Odisha gets its first luxury houseboat, Garuda, at Barkul in Chilika lake, the largest brackish water lagoon in Asia with an estuarine character sprawling along the east coast, with an aim to attract more tourists to the state.

The cruise will provide a five-star experience to the visitors.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the luxury houseboat on Thursday in Barkul, Chilika. The inauguration has been done in a virtual mode.

The CMO office said: “The houseboat will provide a major boost to tourism in Odisha.”

The tourism department tweeted: “Odisha’s 1st luxury houseboat ‘Garuda’ to be operated by Vikash Eco Resorts at Barkul, Chilika is all set to float. The new facility has been inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in presence of Tourism Minister Shri Aswini Kumar Patra.”

Tourism minister Aswini Kumar Patra said: “There is a need for a luxury houseboat in the Chilika lake. It will certainly boost tourism in Odisha. We are hopeful that more and more luxury boats will be available in the coming days for the tourists.”

Vikash Eco Resorts, an Odisha-based company, owns the boat. The luxury boat has four premium rooms and two suites. While the cost of the premium room is Rs 18,000 for 24 hours, the cost of a suite for 24 hours is Rs 25,000.

“A family or a group of 25 people can book the entire luxury boat at Rs 1.25 lakh for 24 hours. We will not charge anything for food. The luxury boat will take the tourists to different spots of Chilika Lake except for the prohibited areas. However, there will be no cruising at night as per the government’s rule,” said Gautam Agrawal of Vikash Eco Resorts.

The check-in time will be 12 noon and the checkout time will be 10.30 am the next day.