PATNA: The Bihar State Tourism Development of Corporation (BSTDC) is all set to sign a MoU next week with Assam-based Assam Bengal Navigation (ABN) for launching a river cruise in the Ganga from Kolkata to Patna. It would be operational during festive season starting October.
The cruise will have a capacity to accommodate 24 tourists which will have stoppages at Rajmahal, Bateshwarsthan, Sultanganj, Munger, Simariaghat and Patna.
ABNdirectorAshish Phukan and general manager Nirmal Choudhari are expected here next week to finalise the formalities of the MoU. The rates are yet to be finalised. Final negotiation would be made during their meeting next week, said an official.
ABN, an Indo-British joint venture, has offices in Guwahati and the UK. In 2003, ABN pioneered long-distance river cruising in India with unique cruises on the river Brahmaputra in Assam, and in 2007 it was the first to run cruises on the river Hugli, Choudhari told TOI over phone.
Last year BSTDC had launched the first ever 10-day cruise on Kolkata-Varanasi mainly for foreigners which was a big success. About 500 km of the total 800 km stretch of the cruise passes through various tourist places of Bihar, including Bhagalpur, Munger, Patna and Buxar. The BSTDC had signed MoU with UK-based Pandaw Cruise India Pvt Limited.
“Till date, the cruise has already made eight trips in which over 450 foreign tourists travelled on this route,” said Bihar principal tourism secretary Rashmi Verma.
“In view of the overwhelming response, we have decided to launch another rive cruise on the Ganga for domestic as well as foreigners at a low cost,” Verma added.
The cruise, with 12 cabins double bed (A/C) rooms, open deck, dining hall, bar, restaurant, massage centre, big hall and emergency medical facilities, will have six -day stoppages in Bihar including Rajmahal, Bateshwar Sthan, Sultanganj, Munger, Simaria Ghat and Patna. The cruise on this route would be village India at its best.
The first stoppage would be at Rajmahal which was once an early Mughul capital of Bengal. Similarly, Munger would be visitors delight to view a fine Mughal fort further expanded by the East India Company and a world famous first Yoga university.
A road journey south of the river is this pilgrimage centre – Bodh Gaya – where the Buddha attained enlightenment. The great temple is surrounded by monasteries housing pilgrims from Tibet, Sri Lanka, Japan and many other countries. En route lie the early Buddhist monastery of Nalanda and the sacred Rajgir hill.
Finally, Patna which was one of the major centres of the East India Company, enriched by opium and indigo plantations, and now boasts a superb museum and facinating mosques and temples would be one of the highlights for visitors. Neigbhouring Sonepur boasts of India’s largest and most colourful cattle fair in the autumn.