Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
The Aurangabad Tourism Development Foundation (ATDF), an active NGO, has called upon the Maharashtra Institute for Transformation (MITRA) to address the critical issues hindering the growth of tourism in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad). Through a memorandum submitted to MITRA’s Chief Executive Officer Praveen Singh Pardeshi in Mumbai, ATDF highlighted several key pain points and urged for their immediate resolution.
Sunil Kothari, Chairman of ATDF’s Civil Aviation and Public Relations Committees, submitted the memorandum following the ‘Developed Marathwada 2047’ conference held on June 19, 2024, at MIT College in the city. Kothari emphasized the need for a joint meeting involving various State and Central Government agencies such as ASI, MTDC, MSRTC, Directorate of Tourism, and India Tourism, alongside key officials like the District Collector and Municipal Commissioner, to collaboratively address these issues.
Night Tourism at Ellora Caves
Under Night Tourism, the memorandum urges keeping the world heritage site Ellora Caves open till 10 pm, especially during summer when there is scorching heat during the day (February to June) like Bibi ka Maqbara and important monuments of India like Pattadakkal Group of Temples in Karnataka, Duladeo Temple in Khajuraho, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, Qutub Minar and Red Fort in Delhi etc. It will help a large number of tourists to enjoy seeing caves in the evening (6 pm to 10 pm), especially Cave Number 10, 16 and 32.
Dedicated ICCC for World Heritage sites
The memorandum underlined the need to establish a dedicated Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) to watchdog any kind of tourist harassment, and suspicious activities in the mob of visitors (through CCTV surveillance) at all major monuments. The centre will also help detect those defacing and damaging the monument walls, sculptures, paintings, etc. The ICCC in the city is helping police in maintaining law and order situation and traffic discipline in the city.
Issuance of a single ticket
The memorandum also underlined the need to issue an integrated ticket through one single window, especially at world heritage Ajanta Caves and Ellora Caves. The tourists have to stand in different queues to obtain entry tickets from ASI, parking tickets from MTDC, shuttle bus tickets from MSRTC, and amenity tickets (camera fees) from MTDC. Issuance of one single ticket will help save time for tourists and reduce their hardship. The revenues can be shared between State and Central Government agencies amicably. such as ASI, MTDC, and MSRTC.
Kothari urged the State and Central Governments to provide audio guides in foreign and Indian languages owing to the shortage of guides.
Crowd Control measures
There is a dire need to take crowd control measures at the monuments on Sundays, national and public holidays. There is a heavy rush of visitors and it causes severe nuisance to the guide while explaining the monument. It has become a menace. The rush could be controlled by increasing the entry ticket charges at the monuments. A restriction on the daily limit of tourists per day at Ajanta and Ellora Caves should also be made to save the sculptures and paintings from human vandalism and deterioration stated in the memorandum.
The other important issues raised through the memorandum included the introduction of the Light and Sound Show at Devgiri Fort at Daulatabad; the Issuance of national permits to tourist taxis in the region; Levying strict fines on persons littering and not disposing the garbage waste properly on the monuments campus; declare fixed dates of Ellora-Ajanta Festival to be held in next five years for the convenience of domestic and international tourists. ATDF suggested dates closer to the Full Moon (Poornima) of the next five years.
ATDF hopes that addressing these issues will revitalize the tourism sector in Maharashtra’s tourism capital, enhancing visitor experience and reducing inconvenience.