Karnataka - Hassan   

Rs. 2.5 crores for tourism infrastructure in Hassan

By Our Staff Correspondent

HASSAN, DEC. 19. The State Tourism Commissioner, Mahendra Jain, has said that the Union Government had released Rs. 8 crores for the development of tourism in the southern region, including the improvement of infrastructure at Belur, Halebeed, and Shravanabelagola in Hassan district.

Mr. Jain, who visited Belur on Saturday to review the works taken up by the Department of Tourism to attract both foreign and domestic tourists, told presspersons that Rs. 2.5 crores would be spent to improve facilities to increase the tourism potential in three major tourist centres in the district, which are known for their architectural splendour and the monolith statue of Gommateshwara.

The works including installing huge hoardings, improving condition of Yatri Nivas, and beautification of the surroundings of monuments, would be taken up. Another floor would be added to the Yatri Nivas in Shravanabelagola, in view of the Mahamastakabhisheka scheduled in February 2006, he added.

HARK installed

Mr. Jain said that to facilitate tourists to get the historical and architectural details regarding the beautiful sculptures of Srichennakeshava temple at Belur, the department had provided the service of "Handi Audio Reach Kit" (HARK) with the help of National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT).

After Buddha Gaya in Bihar, Belaur is the only other place in the country with the facility, he said.

Tourists could go around the temple and list the description of each every sculpture in the temple premises with the help of the kit, he said.

Detailing the functioning of the equipment, technical expert of NIIT, Vivek Rana, said that the tourists had to tie the equipment with the help of a belt and had to put on the headphone attached to that.

They could then listen to the description of every sculpture by switching the equipment on, after standing in front of the sculpture.

The equipment would serve as many as 40 tourists in a single round of 30 minutes around the temple.

It would also furnish picturesque descriptions of the monument in English, French, Hindi, Kannada, and German.

Renovated

Mr. Jain said that he had directed the authorities of the district tourism department to take up the work of improving the conditions of Hotel Mayura of Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation at Halebeed.

The hotel had been renovated by spending Rs. 25 lakhs, he added.

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