World’s longest River Cruise ‘Ganga Vilas’ reaches Guwahati with 28 Swiss tourists

Guwahati,20 February, 2023: World’s longest river cruise‘Ganga Vilas’ ship reached Guwahati at 03:30 PM today, on 42nd day of
the voyage. All the 28 Swiss tourists travelling on board were
given a rousing reception at the IWAI Pandu port after it anchored
with Saraighat bridge on the backdrop. The ship was escorted by SL Subansiri and HPT Ambedkar.
After disembarking, the tourists were offered tea while they
relished the colourful folk dance performance by troupes of Karbi
and Tiwa communities by the bank of the Brahmaputra in the
milieu of a sublime evening Sun against the mystical Saraighat
bridge here today.

The tourists were received by Additional Chief Secretary, Maninder Singh; Deputy Commissioner (Kamrup
Metro), Pallav Gopal Jha; Regional Director, Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), A Selvakumar among others. The visiting tourists from Switzerland will be visiting the Kamakhya
Temple along with the Assam State Museum tomorrow morning before they leave for their onward journey to Mayong & further.

Earlier during the day, the tourists visited Sualkuchi to witness the
rich and vibrant textile & handloom industry of Assam.
Mesmerised by the craft, the tourists exalted at the sight of
magical motifs weaved onto the Muga and Pat Silk. The weavers
showcased the brilliance of Assam’s handloom industry to the visiting tourists who enjoyed the sheer genius of the artisans.
Flagged off by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the historic
cruise set sail from Varanasi on January 13, 2023, and, after
traversing through Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar,
Jharkhand and West Bengal as well as Bangladesh, arriving at
Dhubri in Assam on its 39 day of the voyage.

Dubbed as the longest river cruise in the world, the Varanasi to Bogibeel voyage by the Ganga Vilas is scheduled to complete the journey when it
anchors at Bogibeel in Dibrugarh drawing a close to this exotic
experience of river cruise.

Earlier, the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and
Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal termed the arrival of Ganga Vilas
cruise ship at Dhubri in Assam, India as a ‘watershed moment’ in
the inland waterways transportation towards transformation of the Northeast India. The Minister congratulated the people of Assam and the Northeast on this historic moment that is set to unlock huge potential of river tourism, allowing trickle down
development for people across the bank of the Brahmaputra.