GANGES DOLPHINS


Some 140 fish species inhabit the Ganges, alongside freshwater dolphins that measure up to 2½m in length with their long-beaked snouts. They are sightless, swimming beneath


Enlightened Buddha, Sarnath


the surface on their sides using their paddle-like flippers to stir up sediment to feed on fish and crustacea. Unlike ocean species, only the hump is seen as they surface for air. All four freshwater species are now endangered.


I had asked Assam Bengal’s chairman, Andrew Brock, why he had opted for the retro look of Sukapha. Apart from his being involved in Indian tourism for decades, two of his forebears had been involved in river transport. One had been head of the Irrawaddy Flotilla, whilst the other had been the boss of a Dumbarton shipyard specialising in river vessels for the Empire. His response was: “Why redesign some- thing so proven for purpose!”


T MOTHER GANGES


India’s greatest river begins from the Gangori glacier some 4,000 metres up in the southern Himalayas. It first flows south then east, dividing India’s great plain with the world’s second largest volume of water. In Hinduism she is a Goddess,


regarded as India’s most sacred river. In practical terms, she maintains a huge impact on Indian political and economic life, with some 400 million residing in the Gangetic basin. Her silt-filled monsoon floodwaters irrigate 1,400 miles of the surrounding plain, to join the Brahmaputra in the Sundarbans, the world’s largest delta, before finally spilling into the Bay of Bengal.


72 WORLD OF CRUISING I Winter 2012-13


he 12 twin and double-bedded en suite air-conditioned cabins on the mid-deck (next to the Saloon for


sun-downers in the bow), were spacious. There was no ostentation, such as rare wood veneers or gilded embellishments. Instead, soft toned local materials using sustainable woods, like bamboo, had been pleasingly applied with a decor of 19th century style drawings and prints. On the lowest deck, the dining saloon


served eggy breakfasts, whilst lunch and evening offered spicy-mild Indian buffets. Adjoining was the Spa, with massages and other treats, whilst atop was the bridge, and a large open, but sun-shaded deck. There were few docking facilities for Su-


kapha on the 400km voyage to Farakka. At dusk, we would anchor, likewise for shore excursions, disembarking into the ‘country boat,’ usually at a village where a fleet of air-conditioned vehicles would await. There was always a smiley greeting as


Kolkata market


hardly any back-packers, let alone other tourists, headed this way. We were a curi- osity, but always welcomed.


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