Patna, Jan 16 (PTI) The Ganga Vilas cruise vessel, flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, reached the Bihar capital on Monday, officials said.

Touted as the world's longest river cruise, the ship, which will take 51 days to complete its journey from Varanasi to Dibrugarh in Assam, reached Patna at 4.45 pm.

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"Fool proof security arrangements are in place for the crew members and passengers who will spend the night on board and visit places of interest in the city, including the Patna Sahib Gurudwara, tomorrow," Deputy Inspector General of Police, Patna, Manavjeet Singh Dhillon told PTI.

"We are in touch with the Inland Waterways Authority of India to ensure a hassle-free stay for the cruise which is expected to be in Bihar for a few more days," said the senior IPS officer.

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Flagged off at Varanasi on Friday last, the cruise had entered Bihar a day later via Buxar.

Before reaching Patna, the vessel, carrying mostly foreign nationals, had a stopover in Saran district where the passengers visited Chirand archaeological site.

"It has been a once in a lifetime experience. India is incredible. Nowhere else have we received such a warm welcome," one of the tourists told reporters.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)