Longest river cruise docks amid fanfare in Varanasi

On the banks of the Ganga, Ramnagar is no stranger to foreigners, or domestic tourists. In 2008, UNESCO classified its famous Ramlila as part of the "intangible cultural heritage" of India, and a decade later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Ramnagar port as part of India's first inland waterway corridor.

- Oliver Fredrick and Utpal Parashar

VARANASI/GUWAHATI: 

Still, when the two floor MV Ganga Vilas, described as one of the world's longest river cruises, pulled in to the Ramnagar port on January 10, locals flocked to the banks to see the luxury vessel arrive. Pankaj Chaurasia, a paan shop owner, was furiously clicking photographs with his children. "I have seen such cruises only on TV. It is even bigger than what we imagined. It's like a floating five-star hotel." The Ganga Vilas cruise, operated by Antara Cruises, scheduled to be flagged off by Modi on January 13, will traverse 3,200km through five states in India and parts of Bangladesh over 51 days. The vessel with three decks is 62 metres wide and 12 metres in breadth.

"There have been instances of river cruises spanning distances of around 2,400 km to 2,700 km.

But the Ganga Vilas, which is an indigenously built ship and operated by an Indian company, will be the longest river cruise in the world. Besides connecting National Waterway 1 (NWI) that includes Ganga and National Waterway 2 (NW2) on Brahmaputra, the cruise will cross 27 river systems. The service is expected to unlock the huge untapped river cruise potential in the country," Sarbananda Sonowal, Union minister of ports, shipping and waterways said on January 9.