Ganga Vilas cruise opportunity to connect with our cultural roots: PM Modi

New Delhi, Jan 11: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the 51-day river cruise, to be flagged off by him on January 13, is a unique opportunity to connect with the country's cultural roots and discover beautiful aspects of its diversity.

He was reacting to Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal's tweet about what has been described as the world's largest river cruise.

The minister said, "A trail through India's ancient heritage on some of the mightiest rivers of the world. Ganga Vilas, the world's longest river cruise, will be flagged-off by PM Narendra Modi ji Jan 13. Join this majestic journey."

Set to sail from Varanasi, Modi's parliamentary constituency, the cruise will cover 3,200 km over 51 days while navigating through several states before ending its journey at Dibrugarh in Assam.

The MV Ganga Vilas cruise is curated to bring out the best of the country to be showcased to the world. The 51 days cruise is planned with visits to 50 tourist spots including World Heritage Sights, National Parks, river Ghats, and major cities like Patna in Bihar, Sahibganj in Jharkhand, Kolkata in West Bengal, Dhaka in Bangladesh and Guwahati in Assam. The MV Ganga Vilas vessel is 62 meters in length, 12 meters in width and comfortably sails with a draft of 1.4 meters.

It has three decks, 18 suites on board with a capacity of 36 tourists, with all the amenities to provide a memorable and luxurious experience for the tourists.