State to promote religious-heritage tourism along riverbank, link Babughat with Mayapur
Times of India | 30 August 2026
Kolkata: The state govt plans to deploy two passenger hybrid-electric ferries on the Hooghly, connecting Babughat in Kolkata with Mayapur, in an effort to promote river, religious and heritage tourism.
Announcing the initiative on Saturday, tourism minister Sankar Ghosh said the proposed waterway would help tourists explore places associated with India’s freedom struggle as well as prominent religious destinations along the river.
“We want to use waterways tourism to cover areas famous for the Independence movement against colonial rule in pre-independent India. Additionally, we will also use waterways tourism to connect religious places like Belur Math and Dakshineswar on the riverbanks,” Ghosh said.
The govt intends to leverage Hooghly’s historic and cultural significance to create a dedicated tourism circuit through waterways, keeping sustainable infrastructure, green mobility and eco-tourism in mind.
The proposed route encompasses pilgrimage centres like Dakshineswar, Belur Math, Hangseshwari Mandir and Annapurna Mandir at Barrackpore.
“It also highlights the historic ‘Little Europe by the Ganga’ stretch covering Barrackpore, Serampore, Chandernagore, and Bandel — showcasing our rich colonial heritage and freedom movement history,” Ghosh said.
The state tourism dept, through West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Limited, on Saturday signed an agreement with Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE) to procure two 100-passenger hybrid-electric ferries to be deployed on this route. “We will deploy the ferries on the route in 15 months,” Ghosh said.
The Rs 45 crore project will be funded under the Central Scheme ‘Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment – Development of Iconic Tourist Centres to Global Scale (SASCI)’.
The state also plans to install charging stations at Barrackpore, Serampore, Chandernagore, and Hooghly pontoons. New jetties are planned at Kolkata, Barrackpore, Serampore, Chandernagore, Hooghly, Ambika Kalna, Matiara, Nadia, and Baranagar in collaboration with WBTDCL.
Stating that the state remains steadfast in creating a modern, eco-friendly, disciplined and world-class tourism ecosystem that honours West Bengal’s rich heritage and powers the local economy, Ghosh said, “Hope this is first sacred step which will lead towards a fully developed river tourism along the Hooghly...”
GRSE will construct two Bailey bridges at the Aranya Tourism Property, Jaldapara. The state tourism dept on Saturday signed an agreement with GRSE in this regard.