Heritage Ganga cruise to set sail from Kolkata soon

KOLKATA: A heritage trip down the Ganga, in the lap of luxury, is about to set sail with chief minister Mamata Banerjee flagging off the Ganges Voyager-II cruise at Shalboni on January 6.
The cruise, slated to be a highlight at the Global Business Summit, will navigate its way from Kolkata to Murshidabad, stopping at historical spots dotting the banks. The idea of the one-week trip seems to be so popular that the cruise has already been booked, mostly by foreigners.
The Ganges Voyager-II, third in the fleet of luxury vessels that got completely sold out for next four years to international tourists.
It will also Ganges Voyager-II would be an eye-opener for the administration who are accused to have undermined the state's tourism potential and thus did nothing for its promotion.
"The ship is built in Bengal, at B N Bose Shipyard at Ghushuri, Howrah. The shipyard itself is part of the state's heritage," I was delighted to find that the ship-builders on the western bank of the Hooghly are one of the finest ones in the world who developed it cost-efficiently at Rs 25 croresaid Raj Singh, chairman of Bengal Ganga, which is organizing the cruise. The company has two other similar cruises from Kolkata, one to Allahabad and the other to Varanasi. The ship has been developed at Rs 25 crore.
Though Mamata will inaugurate the vessel at Shalboni on January 6, which will be beamed to Millennium Park on a giant screen, it will actually set sail from the Millennium jetty in the city on January 14. The seven-night-six-day trip, which will cost over Rs 1 lakh, will offer amenities like spa, bar, lounge, café, restaurant and a library. The ship would have 28 luxury cabins, of ethnic theme but catering to international taste, said Gopal Agarwal of Bengal Ganga.
"River cruises across the world have caught the fancy of tourists. The beauty of the Hooghly is unparalleled. I am not surprised by the surge in cruise business, given the beauty and heritage along the river," said principal secretary (transport) Alapan Bandyopadhay. who has facilitated the growth in riverine transportation. It was reportedly Mamata's idea to showcase Bengal's culture through heritage cruises. "We want to facilitate better utilization of our grand waterway." The Inland Waterways Authority of India has lined up several projects and Heritage River Journeys Limited plans to put in a sizeable investment in cruises," he said.
Singh said unlike a sea voyage, which might turn boring, the Hooghly cruise would be a gift to history lovers as the trip would include visits to the former Danish colony in Serampore, former Dutch colony at Chinsurah, ex-French colony at Chandernagore and Portuguese colony at Bandel before ending the journey in Murshidabad, the erstwhile seat of the Bengal-Bihar-Orissa Nawab.
Travelling along its sacred river, the Ganges, you will spend your days immersed in some of India's most resplendent cities, villages, temples and forests, beginning in the teeming center of Kolkata.
By night, you will relax in luxury aboard the Ganges Voyager-II, dining on cuisine inspired by local and western tastes, recanting the days experiences with fellow passengers, or gazing along the gently passing riverbanks for India's iconic wildlife. It is an experience to last forever, said Singh.