Luxury River Cruises in India

India is increasingly becoming a central location forbird life and Gangetic Dolphins.
luxury travel and luxury cruises. Luxury River CruisesA cruise along this river also allows access to a
in India are all the more spectacular because theynumber of spectacular National Parks, including
provide travellers with an opportunity equal to noneKaziranga, the last home of the one horned rhino.
to observe the astounding geography of the region.Kaziranga National Park is the oldest National Park in
TheAssam and a World Heritage site. Spread over an
Ganges River is the starting point for a host ofarea of 430 square kilometres, the park is home to a
luxury river cruises.variety of species, such as: the one horned
All river cruises in India start and finish with the Riverrhinoceros, elephant, Indian bison, swamp deer,
Ganges, or India's "Holy River." The Ganges flowssamber, hog deer, sloth bear, leopard, capped langur,
east through the Gangetic Plain of northern India intogibbon, jackal and ibis.
Bangladesh. The Ganges then rises in the westernThe mighty Brahmaputra River charts its majestic
Himalayas and drains into the Sunderbans delta in thecourse through the state of Assam. This mystic land
Bay of Bengal.of blue hills and beautiful rivers is renowned for its
For Hindus in India, the Ganga is not just a river - butrich flora and fauna, the one horned rhinoceros and
a mother, a goddess, a culture. Many Hindus believeother species of wildlife on the verge of extinction.
that life simply isn't complete without bathing in theAssam is the state that houses many holy sites, such
Ganga at least once in one's lifetime. Many Hinduas: Kamakhya Temple, the Shakti Temple of mother
families keep a vial of water from the Ganga in theirGoddess Kamakhya situated on the top of Nilachal
house. Hindus believe that the water from the GangaHills. The greatest shrine of tantric Shaktism,
can cure the ill.devotees from all over India converge on this holy
Some of the most important Hindu festivals happenplace during festivals.
on the banks of this vital body of water. FestivalsUmananda Temple is another great Shiva temple
are celebrated on the banks of the river, such as thesituated on the Peacock Island in the middle of the
Kumbh Mela, Allahabad and the Chhath Puja.Brahmaputra. This temple attracts devotees from all
The River Ganges is a primary tourist destination.over the country during Shiva Ratri.
Three towns holy to Hinduism - Haridwar, Allahabad,The Brahmaputra soon becomes the Hugli River,
and Varanasi - attract countless pilgrims to its waters.which glides snakelike through the Kolkata district.
Thousands of Hindu pilgrims arrive at these threeKolkata is regarded as the intellectual capital of the
towns to take a dip in the Ganges. The rapids of thenation. Several of India's great 19th and 20th-century
Ganges also are popular for river rafting, attractingheroes were Kolkatans, including guru-philosopher
scores of adventure seekers in the summer months.Ramakrishna, Nobel Prize-winning poet Rabindranath
A Brahmaputra Luxury River Cruise provides the bestTagore and film director Satyajit Ray.
opportunity to explore one of the world's finestDozens of venues showcase Bengali dance, poetry,
combinations of river and jungle.art, music, film and theatre. Kalighat's Kali Temple is
The River Brahmaputra merges with the Ganges inKolkata's holiest spot. The current structure dates
Bangladesh and splits into two: the Hugli and Padmafrom 1809.
Rivers. When it merges with the Ganges it forms theHowever, the site is many, many centuries older and
world's largest delta, the Sunderbans. The Sunderbanspossibly the source of the city's name. Inside the
houses the largest mangrove swamp and Estuarinetemple pilgrims jostle to present hibiscus offerings to
National Park in the world and is home to one of theKali. This site has been an important pilgrimage
largest tiger reserves in the world.destination since the 16th century.
The notions of wildlife and wilderness are central toLuxury river cruises in India provide travellers with an
any Brahmaputra Luxury River Cruise. The sand spitsunequalled opportunity to observe the astounding
and estuaries of the river abound with a variety ofgeography of this stunning region.