A two-hour cruise will start from Guptar Ghat and concluding at Naya Ghat. Along the way, tourists will see Raj Ghat, Laxman Ghat, Ram Ghat, and Janki Ghat, offering a glimpse into Ayodhya’s history and the Ramayana.
Officials are working to complete the project before the annual Deepotsava in the city, ready for launch after temple construction by year-end.
As the development of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya is coming closer to its scheduled opening to the public early next year, the Uttar Pradesh government has initiated a project to offer high-end river cruise and houseboat services on the Saryu River for the devotees and tourists visiting the temple town.
Officials have announced a two-hour cruise starting from Guptar Ghat and concluding at Naya Ghat.
Along the way, tourists will see Raj Ghat, Laxman Ghat, Ram Ghat, and Janki Ghat, offering a glimpse into Ayodhya’s history and the Ramayana.
The cruise will also offer food, folk songs, dances and other amenities on board, similar to the one in Varanasi.
The journey will display a short story on Lord Ram, along with other Indian mythologies and an overview of history.
Officials are working to complete the project before the annual Deepotsava in the city, ready for launch after temple construction by year-end, as per Indian Express report.
“We are preparing to provide river cruise services on the Saryu. The preparations are going on and it should be ready by Deepotsava,” said Ayodhya District Magistrate Nitish Kumar.
Ayodhya Cruise Lines Ltd, a subsidiary of ALCHEMY Group, has received approvals from various authorities, including the Union Ministry of Waterways, for its cruise project.
According to the IE report, Rahul Sharma, ALCHEMY Group’s Managing Director, announced plans to expand cruise services to Ayodhya in addition to their current services in other states.
The group has secured land in Ayodhya to develop a boarding area and has ordered a cruise ship with a 150-passenger capacity, along with 10 houseboats to ferry passengers.
The company has been allotted land near ‘Ram Ki Pauri‘ to build a boarding and landing platform, and it will commence work on the project shortly.
This move is expected to boost tourism and provide a unique way to experience these historic locations.
He added that the cruise will be named after ‘Pushpak Viman’, which finds mention in the Ramayana, and houseboats as ‘Kanak Mahal’.
The cruise will take four two-hour rounds daily — the first round providing breakfast, the second–lunch, the third–high tea and the fourth–dinner.
Following the temple establishment, the government has been focused on wide-scale development of the ‘Temple Town’ — envisioned to become a prominent destination on the global religious map.
The UP government, and the Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA) has been spearheading infrastructure and planning advancements in the city in order to cater to the anticipated surge and new opportunities — particularly in tourism and allied sectors.
The plans for the Temple Town also encompass portrayal of its rich heritage and cultural landscape through integrating diverse art forms into the city design.
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