Luxury cruise on Saryu river in Ayodhya: Company gets clearances, land to develop boarding area for the visitors
According to officials, efforts are on to get the project ready by the annual Deepotsava function in the city so that it can be launched by the time the temple construction is over by year-end.
With the Ram Temple in Ayodhya scheduled to open to the public early next year, the UP government has launched a project to provide luxury river cruise and houseboat services on the Saryu river for the devotees and tourists visiting the temple town.
The two-hour cruise, to be on the lines of the one in Varanasi, will start from Guptar Ghat and end at Naya Ghat after covering Raj Ghat, Laxman Ghat, Ram Ghat and Janki Ghat, thereby providing a glimpse into the history of Ayodhya and the Ramayana, along with food and folk songs and dances, among other facilities, on board, said officials.
Officials said it would showcase a short story on Lord Ram and other mythologies prevalent in India and also its brief history.
According to officials, efforts are on to get the project ready by the annual Deepotsava function in the city so that it can be launched by the time the temple construction is over by year-end.
“We are preparing to provide river cruise services on the Saryu. The preparations are going on and it should be ready by Deepotsava,” said Ayodhya District Magistrate Nitish Kumar.
According to sources, Ayodhya Cruise Lines Ltd of ALCHEMY Group, which has obtained clearances from different heads such as the Union Ministry of Waterways for the project, was last week allotted land near ‘Ram Ki Pauri’ to develop a platform for boarding and landing of the cruise and the company would soon start working on the development of the boarding area.
Speaking with The Indian Express, Rahul Sharma, Managing Director of ALCHEMY Group, which will also operate the cruise services under Ayodhya Cruise Lines Ltd, said, “We have been running cruise services in Goa. Now, we are going to start services in Ayodhya and Puducherry. In Ayodhya, land has been allotted to us last week for developing the boarding area. Besides, we have ordered a cruise with a capacity to ferry 150 passengers and houseboats with 10 rooms.”
Sharma said the company had obtained required clearances from the Union Ministry of Waterways and the state government and was waiting for the allotment of land for the boarding area, which among other things would also have a waiting area, lounge, food court, etc.
“We have obtained NoCs and the land. The development work will also gain momentum, now. We plan to make services fully functional by the time the temple construction work is completed,” said Sharma.
Sharma said the cruise will be named after ‘Pushpak Viman’, which finds mention in the Ramayana, and houseboats as ‘Kanak Mahal’. The cruise will take four two-hour rounds daily — the first round providing breakfast, the second – lunch, the third – high tea and the fourth – dinner.