Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi flagged off the ‘Ganga Vilas’ cruise on 13th January 2023. Ministry of Culture organized a grand curtain raiser program 'Sur Sarita - Symphony of Ganga' on the eve of the launch of the world's longest river cruise on 12th January 2023 at Varanasi. Renowned singer Shankar Mahadevan led the grand concert organized at the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor. During the concert, other dignitaries including tourists traveling on Ganga Vilas Cruise got acquainted with the importance of Mother Ganga and their responsibilities towards her and also enjoyed the Sur Taranginis. This Sur Sandhya was an effort to make one realize how Maa Ganga is revered as a Goddess by every Indian.
National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), Kolkata under the Ministry of Culture also inaugurated a Mobile Science Exhibition on Maa Gange: Arth Ganga on 12th January 2023. The exhibition got flagged off from Varanasi before the concert. The exhibition is a tribute to the Ganga for public awareness about the conservation and restoration of the holy river. The exhibition will travel in the districts/sites located near the river Ganges. In the exhibitions, 18 panels are displayed including Ganga, its tributaries and dams, and Sunderbans among others.