JOLOSHREE -- The Restaurant Boat in Chandannagar

If Kolkata has a Floatel, the erstwhile French colony of Chandannagar will now have Joloshree, the premium restaurant boat giving an international feel to locals and tourists alike; one of a kind initiative by the Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal. Chandannagar not only has a unique cultural heritage but holds an important position in the River Tourism circuit of West Bengal. As the Hon'ble Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, is keen to open up this river tourism circuit in a state that is endowed with wonderful waterways, Chandannagar will surely act as a central catalyst to this circuit.

The luxurious Joloshree floating restaurant in Chandannagar was inagurated by the Hon'ble Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, in the presence of Indranil Sen, Hon'ble Minister-of-State Tourism Department & Chairperson WBTDCL, Nandini Chakravorty, IAS, Principal Secretary Department of Tourism, Y. Ratnakara Rao, IAS, District Magistrate of Hooghly, Dilip Yadav, Administrator of Uttarpara Municipality and Kaushik Bhattacharya, IAS, Managing Director of WBTDCL.

At the inaugural ceremony of Joloshree in Chandannagar

Once upon a time it was this area where even Portuguese pirates dominated the waterways and many trading families of Chandannagar had huge Mayurpankhi ships that traded far and wide. Historically the Ganga that flows by Chandannagar is witness to several battles, bloodshed and trading prowess of ancient Bengal. Planned and taken forward by the Department of Tourism, Government of  West Bengal, the new Boat Restaurant, Joloshree, will thus remind of the rich cultural heritage of this area and of Bengal at large. It will be stationed at a jetty beside the historic Chandannagar Strand. A cultural collaboration and revival of the river in this region based on the idea of Heritage Cruise Tourism will add an advantage to this circuit. 

The restaurant boat is of 33 m length, 4.87 m in breadth and 1.40 m in depth. The engine is 160 P.S. with the speed of 6 knots. Around 48 persons can occupy the restaurant at a time and hence can be booked for small get togethers. The lower deck is air-conditioned and has a sound system facility, so that small official meetings over the Ganges can also be held if required. An official from the Department of Tourism, Government of  West Bengal, added: ‘The Boat Restaurant can be best utilised for organizing small ceremonial occasions, holding meetings, conferences, cultural programmes etc.’ This will attract more tourists to the area and hence will act as a revenue earner for locals who will be employed as guides, boat service providers and tourist helpers.