Guwahati: One of the first luxury river cruises from Patna to Varanasi on the Ganga River, traversing a distance of over 420 km has been launched.
The cruise, ‘MV Rajmahal’ has been launched by the state-based Assam Bengal Navigation Company (ABN).
The cruise carrying Indian and foreign tourists began its seven-day cruise from Patna and reached the holy city sailing down the ghats of Varanasi and the historic city of Chunar on Friday.
Over 55 metres long, the ‘MV Rajmahal’ has been specially designed with a shallow draught to enable the river cruise and has 22 luxurious cabins with all modern amenities.
The Patna-Varanasi-Patna sector has generated much interest from tour operators all over the world. The cruise has been booked by tourists from Japan, the UK, the US and Australia, the company’s managing director Ashish Phookan said.
The Union ministry of shipping, particularly Inland Waterways Authority of India and the Union ministry of tourism, are closely involved in promoting the cruise.
