CHILL FACTOR: The air-conditioned lounge of MV Pari

An air-conditioned lounge, a sprawling dance floor, rain dance under the sky, a kitchen open round-the-clock… A perfect setting for a Diwali do. And better still, it’s not on land, but on water.

If you want to celebrate Diwali far away from the city chaos, book space on “the first party vessel on the Hooghly”, MV Pari.

The lounge on the lower deck is spread over 750 sq ft. The interior is decked with teak woodwork, with huge glass panels providing a panoramic view of the river.

And for direct exposure to nature, head for the 1,250-sq-ft upper deck, which will also be the rain dance venue.

The vessel can pack in 150 people and there will be separate washrooms for men and women. The kitchen will have a refrigerator and gas and microwave ovens. A 25 KVA generator will ensure uninterrupted power supply.

Five-hour partying on MV Pari on weekdays will cost Rs 25,000 and on weekends, the tab will be Rs 30,000.

“People like to celebrate in the midst of water, but the experience is not always good because of lack of space,” said Basant Kumar Singhee, of Reach Asia, which has made the vessel. “Small things, like proper washrooms and fully-equipped kitchens, make a big difference. We’ve designed the vessel keeping in mind the needs of the party crowd.”