Watershed

River tourism takes off in style this season, aboard the RV Bengal Pandaw, on the Ganga. The 10-day cruise on the historic Kolkata-Varanasi stretch &mdash apparently un-navigated since 1930 &mdash is the result of an MoU between Southeast Asia-based Pandaw Cruises and the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. And it swells with the promise of recapturing the romance of the region&rsquos colonial past. Dropping anchor at places en route &mdash like Plassey, British cemeteries in Munger in south Bihar, opium-country Ghazipur in UP, Portuguese churches in Bandel and the French colony of Chandannagar in West Bengal &mdash the 50-odd tourists on board get a crash course on India&rsquos imperial &lsquoties&rsquo. The cruise also showcases other spectacles such as the aarti on Varanasi&rsquos ghats, Buddhist sites, the Golghar grain silo in Patna, Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary and Baranagar&rsquos miniature temples. With a naturalist on board, tourists will be introduced to the Gangetic Plain&rsquos rich wildlife as well. A ride on the 28-cabin vessel, with teakwood and brass interiors and special shallow drafts to reach remote areas, costs between Rs 1.2-1.8 lakh for foreigners (tariff for domestic passengers has not been fixed yet). One only hopes, however, that unlike Nano, the RV Bengal Pandaw won&rsquot run into rough weather on the Hooghly. See www.pandaw.com.