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Introduction
Its
a wonderful soft adventure trip with a experience of exclusive
country made boat with boatman & kitchen crew, exclusive overnight
stops in between destinations, company of migratory birds.
While
sailing down the Ganges - in a wooden country boat from Allahabad
to Varanasi one will witness important Hindu pilgrimage sites in
India with an ancient civilization of over 2000 years, is a leisurely
trip with lots of fun. This is the most colorful and interesting
stretch of this legendary river. Beautiful landscape, simple country-side,
people religiously flocking the river banks, old temples, migratory
birds and above all camping on the virgin river islands with no
body around. A distance of just 125 kms between the two cities by
straight road is covered through river cruise.
Varanasi
is one of the oldest living cities in the world. Many names have
been given to Varanasi, though its recently revived official appellation
is mentioned in the Mahabharata and in the Jataka tales of Buddhism.
It probably derives from the two rivers that flank the city, the
Varana to the north and the Asi to the south.. Many still use the
anglicized forms of Banaras or Benares, while pilgrims refer to
Kashi, first used three thousand years ago to describe the kingdom
and the city outside which the Buddha preached his first sermon;
the "City of Light" is also called Kashika, "the
shining one", referring to the light of Shiva. Another epithet,
Avimukta, meaning "Never Forsaken", refers to the city
that Shiva never deserted, or that one should never leave. Further
alternatives include Anandavana, the "forest of bliss",
and Rudravasa, the place where Shiva (Rudra) resides.
Some Insight on the Trip:
1. Three days sailing should be good enough (i.e. two night camping).
2.
Boats are common wooden country boats with couple of rows, a mast
and two boat men on each boat. There will be no seats or bench.
On board there will be mattress & pillows and 4 persons can
easily sit in relaxed position while enjoying the landscape. Sitting
area is covered with canvas roof. (note: If there are two to 4 clients,
there will be one boat for them and one for our kitchen crew.)
3.
We camp on a deserted beach or island depending on the season. Small
mountain dome-tents with carry-mattress are used. (Normally, clients
bring their own sleeping bags). Breakfast & dinner is served
on the island but lunch & evening tea is always on board.
4.
For toilet, at camp-site we pitch tent with a dig-in pit and while
sailing, we stop at a deserted bank.
5.
Best period is from Nov to 20th Dec. & from 10th Jan to 15th
Mar. (mostly there is a thick fog during end Dec & beginning
Jan in North India, affecting the navigation on the river &
pictorial views).
6.
If plan a trip from mid Jan to Feb, suggest a day in Allahabad to
visit the annual Magh Mela (a kind of baby Kumbh Mela - start from
Makar Sankranti till Mahashivaratri) at the confluence of river
Yamuna, Ganga & mythical Saraswati. A tented township grows
up on the banks of the river where thousands of devotees come for
a holy dip, especially on some specific days like full moon or no
moon.
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