Now, Cruise through Ganga on weekends at affordable rates

The Bengal government has organised a 'weekend Ganga cruise' at pocket friendly rates. The West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation (WBTDC) has recently started the packaged tour, which can be booked online.

The bank of the river Hooghly, which has been beautified by the state government, has already been an attraction for the tourists. Many private travel agencies have started Ganga Cruise during festivals but this cruise package by the government comes in much more affordable prices.

The journey which starts from New Babughat Jetty and concludes at Babughat, costs only Rs 450, which is a way cheaper than private packages.

The weekend Ganga cruise begins at around 3:30 pm and ends at 7:00 pm. The three-and-half-hour exceptional experience on the river Hooghly at dusk has impressed the tourists, especially foreigners who visit Kolkata.

The picturesque view along both sides of Ganga, the localities alongside the riverbank, the setting sun and boats and ships makes for a beautiful experience for the

tourists.

According to a West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation source, the tourists start their journey boarding the vessel MV Sumangal. They cross the Dakshineswar Temple and reach Belur Math. They get down there to visit the Ramakrishna Math and Mission. Later they return to vessel and the trip concludes at Babughat at around 7 pm.

The state tourism department has planned many such tours, among which this weekend Ganga cruise is the most popular. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) have beautified places like Prinsep Ghat, Strand Road, Babu Ghat, Millennium Park, Fairly Jetty, Armenian Ghat and Grand Foreshore Road.

Recently, Kolkata Municipal Corporation took a project to make a look alike of 'Sydney Harbour Bridge'. The structure will connect both the bank of river. However, the tourism department decided that the river Hooghly would be showcased as the most important tourism aspect in Bengal. The holy river is the witness of centuries of the civilisation growth. The river has always been featured in promotional campaigns and advertisement films as one of the identifying feature of Kolkata and Howrah.