A luxury cruise service operating between Kolkata and Varanasi reached the holy city on Wednesday after travelling 1,400 km, Hindustan Times has reported. This luxury cruise is said to be the first of its kind and will be open for tourists from 15 August.
Having a sitting capacity of 60, this cruise would also offer its guests a tour of Varanasi’s ghats. The cruise ship named Alaknanda is being operated by Nordic Cruiseline, who credit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Startup India” initiative for inspiring them to start their services.
The lower deck of the ship is entirely air-conditioned which as per Malviya would provide relief to the tourists in the summer months. Both upper and lower decks are equipped with bio-toilets.
Coming to the full-fledged kitchen, Malviya claimed that they would offer popular dishes of Varanasi like Kachori-Jalebi, Samosas and Bati-Chokha.
The operators are also planning on including cultural activities like classical music and dance which depict the rich heritage of Varanasi.
In February, Union Minister for Shipping Nitin Gadkari had said that he wanted to launch cruise services around Mumbai and on the Ganga.