MV Ganga Vilas cruise ship reaches Assam

MV Ganga Vilas crossed the zero point in Dhubri along the India-Bangladesh border, and will reach Dibrugarh at the eastern tip of the State on March 1.

Touted as the world's longest river cruise, MV Ganga Vilas, reached Assam on Friday, February 17, 2023, after passing through neighbouring Bangladesh.

The vessel crossed the zero point in Dhubri along the India-Bangladesh border, and will continue its onward journey to reach Dibrugarh at the eastern tip of the State on March 1, an official statement said.

The maiden journey of MV Ganga Vilas, flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh on January 13, has been curated to showcase the rich heritage of India with stopovers in spots of historical, cultural and religious importance.

MV Ganga Vilas is scheduled to travel 13 days in Assam and will halt at Dhubri, Jogighopa, Pandu (Guwahati), Kaziranga and Majuli before the culmination of the journey at Dibrugarh.

The luxury cruise was planned to cover a distance of more than 3,200 km across 27 river systems in five states in India and Bangladesh.

The vessel has already traversed through Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Bangladesh, the statement said.

The famous 'Ganga arti' in Varanasi and Sarnath, a place of great reverence for Buddhism, Sundarbans, a Unesco world heritage site in West Bengal, Mayong, known for its Tantric craft, and Majuli, the largest river island and hub of Vaishnavite culture in Assam, are among places that MV Ganga Vilas’ tourists could experience.