A first-ever luxury cruise, Alaknanda reached Varanasi from Kolkata, completing a journey of 1400 km on Wednesday. The high-tech cruise pioneered by Nordic Cruiseline will open for tourists from August 15 onwards. It will tour the ghats of Varanasi, educating tourists on the ancient city. The cruise is fitted with modern equipment and has seating arrangements for up to 60 people. The company gives credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Start-up India’ initiative as the motivation to start their enterprise.