Ganga Vilas cruise to enter Bihar on January 14, to cover four cities

PATNA: The world’s longest luxury cruise ‘MV Ganga Vilas’, which will begin its maiden journey from Varanasi on January 13, is likely to enter the Bihar’s water boundary on January 14-15 from Buxar.

The cruise will sail through Ganga river covering four cities, including Buxar, Patna, Munger and Bhagalpur, and it will leave for Jharkhand on January 21-22, depending on weather conditions.

Around 32 foreign tourists, who will be a part of this voyage, will be welcomed at Patna’s Gaighat IWT Terminal on river Ganga with garlands and beats of band on January 17-18. During their 8-9 days stay, the tourists will visit various religious and historical places in Patna, Nalanda and Bodh Gaya before setting out on the cruise from IWT Terminal.

According to officials of Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) in Patna, the cruise will enter Bihar on January 14-15 from Chausa village in Buxar from Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh. “It will cover a distance of 434km in Bihar, covering four cities— Buxar, Patna, Munger and Bhagalpur— before sailing out for Sahibganj in Jharkhand. The cruise will reach at Gai Ghat in Patna on January 17 and 18, where we will welcome them,” the officials said.

“During their two-day stay, the foreign tourists will visit local sites in the state capital and also visit Bodh Gaya and Nalanda by road to see Mahabodhi Temple and Nalanda University ruins, respectively. The travellers will also visit the Bihar School of Yoga in Munger and Vikramshila University in Bhagalpur,” a senior official of IWAI-Patna said.

After leaving Patna, the cruise will travel to Munger Ghat, Sultanganj and Bateshwarsthan in Bhagalpur, covering historical and cultural sites. It will leave for Jharkhand on January 21-22 depending on the weather conditions. The ship has 18 suits, along with various facilities and amenities like LED TV, smoke detectors, life vests, sprinklers, French balcony, convertible beds, a 40-seater restaurant, a spa, and sun decks.