Feasting, sight-seeing & puja on double-decker luxury cruise in Kashi

Varanasi: Planning to party, feast on a floating banquet or even perform yajna with Ganga ghats in silhouette? Now, this would soon be possible on Ropax, a ferry introduced by tourism department and gifted to Varanasi by Inland Waterway Authority of India (IWAI). After the roll on-roll ferry service was launched between Mumbai and Mandwa near Alibaug, a similar initiative is set to pick steam on the Ganga in Kashi. The tourism department is completing formalities to take over the Rs 11-crore ferry.
Designed to provide maximum efficiency and seamless transfer of vehicles, cargo and passengers, Ropax, however, won’t be used to carry vehicles in Kashi. The lower deck will be utilised as a banquet while rituals can be performed on the upper platform. The 200-seater ferry will mostly be used for sightseeing and even long-distance tourism till Chunar.
Talking to TOI on Wednesday, divisional commissioner Deepak Agrawal said, Ropax has reached Varanasi and the tourism department is finalising the draft to operate it on public-private partnership (PPP) model. Then, a memorandum of understanding would be signed before the takeover. The entire cost of crew staff, operations and maintenance of Ropax will be borne by tourism department, he added.
As the ferry’s lower deck is meant for boarding vehicles, it would be utilised to organise feasts, parties or a gathering of up to 200 people. The top deck can also be given for religious discourses, yajna or other activities, said Agrawal.
Unlike the fare of luxury cruise Alaknand being operated by a private company, the fare RoPax will be kept low to make it affordable for middle and low-income tourists. He added that price for party booking and sight-seeing will be finalised before completing the tourism department draft.
IWAI deputy director (Varanasi) Rakesh Kumar said, the Rs 11-crore Ropax is currently anchored at the multi-model terminal at Ramnagar and will be handed over to the state government.
Officials said, as three bridges already exist in Varanasi to connect the sis and trans Ganga areas, there is no need to ferry vehicles.
Box: Another luxe cruise in queue
Another luxury cruise will be arriving in Kashi by November-end. Divisional commissioner Deepak Agrawal said, the cruise has already been bought and it has left Goa for Varanasi. It will reach Varanasi via Kanyakumari, Kolkata and Haldia and is due to anchor in Kashi after November 15.