and housekeeping, remains present on the cruiseThe maiden voyage of MV Ganga Vilas will witness 32 tourists
from Switzerland relishing the Varanasi to Dibrugarh journey.The Swiss tourists were accorded a warm and traditional welcome at the Lal
Bahadur Shastri International airportThe airport director Aryama Sanyal welcomed the tourists at the airport amid the chant of vedic mantras
by the local priestsAfter departing from Varanasi, the cruise will arrive in Patna, sailing through Buxar, Ramnagar, and GhazipurBihar is
the one most intimately linked to the Buddhas life, resulting in a trail of pilgrimages which have come to be known as the Buddhist
circuit.From Bihar, the cruise will enter the Hooghly River at Farakka and reach the Sunderbans through Kolkata, sailing downstreamIn
Bengal, tourists can experience rustic village life co-exists besides modern Metropolis high rises and Bullock Carts running parallel to
Audis, BMW, MercedesFrom Sunderbans, the cruise will start sailing upstream on the rivers included in the IndoBangla Protocol Route, which
is mainly the Brahmaputra river and its distributariesAfter travelling nearly 1,100 kilometres through Bangladesh Ganga Vilas will enter
India again and will travel over the entire West-East length of AssamThe Kaziranga National Park, home to the great Indian one-horned
rhinoceros is one of the most important wildlife tourist attractions in northeast India.In Bangladesh, it will pass through Meghna, Padma,
and Jamuna in Bangladesh and then enter the Brahmaputra in Assam.According to an official statement, the 51 days cruise is planned with
visits to 50 tourist spots including World Heritage Sights, 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
