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Antara River Cruises, pioneers of river cruising in India, not too long ago hosted 50 Agents from the UK on the river ship Antara Ganges Voyager II for 3 nights and 4 days from June 8-11, 2024.
The meticulously deliberate three day cruise, to showcase the joys of cruising on the Ganges and excursions into the cities alongside the banks, was a big success with the visitors.
Raj Singh Promotor and Managing Director Antara Cruises welcomed the visitors on board with a conventional welcome of garlands and tikas and stated, “ We are delighted that they could experience sailing on the Indian waterways, particularly on the sacred river Ganga, flowing more than 1,500 miles from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal. It was on the banks of the Ganga in Sarnath that the Buddha preached his first sermon in 528 BCE, and it was along these waters that the British built the first capital of the British Raj, Kolkata”.
The cruise itinerary included the following highlights:
Day 1 Sailing on the river and seeing the sights of Kolkata from the river with colonial buildings like the High Court, Belur Math, Howrah prepare station and the completely different bathing/ferry ghats (river banks) of Kolkata .
Day 2 Excursion of Kalna , the place the visitors took a journey on electrical rickshaws to the enchanting Rajbari Temple Complex, which has the highest focus of temples in the area and the Nabakailas Temple, inbuilt 1809 by the Bardhaman (*50*), which incorporates 108 eight slope-roofed shrines devoted to Lord Shiva. They additionally stopped by a native market promoting seasonal greens and fruits.
Later they sailed downstream in direction of Chandernagore to discover, a French colony established in 1673 as a buying and selling submit on the riverbanks. Here they walked alongside the promenade, and visited a few colonial buildings together with the former French governor’s residence, now transformed to a museum and the Sacred Heart Church, designed by French Architect Jacques Duchatz inaugurated in 1884.
Day 3 The visitors sailed again to Kolkata and embarked on a metropolis tour of Kolkata beginning with the distinctive and bustling Flower Market situated beneath and adjoining to the cantilevered Howrah Bridge that spans the Ganga. Thereafter they visited Kumartuli, a conventional potters’ quarter in northern Kolkata, famend for its sculpting prowess, which not solely manufactures clay idols for numerous festivals but in addition usually exports them.
The tour ended with a Panoramic Tour of Kolkata, that includes the nicely preserved British colonial buildings in Kolkata: Writer’s Building, General Post Office, High Court, Raj Bhawan (Governor’s House), Town Hall, Council House, Treasury Building, Reserve Bank of India and Dalhousie Square. A should go to is the St. John’s Church, the oldest Anglican Church in Kolkata, inbuilt 1756 and naturally, the grand Victoria Memorial for a photograph op!
The Antara Story: Antara believes the finest means to see South Asia is from the river. What started in 2003 as a dream for travel business pioneer and naturalist Raj Singh has as we speak was Antara’s thoughtfully designed, well-appointed fleet of 9 ships that sail South Asia’s most iconic rivers. Antara gives its visitors stunning perches on shifting water from which to take pleasure in vibrant and meditative landscapes, folks, crafts and wildlife. Our philosophy is to deliver the area’s indigenous environments and cultures to the world, sustainably, and with its famend hospitality, in ships which are designed with thought, luxurious and care. Antara cruises embody the Ganga, the Padma and the Brahmaputra River programs to make the world’s longest river cruise. In 2024, Antara commenced crusing the 4 rivers that inundate Bhitarkanika National Park, India’s second largest mangrove forest.
