On the eve of the start of the world's longest river cruise in Varanasi, the Ministry of Culture organised a big curtain-raiser cultural performance today called "Sur Sarita - Symphony of Ganga." Tomorrow, January 13, the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will signal the start of the cruise. The big concert held today at the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor was conducted by renowned vocalist Shankar Mahadevan, who delighted the crowds with his lovely songs. Ganga Vilas Cruise will cross Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Bangladesh, and Assam in a journey of 51 days.
The world's longest river cruise would be started with the inauguration of MV Ganga Vilas, according to Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways and AYUSH, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal. This will make fresh history for India's waterways industry and usher in a new era of river cruise travel.
On this occasion, Uttar Pradesh's Chief Minister, Shri Yogi Adityanath, stated that Kashi will usher in a new age with the aid of river cruises. Kashi is regarded as the global centre of culture and spirituality, and under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guidance, Kashi has made a name for itself while preserving its storied past.
He further stated that in addition to being connected by land and sky, Kashi will now also be connected by rivers.
Along with appreciating the Sur Taranginis, other dignitaries and tourists on the Ganga Vilas Cruise learned about Mother Ganga's significance and their obligations to care for her during the concert. One became aware of Maa Ganga's reverence as a Goddess for all Indians and for all of humanity after reading this Sur Sandhya.
In a 51-day journey, the Ganga Vilas Cruise will travel through Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Bangladesh, and Assam. The river has been a part of folklore and legend in these locations for a long time. In order to provide the event a variety of flavours, songs from several states were selected for it.
In a tribute to the rivers Ganga, Yamuna, and Brahmaputra, famous singer Shankar Mahadevan was joined by folk musicians from Assam, Bihar, and Bengal. The performance of "Kartavya Ganga" by Shankar Mahadevan marked the conclusion of the roughly hour-long event. Every Indian will always take care of the river goddess, according to the pledge made in "Kartavya Ganga." As she has always shielded us from harm, we will all do every effort to protect her waters. During the event, an audio-visual presentation also highlighted the river and its timeless value.
A mobile science exhibition on Maa Gange: Arth Ganga was organised by the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), Kolkata, in conjunction with the Ministry of Culture, beginning on January 12. Before the concert, the exhibition was officially opened from Varanasi. The exhibition honours the Ganga and aims to raise awareness among the general public about the need to protect and restore the sacred river. The show will tour the neighbourhoods and locations close to the Ganges river. There are 18 panels in the displays, some of which include the Ganga's tributaries, the Ganga and Dams, and the Sunderbans.