After lunch you will drive to Babu Ghat where you will take a short excursion on a private launch down the River Hoogly (Hugli River).  It was from an obscure village on the banks of this river that the great metropolis of Calcutta grew, becoming the first capital of Britain’s Indian empire.   The river is multi faceted, serving as a link between the two banks, a floating home for boatmen and their families, a place of worship for those who cannot make a pilgrimage to Varanasi, and where the Goddess Durga is consigned at the end of her visit to her earthly home.   After disembarking you will walk along the Ghats, joining families out for a day at the riverside.