SURPRISE ME!

Why a Luxury Cruise on the Ganges Should Be on Every Indian’s Bucket List

Deepa N

Last updated: Dec 20, 2019

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Take a cruiser-vessel boat ride to experience the Ganges in all its glory, whether on the Upper Ganges, in Varanasi, or Lower Ganges, in Kolkata, lasting anywhere between 7–28 days. Enjoy excursions with an English-speaking guide as well as a naturalist in the luxury cruise liners and make the most of your visit to the historical cities and sights on the banks of the river, the terracotta temples, the oldest mosque still used for Friday prayer, a 19^th-century royal relic with 1,000 doors, and handicraft villages, among many others sights.

And at the end of each excursion, come back to get pampered and indulge in the food and wine and the attentiveness of the staff on the liners designed to mirror elegance and grace. Read on about all the wonderful things you can expect on a Ganga cruise on a luxury liner.

Get a Dose of the Art, History, and Culture of the Country in Kolkata

teracota

Most cruise operators are located on the Lower Ganges, on Hooghly River in Kolkata. But you’d still get to see the city from up close, whether it is the remnants of the city’s colonial past, the huge Victoria Memorial Hall Museum, and Saint Mother Teresa’s house. After the port city, the cruise takes you closer to experience the rural Indian life. At Kalna, also called Ambika Kalna, visit the terracotta temples, and the weavers’ colony at Fulia/Shantipur. Then at Matiari, a 100-year-old relatively new artisan village, learn a few ancient techniques of making brass artefacts, and carry back brass and copper souvenirs of bangles or even statues of gods.

Later, at Murshidabad, where the cruise stops for an excursion too, don’t miss out on visiting the Katra mosque, built way back in 1724 by the Muslim rulers and now maintained by the Archeological Survey of India. It is the oldest in the country where Friday prayers are still conducted. Murshidabad is also home to the wondrous Hazarduari Palace, the royal home with 1,000 doors in it, built in the 19^th century.

The Ganges cruises usually also include excursions to the cities of Mayapur and Bandel. An interesting fact—Mayapur is home to the Krishna Conscious (ISKCON) movement.

Explore Charming Stories Surrounding the Remnants of Portugal and French Eras at Bandel

Up ahead on the Ganges cruise is Bandel, a city steeped in the remnants of heritage and culture. The erstwhile Portugal city houses the Bandel Church, and offers a testament to the Portugal engineering skills. Legends speak of a ship with a torn sail, which drifted into the Hooghly River during a storm and landed in Bandel. The stories speak of the promise the ship’s captain made to offer the main mast of the ship to the first church in sight. The mast can still be seen in the compound of the Bandel church. Incidentally, Bandel is the Portuguese word for mast!

The city excursion will also take you to another landmark of the city—the Bandel Imambara. Built in the memory of a philanthropist, the Imambara, which was completed in 1861, is a Shiites’ assembly hall for observing Muharram. The three-storeyed structure, with two 85-foot high towers, offers an untarnished view of the Jubilee Bridge over the Hooghly River.

Then, a little further downstream, the cruise runs along Chandenagor, an erstwhile French colonial town, with the influence of its architecture showing through the little city.

Stay on a Scenic path towards the Holiest City in India—Varanasi

varanasi

Whether you choose to head out into the cities to partake in the excursions planned by the cruise operator, expect to witness some of the most calming sceneries as your boat cruises through the rust-coloured waters of the Ganges. Some cruise liners even take you via the Sundarbans, at the delta of the Ganges over the India–Bangladesh border. There couldn’t be a better place than the mangrove-forested World Heritage Area for a Bengal tiger safari. What’s more, these luxury cruises offer a local naturalist to travel with you. So ready your queries about all the wildlife you might spot along the way.

And along, as the cruise liner rumbles along the surface of the river, you’d reach the banks of one of the holiest city on earth, the holiest in the country—Varanasi. Here’s Ganges in all its pious glory. Some people even believe that this is the only part of the cruise that is actually on the Ganges. With its ghats and the holy evening prayers, Varanasi is a sacred site for most people. You may even request your cruise operator for an excursion to the city, although it is almost always included in most itineraries.

Enjoy the comforts of Speciality Cruising Onboard

While you enjoy your time outside the boat taking in the sights and sounds of the countryside that the boat streams along, you’d be in for more when you arrive back from your daily sojourns. Luxury cruises come with accommodations that cater to the aesthetic sensibilities of their customers. Plush wardrooms to lounge in, rooms with modern fittings and floor-to-ceiling glass doors, a cosy sitting area, and a private bathroom with shower. The ultra-luxury suites even come with private butler service assigned to each, as well as spa services that can take care of the aches and pains from the walking around during the land excursions.

When you want to unwind, choose from the finest drinks and vintage wines, and relish the most flavoursome meals lined out exclusively for you.

Some Companies that Offer Luxury Cruises on the Ganges

G Adventures
(9-day round trip Ganges River Experience from Kolkata; 8-day Ganges River Adventure from Patna to Farakka; and 12-day Cruise the Ganges trip from Kolkata to Varanasi)
Months: January–May and July–September
Prices: Starting from INR 104,400 per person*
Website: https://www.gadventures.com/travel-styles/cruising/expedition-cruises/

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, Ganges Voyager II, an ultra-luxurious ship serving the Ganges
(12-night India's Golden Triangle and the Sacred Ganges)
Months: January–March and September–December
Prices: Starts at INR 493,200 per person*
Website: https://www.uniworld.com/in/ships/ganges-voyager-ii/

Assam Bengal Navigation
(Summer sailings on the Upper Ganges, which begin in Varanasi and go to Patna)
Months: year-round cruises between Patna and Farakka. Cruise on Upper Ganges only in winters
Prices: Starts at INR 20,000 per person*
Website: https://www.assambengalnavigation.com/

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*Prices may vary

Deepa N

Writer. Editor. Storyteller. (And sometimes a poet.) Deepa hopes to continue spending the rest of her lifetime watching people, places and things so that she can create her art someday.

Comments

James | on 21 May 2018

Nice one. Looking for the same Actually, now I am located in Dubai and working in dubai cruise so I really very well understand the amenities of the cruise. Thanks for sharing the information.