Alongside, he inaugurated a ‘Tent City’ on the banks of the Ganga river and laid the foundation stones for several other inland waterways projects worth more than Rs 1,000 crore. These included Haldia Multi Modal Terminal in West Bengal’s Haldia and four floating community jetties at Saidpur, Chochakpur, Zamania in Ghazipur district and at Kanspur in Ballia district in Uttar Pradesh.

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> Ganga Vilas leaves for Assam’s Dibrugarh from Varanasi.

> “Today, foundation stones have been laid for several other inland waterways projects worth more than Rs 1000 crores. This will expand trade and tourism and employment opportunities in eastern India.” said PM Narendra Modi.

> “The commencement of MV Ganga Vilas river cruise which will sail over 3200 km is a living example of the development of inland waterways in the country. Work is being done on the development of 111 national water highways across 24 States,” PM Modi said.

> PM Modi: “We are giving boost to small cruise as well… Work is being done on the development of 111 national water highways across 24 states.”

> PM Modi to tourists on maiden Ganga Vilas voyage: “India has everything that you can image. It also has a lot beyond your imagination. India cannot be defined in words, it can only be experienced from hearts. India has always opened her heart for everyone, irrespective of religions, creed or country. I welcome all our tourist friends from different parts of the world.”

> Ganga Vilas LIVE Updates: PM Narendra Modi said, “The beginning of the world’s longest river cruise service on river Ganga is a landmark moment. It will herald a new age of tourism in India.” Ganga is not just a river to us. It is a witness to India’s glorious history. With a new approach, we began the cleanliness drive of Namami Gange, he added.

> Assam CM HB Sarma: “I would like to thank PM Narendra Modi because the river cruise which is starting today is connecting Kashi to Assam as well. Passengers who will come on this cruise will get the opportunity to visit Maa Kamakhya Temple, Kaziranga National Park & other places.”

> The prime minister laid the foundation stone for a ship repair facility and an elevated road at Pandu Terminal in Guwahati. “The Ship Repair facility at the Pandu Terminal will save a lot of valuable time as it takes more than a month for a ship to be transported to the Kolkata Repair facility and back. Moreover, it will also result in huge savings in terms of money as the transportation cost of the ship will also be saved. The dedicated road connecting the Pandu Terminal to NH 27 will enable 24-hour connectivity,” the government said in a press release.

> PM Modi also inaugurated Maritime Skill Development Centre for North East at Guwahati. It will help in honing the rich talent pool in the North Eastern region and will provide for better employment opportunities in the burgeoning logistics industry.

> PM Modi inaugurated the world’s longest river cruise and Tent City in Varanasi on Friday. He also inaugurated Haldia Multi Modal Terminal in West Bengal’s Haldia. “Developed under Jal Marg Vikas Project, Haldia Multi Modal Terminal has a cargo handling capacity of around over 3 Million Metric Tonne Per Annum (MMTPA) and the berths are designed to handle vessels up to around 3000 Deadweight tonnage (DWT).”

> UP CM Yogi Adityanath said, “In the last three days, tourists of the river cruise MV Ganga Vilas visited Varanasi and nearby places and experienced the culture. PM will inaugurate five new jetties in the state today. Kashi is moving ahead with a new identity today.”

> “River cruise MV Ganga Vilas will visit Buxar, Chapra, Patna, Munger, Sultanganj and Kahalgaon in the state. The tourists will be accorded a traditional welcome at each port and taken to visit historical places,” Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav said.

> Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath are present at the launch event. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will join the event virtually.

> Former Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ahead of the launch of luxury cruise tour MV Ganga Vilas from Varanasi. He said,“India under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi today is going to create history. This is the first time this long cruise will successfully operate, and this has new growth in the sector of tourism, culture and domestic and global trade and economic growth,” he said.

All about the Ganga Vilas cruise

The cruise, the highlight of the event and highly-awaited by all, will traverse through 27 different river systems with 50 tourist spots covering a distance of 3,200 km between Varanasi in UP to Dibrugarh in Assam via Bangladesh.

(Credit: @CGIPerth)

Ganga Vilas cruise key features: The ship is about 62 metres long and 12 metres wide. It has three decks, 18 suites and a capacity of carrying 36 passengers. From spa, salon, gym, music to cultural programs, an open-air observation deck and personalised butler service, the cruise is equipped with many amenities to provide a luxurious experience, reports said.

The cruiser has three decks, 18 suites on board with a capacity of carrying 36 tourists and having all luxury amenities. The maiden voyage has 32 tourists from Switzerland signing up for the entire length of the journey.

“MV Ganga Vilas is not only the world’s Longest River Cruise, it is also the epitome of world-class facilities and comfort. An impressive experience indeed, onboard the vessel in Varanasi,” Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal said in a tweet, sharing a a video of live tour of the luxury cruise.

The high-end facility, that can accommodate 200 people, will resemble sand dunes in Jaisalmer and Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, ANI said. The Kashi Tent City boasts of Swiss cottages, divided into three categories — Ganga Darshan Villas, premium tents and super deluxe tents, the Varanasi Development Authority (VDA) officials were quoted by First Post as saying.

Tent city (Credit: @KanchanGupta)