The Ganges River

The town of Kalna is more popularly known as Ambika Kalna, named after a very popular deity in India, Goddess Kali, Maa Ambika. It has numerous historical monuments such as the Rajbari palace and the 108 Shiva temples. Also, in Kalna, made popular by the sage Bhaba Pagla, is the temple of Debi Bhabani. Close to it is Sri Gauranga Mandir. The temple complex houses Sri Chaitanya’s manuscripts and personal belongings. A major landmark is the Siddheshwari Temple. It is dedicated to Debi Ambika, and it is after her that Kalna is also known as Ambika Kalna.

Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. In the late 17th century, three villages that predated Calcutta were ruled by the Nawab of Bengal under Mughal suzerainty. After the Nawab granted the East India Company a trading licence in 1690, the area was developed by the Company into an increasingly fortified trading post and it has grown since then to a thriving metropolis. Kolkata is known for its literary, artistic, and revolutionary heritage; as the former capital of India, it was the birthplace of modern Indian literary and artistic thought. Kolkata has been called the “City of Furious, Creative Energy” as well as the “cultural capital of India”. Kolkata has many buildings adorned with Indo-Islamic and Indo-Saracenic architectural motifs. Several well-maintained major buildings from the colonial period have been declared “heritage structures”; while others are in various stages of decay.

Mayapur is a holy city located on the banks of the Ganges river, at its confluence with the Jalangi, near Nabadwip, West Bengal, India. Mayapur is considered a holy place by a number of religion traditions within Hinduism, but is of special significance to followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism as the birthplace of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, regarded as a special incarnation of Krishna in the mood of Radha. It is visited by over a million pilgrims annually. A main attraction in Mayapur is Srila Prabhupada’s Pushpa Samadhi Mandir. The main shrine is surrounded by a museum depicting Srila Prabhupada’s life using fiberglass exhibits. Another must visit is the Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir. This temple has three main altars, Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Panca-tattva and Lord Narasimha Deva. These Pancha Tattva deities are the largest deities of Pancha tattva in the world. The Panca-tattva comprises Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Acharya, Gadadhara Pandit and Srivas Thakur.

Mokama is a farming town in Patna district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is located 56 miles east of Patna on the southern banks of the Ganges River. Agriculture is the dominant economic drive of the town which boasts the second largest Lentil production in India. Here you will learn about the agricultural necessity of this wetland’s region of plains along the Ganges and how farming sustains life here. Interact with locals, visit ancient pagodas and monasteries, and be witness to a culture that is reminiscent of times long past.

The town of Munger is the headquarters of Munger district, in the Indian state of Bihar. Historically, Munger has been known for its manufacturing of iron items such as firearms and swords. It is an ancient city of Mahabharata legend Karna, the eldest son of Kunti and Sun Lord. While in Munger on your Ganges River cruise you may visit the Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary with its hot springs and area of grasslands and forest that contain a mixture of flora and fauna including tigers, wild bear, mongoose, snakes and a wide variety of wild bird species. You may also visit the Machhli talav, a temple of Shiva; Munger Fort from the 1300’s; and Chandika Sthan Hindu temple.

Murshidabad

India

The town of Murshidabad is on the left bank of the Hooghly River, the main channel of the Ganges River. While in Murshidabad you may visit the Hazarduari Palace complex. The name roughly translates to ‘a thousand doors’ as the palace is embellished with a thousand ornamental doorways. Out of these, 900 doors are real, and the rest are false doors which were built to confuse any intruders. Shopping is a common attraction in Murshidabad. Ranging from fine hand crafts to beautiful saris, you can find almost anything and everything here in the markets. The brass and bell metal ware are also quite commonly used for souvenirs of this delightful city.

The city of Patna, India, is an ancient area that lies on the southern bank of the Ganges River in Bihar, India. Patna is home to Bihar Museum, a contemporary tourist landmark that exhibits bronze sculptures, old coins, and other treasures from the region. Nearby, Indo-Saracenic style Patna Museum proudly displays a casket believed to contain ashes of Buddha. Close to the Ganges, the Golghar is a domed colonial granary that overlooks the city.

Veranasi is known for its Ghats. These world-renowned embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the Ganges River bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions. The ghats are an integral complement to the Hindu concept of divinity represented in physical, metaphysical, and supernatural elements. Varanasi has at least 84 ghats, most of which are used for bathing by pilgrims and spiritually significant Hindu puja ceremony, while a few are used exclusively as Hindu cremation sites. Steps in the ghats lead to the banks of Ganges, including the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat, the Panchganga Ghat, and the Harishchandra Ghat, where Hindus cremate their dead. This is a remarkable sight that will remain in your memories forever from your Ganges River cruise experience.

One of the most famous ancient centers of learning in India, Vikramshila is an ancient city with ancient artifacts and sites dating from as early as the 8th century. The ancient ruins of Vikramshila University or learning center with its temples and stupa with Buddha images of stone and terracotta are a highlight of your visit here on your Ganges River cruise vacation. Spread over an area of 100 acres, this ancient university was founded by Dharmapala, the ruler of the Pala dynasty of Bengal in the late 8th century. It existed gloriously for the next 400 years as one of the finest educational institutions before it was destroyed by Muslim invaders.