Nov. 27: Footfall at tourist spots in Murshidabad, such as the Hazarduari palace and Motijheel Destination Park, has dropped in the aftermath of demonetisation.

Sources in the Archaeological Survey of India, which maintains Hazarduari, said the number of tourists this November was 40 per cent less than that in October. The number of visitors at Motijheel Destination Park, which has an artificial spring and clay models and where a light-and-sound show on the history of Murshidabad is organised, has halved since November 9, the day after the demonetisation drive was announced.

The situation at tourist hotspots in Santiniketan in Birbhum is also dismal.

Sources said hotel bookings in both Murshidabad and Santiniketan had come down drastically because of lack of tourists during the cash crunch precipitated by the demonetisation.

At Hazarduari, which was constructed in 1829, old Rs 500 notes are being accepted at the ticket counter, but the number of visitors has been disappointing.

The assistant archaeologist of Hazarduari, Sunil Kumar Jha, said: "We are accepting old Rs 500 notes. So, there is no problem at our end. But there has been a 40 per cent drop in the number of visitors this November in comparison with the figure in October. I think less tourists are visiting Murshidabad because of the general shortage of cash."

The ticket price per person at Hazarduari is Rs 15.

A Hazarduari official said that in November last year, around 25,000 people had visited the palace. "But this November, around 15,000 people visited Hazarduari. We believe the reason is the sudden shortage of cash as the old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes have been scrapped," the official said.

Around 15km away at Motijheel Destination Park, a sprawling 50-acre compound, the number of daily visitors has come down to 500 to 700 from 1,500 to 2,000 since November 9. The palace of Ghaseti Begum, an aunt of Nawab Sirajudaulah, once stood in the area.

"People are not coming because of the demonetisation," said an official of the park, where the entry fee is Rs 20.

District magistrate Y. Ratnakara Rao said: "The dwindling footfall at the Motijheel park is the result of the demonetisation. Tourists don't have enough cash on them."

Saibal Sengupta, a travel agent who conducts trips to historical places in Murshidabad, said the flow of tourists to the district had "dwindled drastically" because of the demonetisation.

"We survive because of tourists. But this month has been really bad for us. I don't know what will happen in December," he said.

Hotels are also feeling the pinch.

The owner of Manjusha, a hotel close to Hazarduari, said: "Most of my rooms had been booked. But on November 10 and 11, almost all bookings were cancelled."

Santiniketan, the weekend retreat, is grappling with a similar situation. The number of visitors to the Rabindra Bhavana museum at Visva-Bharati has halved this month. Rabindranath Tagore's personal items and memorabilia are on display at the museum.

A university official said: "The Rabindra Bhavana museum draws the biggest crowds on Sundays. On November 13, which was a Sunday, we sold 1,775 tickets. On the next two Sundays, we sold 999 and 968 tickets, respectively. We understand that people are facing a cash crisis."

Hotel bookings have also been cancelled.

Debashis Saha, the joint president of the Bolpur-Santiniketan Hoteliers' Association, said this evening: "We are suffering losses as 40 per cent of the rooms are vacant. Our hotel rooms are usually full at this time of the year."