India can't be defined in words, only experienced from heart: PM Narendra Modi

 Varanasi-Dibrugarh river cruise flagged off

NEW DELHI: Highlighting the country's development strides and cultural heritage, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that India cannot be defined in words and can only be experienced from the heart.

The Prime Minister flagged off the world's longest river cruise MV Ganga Vilas in Varanasi via video conferencing on Friday. He also inaugurated the Tent City at Varanasi and laid the foundation stones for several other inland waterways projects worth more than Rs 1,000 crore.

Addressing the ceremony via video conferencing, Modi said, "This is the decade of transforming India's infrastructure. India has everything that one can imagine. It also has a lot beyond your imagination. India cannot be defined in words. India can only be experienced from the heart because India it always opened her heart for everyone, irrespective of region or religion, creed or country".

He said that the beginning of the world's longest river cruise service on the river Ganga is a landmark moment. It will herald a new age of tourism in India.

"Wherever the cruise passes through, it will create a new line of development. Today, foundation stones have been laid for several other inland waterways projects worth more than Rs 1,000 crore. This will expand trade and tourism and employment opportunities in eastern India", the Prime Minister said.

Modi said that Ganga is not just a river for the people of the country, but is the symbol of India's penance. He said that commencement of the MV Ganga Vilas river cruise, which will sail over 3,200 km, is a living example of the development of inland waterways in the country. He said that work is being done on the development of 111 national water highways across 24 states.

MV Ganga Vilas will begin its journey from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and travel around 3,200 km in 51 days to reach Dibrugarh in Assam via Bangladesh, sailing across 27 river systems in India and Bangladesh.

MV Ganga Vilas has three decks, 18 suites on board with a capacity of 36 tourists, with all the luxury amenities. The maiden voyage has 32 tourists from Switzerland signing up for the entire length of the journey.

The MV Ganga Vilas cruise is curated to bring out the best of the country to be showcased to the world. The 51-day cruise is planned with visits to 50 tourist spots, including World Heritage Sites, National Parks, river ghats and major cities like Patna in Bihar, Sahibganj in Jharkhand, Kolkata in West Bengal, Dhaka in Bangladesh, and Guwahati in Assam.

The journey will give the tourists an opportunity to embark upon an experiential voyage and indulge in the art, culture, history, and spirituality of India and Bangladesh.

NE has been transformed, says CM: Meanwhile, Assam's Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday visited Pandu Ghat in Guwahati to attend the flagging off of MV Ganga Vilas by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through video-conferencing mode.

The Prime Minister also virtually inaugurated the Maritime Skill Development Centre at Guwahati, which has been built at a cost of Rs 6 crore, and laid the foundation stones for a ship repair centre at Pandu and an elevated road connecting the Multi-Modal Terminal at Pandu with the National Highway-27, for which amounts of Rs 208 crore and Rs180 crore respectively, have been sanctioned.

Addressing the inauguration and foundation stones laying ceremony, the Chief Minister expressed his gratitude towards the Prime Minister for the numerous initiatives under his leadership aimed at transforming the North-Eastern states into engines of growth and development in the country. Referring to the launch of MV Ganga Vilas as a game-changer in unleashing the true potential of the tourism sector in eastern India, Sarma said that it would go a long way in realizing Modi's motto of 'transformation of the Northeast through transportation'.

Sarma also appealed to tourists from across the country as well as abroad to come forward for the never-before experience that MV Ganga Vilas would be offering.

Sarma also exuded confidence that the Maritime Skill Development Centre would ensure youths from the region would be able make use of the employment and self-employment opportunities the maritime sector. He added that the upcoming ship repair centre and elevated road connecting Pandu Port with National Highway-27 would be a huge boost to not only the riverine shipping sector in the region, but would also contribute immensely towards its economic growth.

Earlier, there were talks of need for "mainstreaming of Northeast" in the power corridors and the intellectual circles, but under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, it has not remained a mere agenda but is being implemented in letter and spirit, the Chief Minister stated. Under Modi's leadership, the Northeast is witnessing an unprecedented level of progress and growth on all fronts, he added.

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav also joined through the video-conferencing mode, while Union Minister of State for Shipping Shripad Naik and Lok Sabha MP Queen Ojha were present at the function at Pandu. (ANI & official communiqué.)

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