Bengal Ganga

AM: Arrival in Varanasi and transfer to the Ravidas Ghat for embarkation. Welcome onboard and enjoy lunch, followed by Safety Briefing. Varanasi, known variously as Banaras and Kashi, Varanasi is a major religious hub in India, and is considered the holiest city in Hinduism and Jainism. It also played an important role in the development of Buddhism. Hindus believe that death in this city will bring salvation, making it a major center for pilgrimage. The city is known worldwide for its many Ghats, which are embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the riverbank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions.

PM: In the evening ride the country boat to the Dashashwamedh Ghat to see the “Ganga Aarti” ritual, performed by a group of priests lined up on the riverbank chanting mantras and performing the prayer ritual with lamps, incense, bells and traditional Hindu instruments to honor the river. Thousands of devotees throng the riverbank to participate in the ceremony every evening.

AM: After breakfast stroll in the Ghats and observe the morning rituals performed by priests and experience the hustle and bustle of devotees and roadside vendors. Visit the Kashi Vishwanath Temple for “Darshan” and offering prayers to Lord Shiva, the presiding deity of the city. Proceed to visit Sarnath, the seat where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon after attaining enlightenment in Bodhgaya. The Archaeological Museum here contains a large collection of sculptures that stand testimony to the fervent artistic and religious activity for more than a thousand years.

PM: Enjoy lunch onboard and begin cruising downstream viewing the countryside and life along the river. Dinner & overnight onboard Bengal Ganga.

AM: In the morning today, we sail back to Varanasi enjoying our breakfast. Disembark the ship and transfer for your onward journey.

AM: Varanasi is considered the holiest city in Hinduism and Jainism. It also played an important role in the development of Buddhism. In the evening ride the country boat to the Dashashwamedh Ghat to see the “Ganga Aarti” performed by a group of priests lined up on the riverbank chanting mantras and performing the prayer ritual with lamps, incense, and traditional instruments to honor the river.

PM: Dinner & overnight onboard Bengal Ganga.

AM: After breakfast stroll in the Vishwanath Gali (street), and experience the hustle and bustle of devotees and road side vendors. Visit the Kashi Vishwanath Temple for “Darshan” and offering prayers to Lord Shiva, the presiding deity of the city.

PM: Return to the ship by midday and begin cruising downstream viewing the countryside and enjoying lunch onboard.

Dinner & overnight onboard Bengal Ganga.

AM: After breakfast we sail upstream towards Varanasi, arriving by midday at Ravidas Ghat.

PM: Post lunch visit to Sarnath the seat where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon after attaining enlightenment in Bodhgaya. Visit the local bazaar for shopping the famous “banarasi” silk, muslin, perfumes, and other handicrafts that Varanasi is famous for.

Dinner & overnight onboard Bengal Ganga.

AM: Following breakfast disembark the ship and transfer on your onward journey.

PM: Arrival in Varanasi and transfer to the jetty for embarkation. Enjoy lunch onboard. Varanasi is considered the holiest city in Hinduism and Jainism. It also played an important role in the development of Buddhism. In the evening ride the country boat to the Dashashwamedh Ghat to see the “Ganga Aarti” performed by a group of priests lined up on the riverbank chanting mantras and performing the prayer ritual with lamps, incense, and traditional instruments to honor the river.

Dinner & overnight onboard Bengal Ganga.

AM: Early morning sail to the ghat near the Kashi Vishwanath temple. Stroll in the Vishwanath Gali and experience the hustle and bustle of devotees and roadside vendors. Visit the Kashi Vishwanath Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, the presiding deity of the city. Return to the ship for breakfast and begin cruising downstream viewing the countryside and enjoying lunch onboard.

PM: And sail back to Varanasi by evening. Dinner & overnight onboard Bengal Ganga.

AM: After breakfast walk along the Ghats to see the preparations for the Dev Diwali Festival.

PM: Return to the ship for lunch. Late afternoon, depart in smaller boats to see the Dev Diwali festivities.  Dinner & overnight onboard Bengal Ganga.

AM: Following breakfast disembark the ship and transfer for your onward journey.

AM: Arrival in Kolkata and transfer to the jetty for embarkation.

PM: Lunch onboard. Thereafter Panoramic Tour of Dalhousie Square’s heritage buildings; St. John's Church, Victoria Memorial, and Mother Teresa’s Home.

Return to ship overnight. Enjoy cultural performance onboard. Dinner & overnight onboard Bengal Ganga.

AM: After breakfast, visit the Flower Market, where you can see artists creating a variety of garlands, ornaments, and other items made of flowers and leaves for temples, weddings, and other uses. Thereafter, visit Kumartuli, a traditional potters’ quarter renowned for its sculpting prowess.

PM: Return to the ship for lunch and start sailing upstream, passing below the Howrah Bridge, and seeing various colonial buildings along the Ganges River.

Dinner & overnight onboard Bengal Ganga.

AM: After breakfast ride e-rickshaws through the town of Kalna to visit the enchanting Rajbari Temple complex. The Nabakailas Temple contains 108 eight-slope-roofed shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva. Other temples in the complex feature diverse architecture and terracotta plaques depict themes of Hindu epics and various aspects of day-to-day life in the region.

PM: Return to the ship walking through the local vegetable market. Begin sail towards the shore-side village of Matiari, while having lunch onboard. Dinner & overnight onboard Bengal Ganga.

AM: Early this morning walks in the village to see and experience the craftsmen at work. These master craftsmen utilize recycled copper to create exquisite pots, platters, and more from their workshops in the village. Return to ship for breakfast and sail full day towards Murshidabad, a hidden architectural gem with dramatic whitewashed colonial era structures.

PM: Lunch onboard. Dinner & overnight onboard Bengal Ganga.

AM: After breakfast ride the Toto (e-rickshaw) through the countryside to the Katra mosque, which has distinctive minarets. Thereafter visit the Hazarduari Palace, which dominates the waterfront. Built by an English architect, McLeod Duncan, in the Greek "Doric" style, the palace has more than a thousand real and false doors in the vast corridors and is filled with colonial-era antiques.

PM: Return to the ship for lunch and sail towards Jangipur. Dinner & overnight onboard Bengal Ganga.

AM: Enjoying breakfast onboard we sail in the morning to cross the historic Farakka Lock Gate. The travel through the Feeder Canal will give us a chance to see the different birds of the region. After crossing the Lock Gate, we cruise through the connecting canal to the Ganges revealing vast panoramas.

PM: We continue to sail towards Samtaghat. Dinner & overnight onboard Bengal Ganga.

AM: Today we sail full day towards Bateshwarsthan enjoying breakfast and lunch. You will be fascinated by the passing landscape and the lively life on the river.

PM: We will arrive in Bateshwarsthan by evening. Dinner & overnight onboard Bengal Ganga.

AM: After breakfast drive in cars to the 8-9th century excavation site of the Vikramshila University and walk around the ruins. Vikramshila University was an important Buddhist centre of learning under the rule of the Pala Dynasty. Subjects like theology, philosophy, grammar, metaphysics, and logic were taught here.

PM: We return to the ship and sail towards Sultanganj while enjoying lunch onboard. Dinner & overnight onboard Bengal Ganga.

AM: After breakfast excursion to Sultanganj, which is notable for two prominent granite rock islands in the river connected to the mainland by a causeway. On one of the islands is a mosque; on the other larger one is the Ajgaibinath Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. We will visit the Shiva temple.

PM: Return to the ship and sail towards Munger while enjoying lunch onboard. Dinner & overnight onboard Bengal Ganga.

AM: After breakfast visit the Chandika Sthan Temple, which is dedicated to Goddess Shakti. It is one of the fifty-one Shakti Peethas, associated with the legend of Lord Vishnu who to save the world from Lord Shiva’s wrath, cut into pieces the corpse of Devi Sati that Shiva was carrying.

PM: Return to ship for lunch. Thereafter visit the Munger Fort that Fort houses several religious and historic monuments such as tombs of saints, a palace and a British cemetery. We also stroll through a local market popular for fruits, vegetables, textiles, and readymade garments. Dinner & overnight onboard Bengal Ganga.

AM: Enjoying our breakfast and lunch onboard, we continue our journey further upstream sailing under the great bridge at Mokameh Ghat.

PM: We will arrive in Simaria by late afternoon. In the evening walk in the riverside village of Simaria to see the daily activities of the local people. Dinner & overnight onboard Bengal Ganga.

AM: Today we sail full day through wonderful countryside to Patna, enjoying breakfast and lunch. Patna is the capital of the State of Bihar and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world founded in 490 BCE as Pataliputra.

PM: Dinner & overnight onboard Bengal Ganga.

AM: After breakfast and proceed to visit the Golghar and Patna Museum. The Golghar, literally meaning "Round house", is a large beehive-shaped granary that was built "for the perpetual prevention of famine in these provinces" in 1784 by Warren Hastings, the British Governor General of India. The Patna Museum was started in April 1917 during the British Raj to house the historical artefacts found in the vicinity of Patna. Items on display in the multipurpose museum include archaeological objects, coins, art objects, paintings, instruments, textiles, paintings, bronze images and sculptures and terra cotta images by Hindu and Buddhist artists.

PM: Return to ship. Lunch onboard. Thereafter sail towards Ghaghra Mod, the confluence where River Ghaghra meets River Ganges. Dinner & overnight onboard Bengal Ganga.

AM: After breakfast enjoy a walk in the riverbank village. Thereafter sail full day towards Buxar, anchoring en route. Buxar is one of the most prominent towns of western Bihar, bordering the State of Uttar Pradesh.

PM: Dinner & overnight onboard Bengal Ganga.

AM: We arrive into Buxar by late morning while enjoying breakfast and lunch onboard.

PM: Post lunch visit the Ram Rekha Ghat. It is associated with a legend from the epic Ramayana that after killing the demoness Tadka, Lord Ram to cleanse himself from the sin of killing a woman, took a bath in the Ganges here. Also visit the Sita Ram Upadhyay Museum, named after a local resident who had donated his personal collection that include archaeological objects, coins and manuscripts. Dinner & overnight onboard Bengal Ganga.

AM: Today we sail full day towards Ghazipur enjoying breakfast and lunch onboard. Ghazipur in the State of Uttar Pradesh was established by the British East India Company in 1820 as an opium factory. It still produces the drug for the global pharmaceutical industry.

PM: Post lunch visit to the Tomb of Lord Cornwallis, one of the major figures of Indian and British history. Dinner & overnight onboard Bengal Ganga.

AM: Today we sail full day further upstream towards Varanasi enjoying breakfast and lunch onboard.

PM: We will moor for the night before Varanasi, subject to river tide conditions. Dinner & overnight onboard Bengal Ganga.

AM & PM: We sail further upstream through the day to arrive in Varanasi by late afternoon. Varanasi is a major religious hub in India, and is considered the holiest city in Hinduism and Jainism. It also played an important role in the development of Buddhism. The city is known worldwide for its many Ghats, which are embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the river bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions. Varanasi is also an important industrial centre, famous for its muslin and silk fabrics, perfumes, ivory works, and sculpture. Dinner & overnight onboard Bengal Ganga.

AM: After breakfast we visit the excavation site of Sarnath, the seat where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon after attaining enlightenment in Bodhgaya. The Dhamek Stupa here marks the precise location where Buddha preached his first discourse to his first five disciples. The Archaeological Museum at Sarnath contains a large collection of sculptures that stand testimony to the fervent artistic and religious activity for more than a thousand years.

PM: Return to the ship for lunch. Thereafter, visit the Ghats by walk to experience the activities and hustlebustle in the by-lanes. Continue to the riverside and witness the “Ganga Aarti” ritual. It is performed by a group of priests lined up on the riverbank chanting mantras and performing the prayer ritual with lamps, incense, bells and traditional Hindu instruments to honour the river. Thousands of devotees throng the riverbank to participate in the ceremony every evening. Dinner & overnight onboard Bengal Ganga.

AM: Following breakfast disembark the ship and transfer for your onward journey.