Karnataka - Mysore   

Mistakes cropping up regularly on official tourism websites

R. Krishna Kumar

MYSORE: Has the State with its reputation for being a trailblazer in the field of information technology (IT) failed to marry technology with tourism?

The question is relevant given recent glitches on the official websites that promote tourism, which have been cropping up on a regular basis.

The official website of the Mysore Palace that was launched three years ago has been off the internet for quite some time, and the authorities are oblivious of it.

The website, www.mysorepalace.org, was an interactive site that showcased the many splendours of Mysore Palace online and recreated the spirit of the world-renowned palace that was designed by well-known architect Henry Irwin and completed in 1916.

The beauty of the landmark structure was available online and the website recreated the spirit and experience of the palace with a range of interactive tools and breathtaking photographs. It also had a wealth of information on various destinations in and around Mysore.

Apart from being innovative, the official website was packed with information pertaining to art, culture and the history of Mysore.

But the unique feature of the portal was the various aspects of Mysore Palace and the panoramic perspective that it provided to visitors online. It also had an in-depth section on the architecture, unique rooms, palace temples and royal paintings.

However, in the last few days, the website's main page has been failing to open, and instead the screen displays a message: "This domain is for sale." When contacted, officials insisted that the website was indeed active and live. This proved that they were oblivious of the developments.

Subsequently, the officials surfed the Internet and called back to confirm that the website had indeed gone offline. They said they would get a ".in" domain name instead of a ".com", and this would be online soon.

While the official website of the Mysore Palace has gone offline, there are mistakes galore on the official website of the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC).

The KSTDC website takes the public for a ride by giving wrong information and will have one believe that Gol Gumbaz is in Srirangapatana! For, it describes the Gumbaz in Srirangapatana as the place where Tipu and his parents were buried, which is correct. However, the picture accompanying the text is that of Gol Gumbaz in Bijapur.

Likewise, there is a description of the beauty of the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangapatana. But the accompanying image is that of the Chamumdeshwari temple atop Chamundi Hills in Mysore.

The Chamundi Hills have been described as "a symbol of victory of Good over Evil". However, the accompanying photograph is not that of Chamundi Hills but a terrace garden restaurant, which may be seen from any other hill location but is definitely not Chamundi Hills.

When contacted, senior officials in the Tourism Department said that they would "look into it".

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