Music, food & fun: Kashi-Chunar cruiseride on Ganga off to a flying start

Varanasi: The chants of Har Har Mahadev (Hail Lord Shiva) reverberated in the air on Sunday as the luxury vessel, Alaknanda

cruise

, started its maiden ride from Ravidas Ghat in Varanasi to Chunar Fort in Mirzapur, and back.

Excited passengers climbed atop the upper decks where they clicked selfies and made videos to make the moment memorable. A live band kept passengers entertained all through the ride. Some of them even got up to dance too. At least 200 passengers took the first ride.

The service, initiated by UP tourism department to promote waterways tourism in the state, provides an eight-hour two-way ride on the Ganga from Varanasi to Chunar Fort.

The 55 meter-long, twin engine vessel cruise was flagged off by Varanasi divisional commissioner Deepak Agarwal in the presence of Vivek Malaviya, Vikas Malaviya, Jayant Malaviya and Manish Poddar, the directors of Alaknanda Cruiseline, the startup managing the cruise.

Congratulating the team, Agarwal said, “This is a novel venture and we are sure that tourists will find the service attractive. A lot of hard work has gone into the initiative and we hope it will give a boost to tourism in the state.”

Alaknanda Cruiseline has been running cruise services on the Ganga in Varanasi for the last two years.

Vikas Malaviya, one of the directors, said: “We have been getting a good response which encouraged us to manage this tour too. We are grateful to the state government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP CM Yogi Adityanath for reposing faith in our capabilities and entrusting us this huge responsibility.”

During the ride, the passengers were served vegetarian breakfast, lunch, tea and heavy snacks.

After two hours of sailing, the cruise made a brief halt at Shool Tankeshwar Temple, situated 15km from Varanasi. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and folklore suggests that this is the spot where the Ganga entered the holy city (Uttarayani) on the command of Lord Shiva. People believe that the temple is located at the spot where Lord Shiva had put his trishul (trident).

In Chunar, divisional commissioner of Mirzapur, Yogeshwar Ram Mishra, also came onboard for some time. Impressed with the vessel and the facilities, he said that he would take the ride soon.

Lata Khatri, an octogenarian, who travelled all the way from Delhi to take the maiden ride, said: “I came to know about this cruise from my family and I didn’t want to miss it. I belong to Varanasi and a thing like an air-conditioned cruise in the city is nothing short of a marvel to me.”

RP Chaturvedi, a Varanasi-based doctor, said: “I have seen cruise service abroad, and in Goa, but such a facility in Varanasi instils a feeling of pride. I had expected a boat but this vessel is huge and will be a new experience for the people of Varanasi.”

“We read about it in the newspapers and had planned to make a booking in July itself when it was inaugurated by the Prime Minister. Although we had thought it would be a temple hopping ride, we went to just one temple. Overall, it has been a fun ride,” said Rakhi, who was part of a group on the cruise which danced to the songs presented by the music band.


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