The West Bengal Transport Corporation is launching a unique river cruise along the River Hooghly from October 1, that will cost only Rs 39. The Kolkata River Cruise will start from the Millennium Park Jetty and end at same point after a 90-minutes ride.
The cruise will be conducted Monday to Friday at 4pm and 6pm. On holidays, Saturdays and Sundays, it will start from 12 noon, 2pm, 4pm and 6pm. There’s on board Cruise Café where food is available on purchase, free on board heritage Tour Guide and selfie booths to attract the young.
According to officials, river water cruise is a rage all over the world — such as London River Cruise or Singapore Boat Ride — and is loved both by locals and tourists alike. “Something similar is being planned in Kolkata but the USP here is is the price,” said an official. The vessel has been decorated to reflect the spirit of Kolkata. “The idea is to make heritage river cruise experience affordable, and popular among the youth”, said the MD of WBTC Rajanvir Singh Kapur.
What can you see while on the cruise?
*Mayer Ghat which Ma Sarada used to visit daily. She lived near the ghat from May 23, 1909 to July 20, 1920.
*Nimtala Ghat where the cremation of Rabindranath Tagore, Acharaya Prafulla Chandra Ray, Acharya Jagadish Ch. Bose took place. This place is also famous for Somsankali temple and Bhootnath temple.
*Armenian Ghat, which was built in 1734 by Manvel Hazaar Maliyan, a trader from the city with Armenian origin. The ferry ghat was one of the many contributions made by him for developing Kolkata’s infrastructure. It is also the area where one of the first trams plied.
*Eastern Railway Headquarters, which was set up in 1952 and has four divisions – Sealdah, Howrah, Asansol and Malda.
*BBD Bag Railway Station. The Benoy Badal Dinesh Bag Circular Railway Station a railway loop line operated by Eastern Railway encircling the city. It is located between Strand Road and Fairlie jetties at Fairlie Place.
*Chandpal Ghat, located north of Babughat, opposite the New Secretariat Building on Strand Road. It was named after a shop owner Chandpal, who sold household items by the side of this ghat.
There will be special booking arrangements for educational tours in future. Proper sanitization protocols are being followed for safety by theWBTC, an official said. There will be maximum 150 persons allowed during a ride in order to maintain social distancing protocols.
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