All about Ganga Vilas: World's longest cruise tour from UP, Bihar to Assam via Bangladesh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to flag off, Ganga Vilas, longest cruise tour in the world, on Friday (January 13), Information and Public Relations Department of Uttar Pradesh has announced. Ganga Vilas is scheduled to be flagged off from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to Assam's Dibrugarh via Bangladesh.

It is learnt that the Uttar Pradesh government is still to receive details of PM Modi's programme but the local authorities are making preparations for the big day.

Necessary isntrutions are given by Varanasi Divisional Commissioner Kaushal Raj Sharma and District Magistrate S Rajalingam to the officials of Culture department, Tourism department and Inland Waterways Transport for the ceremony.

Things you need to know about Ganga Vilas cruise:

• Ganga Vilas cruise would sail on Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers.
• After leaving from Varanasi, Ganga Vilas cruise will pass through Ghazipur, Buxar and Patna before reaching Kolkata.
• Ganga Vilas will remain on Bangladesh rivers for 15 days before returning to India via Guwahati and will then reach Dibrugarh in Assam.
• Ganga Vilas will also pass through Sundarban Delta and Kaziranga National Park.
• Ganga Vilas will cover a total distance of 3,200 kms to complete the world’s longest voyage.
• Ganga Vilas cruise will be flagged off by PM Modi from the jetty boarding point opposite to Ravidas Ghat.
• The cruise will have a capacity of 80 passengers.
• Ganga Vilas will complete its voyage in 50 days and will stop at more than 50 places, including some World Heritage Sites.

 “The Ganga Vilas cruise will have foreign nationals and it will send a message to the people of the world on India’s tourism and this cruise will be very helpful in attracting tourists,” news agency ANI quoted Sunil Upadhyay, a resident of Varanasi, as saying.