Bhubaneswar, July 10: Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has launched e-ticketing facilities at Sun Temple, Udaygiri and Khandagiri, Rajarani Temple and Ratnagiri and Lalitgiri from today.
Along with the five sites, the facilities have also been made available at Konark and Ratnagiri museums. Though tickets to these heritage sites can be booked at asi.payumoney.com or asi.nic.in, the onsite facility will remain in operation.
An official said the system would be helpful in improving facilities for the tourists and lead to better management of sites He said that online system was functional in a number of other popular heritage sites in the country.
The price of the online ticket remains the same as that of the manual one. The entry fee for Konark temple is Rs 30 for Indians and tourists from SAARC (Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Maldives and Afghanistan) and BIMSTEC countries (Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar). For other foreign nationals, the ticket is priced at Rs 750.
The fee at other sites is Rs 15 for Indians, SAARC and BIMSTEC nationals and Rs 300 for tourists from other countries.
"With a number of foreign and national tourists coming to these places, the online ticketing facility will save a lot of time. Once more people resort to online booking, the officials will be able to concentrate on the security and maintenance of monuments instead of dispensing and checking tickets," said Hemasagar A. Naik, superintending archaeologist, Bhubaneswar ASI circle.
Local organisation Konark Surakshya Samiti, who had staged several demonstrations alleging misappropriation of funds due to manual ticketing, welcomed the move.
"The online facility would ensure hassle-free trip for visitors who will be able to skip the long queues, especially on days when the visitor turnout is big. Besides, discrepancies in fund collection from manual ticketing can also be checked," said president of the organisation Badal Kumar Das.
Tour operators also feel the move will improve amenities for tourists and increase footfall.
"It will go a long way in improving facilities at the sites. We can directly mail the tickets to the tourists when they book packages," said Anant Basudev, a tour operator based in Bhubaneswar.
Steps are also being taken by the ASI to increase the collection of statues and relics at the two museums. "Only providing online facilities are not enough. We have to make it attractive for the people. We are trying to include all the latest excavations around the Buddhist sites in the museum at Lalitgiri," added Naik.
An official said the process had been started to computerise the vending of onsite tickets. There are 78 protected monuments under ASI in the state, including the ticketed sites.
