An Unforgettable Cruise Trip in Ganges River India - From Patna to Varanasi on river Ganga
India's biggest export to Japan till date is Buddhism. From now on, the people from the Land of the Rising Sun will find a new connect with India's spiritual capital Varanasi through the Ganga. On September 6, a group of Japanese tourists will be boarding a luxury cruise - 'MV Rajmahal' - for an unforgettable trip from Patna to Varanasi.
"The first group of 30 Japanese tourists is looking to explore India differently this time. Even in the second group, the number of Japanese tourists far exceeds other travellers," Managing Director of Assam Bengal Navigation Ashish Phookan said.
"Those who missed out on the twin cruise have already booked for a ride in the next year. Two groups of Japanese tourists have already booked the cruise for the next year,'' Phookan told MAIL TODAY. Six trips from Patna to Varanasi and Varanasi to Patna are planned for the next year, he added.
Costing less than USD 2,000 (Rs.1.20 lakh approx.), the foreign tourists can enjoy the cruise on the Ganga in luxurious suites for seven nights. The actual travel cost is USD 1,400-1,500.
The rest will go for pampering the travellers with spa sessions, massages on board, shopping and liquor while they visit the tourist spots on the route through eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
The 'MV Rajmahal' has 22 air-conditioned, spacious cabins spread over two decks.
Large windows give an unrestricted view of the Ganga and its banks. In addition to a spa, saloon and a dining room offering multi-cuisines, there is a large sundeck where the travellers can enjoy sunsets and rural Indian panorama while relaxing on sun loungers and deck chairs.
During the seven-day trip as one sails from Varanasi, the first day is within the limits of the Holy City as the cruise will stop at the Mughal era Chuna Fort and then, the British cemetery followed by sail to Ramnagar to see the Maharaja Palace and end the day with the Ganga aarti. As one sails for Patna, the tourists can visit the Buddhist site Sarnath, Sher Shah Suri's Sasaram Fort and Buxar. While in Bihar, the visitors can make a day trip to nearby Nalanda or Bodh Gaya.The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) plans to operate more cruise sails from next year provided the water level permits such trips. "At the moment, we will operate six trips between Varanasi and Patna for just 45 days between September 6 and October 20. We hope that with the possibility of maintaining the required depth in the Ganga, we can invite more vessels for cruise on this route and can even consider extending the itinerary up to Allahabad,'' IWAI Chairperson Amitabh Verma said.
Frequency
Increasing the cruise frequency will also depend on how much time after sunset can be used for sailing, Verma said, adding that night navigation facilities and river information system, including GPS, are not available with them at present to keep track of the sailing vessel.
"We need to fix these issues by the next year to go big with our plans as the demand for river cruises is rising,'' he said.
The 'MV Rajmahal' had its first glitch-free recce of the route from Patna side on August 22 and reached Varanasi on August 31. Perhaps for the first time in history, a vessel of this proportion cruised past the Varanasi ghats and sailed up to the Chunar Fort in UP's Mirzapur district.