Ayodhya (UP), Sep 7 (IANS):  The cruise ride on Saryu river in Ayodhya will begin from Friday.

The local municipal corporation has given a go ahead to a private agency to run ‘Jatayu’ cruise service between Nayaghat and Guptarghat from September 8.

The service will be formally flagged off on Friday evening.

Prepared on the Ramayana theme, Jatayu has been painted in a way so as to showcase popular episodes from the epic.

“All precautions have been taken to ensure safety of passengers taking the cruise ride,” Ayodhya municipal commissioner Vishal Singh said.

Rahul Sharma, managing director of the company which will operate the service, said that Rs 300 would be charged as fee for roundtrip between the two ghats. The fully air-conditioned Jatayu cruise boat will have the capacity of 100 and will give a tour of the city’s popular ghats and temples via the Saryu river.

The ‘aarti’ of Saryu river would be covered during the ride. The passengers will be given the option of meals and snacks during the guided tour.

While ‘Jatayu’ will be the first service in Ayodhya, a premium cruise service, ‘Pushpak’, will begin later this year Pushpak vessel will be bigger and will have the capacity of 150 passengers.