Through video conferencing, PM Modi today signalled the start of the MV Ganga Vilas, the longest river voyage in the world, in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Dibrugarh in Assam will be reached for the first time by 32 Swiss visitors via Bangladesh.
Here is a summary of this important story:
- On the banks of the Ganga in Varanasi, the PM opened a “Tent City” that was built in the same manner as comparable structures in Rajasthan and Gujarat’s Kutch region. The famous ghats of the holy city on the other side of the river will be visible from more than 200 tents, which will also host yoga classes and live classical music performances. Additionally, he established the framework for various inland waterways projects totaling more than 1,000 crore.
- “Many locations in eastern India will now be visible on the global tourism map because to this cruise… What could be more sad than the fact that lakhs of people living along the Ganges had to relocate in search of work because the banks of the Ganga did not flourish after Independence? “PM said.
- The first cruise ship built in India is the MV Ganga Vilas. 3,200 kilometres will be covered in 51 days. At the dock in Varanasi, the 32 Swiss visitors who would embark on the maiden voyage were greeted with flowers and shehnai music. Before embarking on the trip, they will tour a number of historical and religious sites in Varanasi.
- According to Raj Singh, the director of the cruise, this five-star moving hotel features 18 suites with a capacity for 36 guests. In addition to this, it can house 40 crew personnel. The 62 metres long and 12 metres broad modernist ship needs a 1.4 metre draught.
- It will transport visitors through 27 river systems and make stops at a number of well-known locations. The cruise will visit 50 tourist destinations, including world heritage sites, national parks, river ghats, and major cities like Patna in Bihar, Shahiganj in Jharkhand, Kolkata in West Bengal, Dhaka in Bangladesh, and Guwahati in Assam, according to a statement from Uttar Pradesh Tourism Minister Jaiveer Singh issued in Lucknow.
- A spa, salon, and gym are also available on the trip. According to Raj Singh, each passenger’s share of the expense for the 51-day trip will be around 20 lakh, or between 25,000 and 50,000 every day. He also mentioned the cruise’s use of a noise-reduction system and pollution-free system.
- According to the cruise director, there is a sewage treatment system on this voyage that ensures that no sewage goes into the Ganges and a filtration plant that cleans the Ganga water for bathing and other uses.
- Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal stated: “The journey would provide the international visitors an opportunity to engage on an immersive adventure and delight in the art, culture, history, and spirituality of India and Bangladesh.”
- Akhilesh Yadav, the leader of the Samajwadi Party, has criticised the effort. Yadav stated in a tweet in Hindi beside a picture of the voyage, “Will the BJP now also oust sailors from their jobs? It is wrong for the BJP to promote holy sites as tourist destinations in order to make money. Not for luxury, but to experience Kashi’s spiritual magnificence, people go from all over the world. The BJP won’t be able to use outward brilliance to obscure the gloom of genuine concerns anymore.”
- “Everything you can think of is available in India. It has more than you could ever imagine. India is impossible to describe in words. Only from the heart can it be felt, “In his address to travellers, PM Modi remarked.
