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Call Us at: +91-11-45551500
Timing : 09:30 hrs to 18:30 hrs IST |
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BENGAL - CRUISE |
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| BENGAL DESPATCH 2 - THE HOLY GANGES UPSTREAM |
Day 1,
Midday 6 hr train journey from Calcutta to Farakka, and short road transfer to the ship. Customers joining independently at Farakka can board from midday onwards.
Day 2,This morning we leave Farakka and sail out into the River Ganges proper, almost sea-like here just above the great Farakka Barrage. We sail upstream much of the morning, before anchoring at Rajmahal, beneath the Rajmahal Hills. Rajmahal is one of those places, so common in India, which feature in no guidebook and yet offer both interest and atmosphere; once known as Akbarnagar, the town was founded by the Mughal Emperor Akbar as his eastern capital. Shah Jehan, builder of the Taj Mahal, spent much of his youth here. There are remains of palaces, forts and mosques submerged in vegetation which we shall explore.
Day 3,Today is a day spent cruising upriver, passing in the afternoon the confluence with the Kosi, coming down from Nepal. Close to here we shall visit the village of Antichak and ruins of the 8th century Buddhist monastery of Vikramshila.
Day 4, This morning we stop to visit the island shrine at Colganj, with both Buddhist and Hindu cave temples, and once a centre of the murderous Thug sect, then sail on along a stretch of the river where Gangetic Dolphin may be seen, to Bhagalpur, a centre of silk production. We shall hope to visit the 18th century monument to Augustus Cleveland, as well as his elegant bungalow
Day 5, We sail on to Sultanganj and Jahangira Island, a place of pilgrimage with early Hindu carvings in the rock. On shore, another picturesque rock is topped with a mosque. We continue on to stop for the night before Monghyr.
Day 6, Monghyr possesses a fine Mughal fort, as well as a big British cemetery dating back to the days when it was a retirement settlement for the East India Company. We shall also visit the Pirpahar Hill, crowned by a fine old mansion, before continuing our cruise upstream.
Day 7,This morning we pass under the great bridge at Mokameh, where the naturalist Jim Corbett spent his working life in charge of the ferry which operated here earlier. At some stage we shall stop to visit a bankside village and stretch our legs. We arrive by evening at the bridge of boats at Fatwa.
Day 8,Today there is a choice of excursions, either to the Jain and Buddhist monuments at Rajgir Hill and the Buddhist monasteries at Nalanda, or on further to Boddh Gaya itself, the site of Buddha’s enlightenment and of the bodhi tree under which he sat. Surrounding the great Mahabodhi temple are the temples and monasteries of many Buddhist cultures, Japan, Bhutan, Tibet, Thailand, and others.
We return in the evening to our ship which will have arrived in the state capital of Patna at a berth close to the old East India Company opium warehouses.
Day 9,This morning we take a tour of Patna, visiting the extraordinary 18th century Gola Ghar granary, the great Sikh temple and the rich collections of the State Museum. Disembark late morning and transferred to airport or station (transfer included). Alternatively own arrangements for road travel to Varanasi, Bodh Gaya or Nepal. Alternatively remain on board for the Bengal Despatch 3 Sonepur Cattle Fair special cruise. |
| BENGAL 6 - SUNDERBANS DOWNSTREAM |
Day 1,
Board in central Calcutta AM. Sail down river, passing Garden Reach, Diamond Harbour, Kedgeree (any guesses as to what is on the menu for lunch?) to the fishing port of Namkhana where we turn out of the Hooghly estuary.
Day 2,
We enter the maze of mangrove-covered islands which make up the Sunderbans – we may well see sails above the trees as this is one of the last places on earth where sailing ships are used for day-to-day trade. We visit the crocodile rescue centre at Bagabatkhana and stop at tiger-free Lothian Island to take the boardwalk through the mangroves to an observation tower. We continue on to anchor at Sajnakhali on the edge of the core area of the sanctuary.
Day 3,
We have a day to cruise the channels through the islands in our country boat Although they are there deep in the mangrove forest, we shall not see actually see tigers – something to be grateful for since all are maneaters and few who see them live to tell the tale. We shall however see crocodiles, monitor lizards, deer and plenty of bird life.
Day 4,
We take the country boat to Basanti where we disembark and are driven c. 4hrs to central Calcutta or airport. |
| BENGAL - THE HISTORIC HUGLI UPSTREAM |
Day 1,
You are collected from your hotel late morning. Embark midday on your ship and sail up past the old Danish colony of Serampore to Barrackpore, land and take a walk through the cantonment past the Semaphore Tower, Government House, the Temple of Fame, and Flagstaff House, its garden housing many of the British statues removed from central Calcutta. At high tides it may be necessary to perform the first mile or two under low clearance bridges by a launch before boarding the cruise ship at Bally Bridge
Day 2,
Sail up to Chandernagore, a French possession until 1950, and visit the 18th century church and Dupleix’s House containing a small museum. Drive on to visit the Dutch cemetery at Chinsura, the Imambara at Hugli and the Portuguese church at Bandel where you reboard your ship and cruise upstream, leaving urban sprawl and cruising through the night to a mooring near Kalna.
Day 3,
Land at the country town of Kalna and take cycle rickshaws to see a group of some of Bengal’s most attractive terracotta temples, as well as the unique Shiva temple with concentric rings made up of 108 shrinelets. Continue on through the countryside to Mayapur, its skyline dominated by the vast new ISKCON temple. Visit on the opposite bank at Nabadwip the older and humbler temples entwined within a giant banyan tree before sailing on through the night to a mooring near Matiari.
Day 4,
This morning visit the brassworking village of Matiari where you can see the whole primitive process of beating out brass water pots and other vessels. Later cruise on past the battlefield of Plassey where in 1757 Clive’s defeat of Siraj-ud-Daulah changed the course of Indian history, to moor at Murshidabad.
Day 5,
Land and travel by cycle rickshaw to the Khushbagh, a peaceful Moghul-style garden enclosing the tombs of Siraj-ud-Daulah and his family. Continue a little way upstream to where the Nawab’s great Hazarduari Palace, built by an English architect in 1837, dominates the waterfront. Inside are an extensive collection of pictures, china, weapons and other objects. Visit also the great Katra Mosque and drive out to two amazing buildings of the late 18th century, the Nashipara Palace and the Katgola Palace. Both were built in classical Georgian style by rich local merchants and represent the other side of the coin of the “White Moghul” period when English and Indian cultures came close to fusion. Overnight on the riverbank across from town.
Day 6,
Moor at the delightful sleepy village of Baranagar with three gorgeous miniature terracotta temples to which you walk through the fields. This is rural India at its most idyllic. Continue up the Hugli, here a charming waterway twisting and turning between banks lined with mustard fields and mango orchards. Carry on to moor at dusk at Jangipur.
Day 7,
From Jangipur, near where the Hugli flows out from the Ganges, a morning excursion explores native villages where silk is woven and “bidis” (primitive cigarettes) are rolled. In the afternoon, cruise up a long canal section to the Farakka Barrage.
A full day excursion by road is also available at extra cost ($50 pp) for those just taking the Bengal Despatch 1 7-night itinerary to Gaur, near the town of Malda, or English Bazar. This quiet, deserted place was once one of India’s great cities, first under the Hindus in 12th century, then as the muslim capital of Eastern India from the 14th to the 16th century. There are plentiful remains of mosques, palaces and gateways and you visit a number of the most interesting before rejoining the ship in the evening at Farakka.
Day 8,
For those taking the Bengal Despatch 1 7-night cruise, dawn transfer to Farakka station for morning 6 hr train journey to Calcutta. Alternatively it is possible to travel on by road to Silguri and Darjeeling (transfer not included in cruise price).
For those taking both Bengal Despatch 1 and 2 cruises, a full day excursion by road takes you to Gaur. This quiet, deserted place was once one of India’s great cities, first under the Hindus in the 12th century, then as the muslim capital of Eastern India from the 14th to the 16th century. There are plentiful remain of mosques, palaces and gateways. Later travel on through the town of Malda, or English Bazar, to Pandua where you will visit the great 14th century Adina Mosque before returning to Farakka where your ship will have passed through the lock at the barrage. |
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