World's longest river cruise 'Ganga Vilas' ship reaches Guwahati on 42nd day of voyage

Guwahati: The world's longest river cruise 'Ganga Vilas' ship reached Guwahati on Monday on the 42nd day of the voyage. All the 28 tourists on board were given a rousing reception at the IWAI Pandu port after it anchored with Saraighat bridge on the backdrop.

As per the Ministry of Port, Shipping and Waterways "After disembarking, the tourists were offered tea while they relished the colourful folk dance performance by troupes of Karbi and Tiwa communities by the bank of the Brahmaputra in the milieu of a sublime evening Sun against the mystical Saraighat bridge here today. " The tourists were received by Additional Chief Secretary, Maninder Singh; Deputy Commissioner (Kamrup Metro), Pallav Gopal Jha; Regional Director, Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), A Selvakumar among others. The visiting tourists will visit the Kamakhya Temple along with the Assam State Museum on February 21in the morning hours before they leave for their onward journey to Mayong & further." the ministry added.

Ministry further said that earlier during the day, the tourists visited Sualkuchi to witness the rich and vibrant textile & handloom industry of Assam. Mesmerised by the craft, the tourists exalted at the sight of magical motifs weaved onto the Muga and Pat Silk. The weavers showcased the brilliance of Assam's handloom industry to the visiting tourists who enjoyed the sheer genius of the artisans.

Flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the historic cruise set sail from Varanasi on January 13, 2023, and, after traversing through the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal as well as Bangladesh, arriving at Dhubri in Assam on its 39 days of the voyage.

Dubbed the longest river cruise in the world, the Varanasi to Bogibeel voyage by the Ganga Vilas is scheduled to complete the journey when it anchors at Bogibeel in Dibrugarh drawing a close to this exotic experience of the river cruise.

Earlier, the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal termed the arrival of the Ganga Vilas cruise ship at Dhubri in Assam, India as a 'watershed moment' in the inland waterways transportation towards the transformation of Northeast India.

The Minister congratulated the people of Assam and the Northeast on this historic moment that is set to unlock the huge potential of river tourism, allowing trickle-down development for people across the bank of the Brahmaputra.