It is believed that a holy dip in river Ganga can wash away all your sins. Combining romantic notions with modern travel, this river journey is one of the few trips that can still inspire. As you see life move langurously across these waters the Ganges can not fail to be a genuinely moving experience.
Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary is a 50 km stretch of the Ganges River from Sultanganj to Kahalgaon. Designated in 1991, it is the only protected area for the endangered Gangetic dolphins in Asia. Once found in abundance, only a few hundred remain, of which half are found here.
Of historic interest in Murshidabad are Nizamat Kila (the Fortress of the Nawabs), also known as the Hazaarduari Palace (Palace of a Thousand Doors), built by Duncan McLeod of the Bengal Engineers in 1837, in the Italianate style, the Moti Jhil (Pearl Lake) just to the south of the palace, the Muradbagh Palace and the Khushbagh Cemetery,where the remains of Ali Vardi Khan and Siraj Ud Daulah are interred.
The enchanting Rajbari complex in Kalna has the maximum concentration of temples. The complex contains a unique mixture of Bengal's temple architecture ranging from the Nabakailas Temples with 108 Shiva temples built in 1809 to Lalji temple built in 1739, the oldest in the complex. The complex also houses a flat roofed temple of Giri Govardhan.
| Day | Itinerary |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive Delhi and stay overnight. |
| Day 2 | Tour Old and New Delhi and stay overnight. |
| Day 3 | Fly to Patna and then drive to Simaria to board the cruise vessel, RV Bengal Ganga. Overnight on board. |
| Day 4 | Cast off for Munger to visit Bihar School of Yoga. Continue sailing to to Sultanganj. Overnight on board. |
| Day 5 | Cast off Sultanganj to arrive Karagola / Bateshwarsthan. Cruise through the Vikramashila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary and visit the ruins of Vikramashila University. Overnight on board. |
| Day 6 | Cast off Karagola. Arrive Rajmahal to explore Akbarnagar ruins. Overnight on board. |
| Day 7 | Cross the Farakka lock gate and continue to Jangipur. Overnight on board. |
| Day 8 | Cast off for Murshidabad. Visit the temples of Baranagar and tour Murshidabad. Jangipur. Overnight on board. |
| Day 9 | Cruise to Kalna to visit the temples. Overnight on board. |
| Day 10 | Cast off from Kalna to arrive Kolkata. Overnight on board. |
| Day 11 | City tour of Kolkata and overnight stay. |
| Day 12 | Fly to Delhi. |
October to March.
| Route | Distance |
|---|---|
| Delhi - Patna | 1015 km/631 miles (Flying time of 1.5 hrs) |
| Patna - Simaria | 103 km/64 miles |
| Simaria - Munger | 75 km/47 miles |
| Munger - Sultanganj | 34 km/21 miles |
| Sultanganj - Bateshwarsthan | 62 km/39 miles |
| Bateshwarsthan - Raj Mahal | 92 km/57 miles |
| Raj Mahal - Jangipur | 120 km/75 miles |
| Jangipur - Murshidabad | 54 km/35 miles |
| Murshidabad - Kalna | 137 km/85 miles |
| Kalna - Kolkata | 90 km/60 miles |