Scan your heritage info 'smartly' in 26 languages

Aurangabad:

Here is good news for the G20 international delegates, history buffs and domestic and international tourists visiting Aurangabad - 'Tourism Capital of Maharashtra - as the Aurangabad Smart City Development Corporation Limited (ASCDCL) has installed beautiful vertical metallic structures displaying QR Code scanners, in front of heritage monuments (gates, structures and places) situated in the city limits. The CSR initiative is indeed laudable as the G20 international delegation will be in the city on February 27 and 28.

Aurangabad is popularly known as the ‘City of 52 Gates’ across the globe. Of the total existing gates in the city three are under the custodianship of the State Archaeology and the remaining ones are under the custodian of the AMC. Earlier, the ASCDCL chief executive officer (CEO) and municipal commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari, on February 2, 2023, announced of providing information of the heritage sites including gates, Sunehri Mahal and Panchakki through QR Code scanning in phases.

The G20 delegation during their stay will be visiting Ellora Caves and a cluster of monuments in the city like Bibi ka Maqbara, Aurangabad Caves and Sunehri Mahal. Above all, the city is visited by lakhs of domestic and international tourists every year. Hence, in the wake of the G20 delegation visit, the AMC and ASCDCL aim at encouraging tourists to visit the heritage structures and places existing within the city limits and provide them with authentic information through an advanced mode of technology.

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Scanner activated from Thursday

According to the ASCDCL project manager Syed Faiz Ali, "The grey-ash colour vertical structures of 6 feet height and 2 feet wide each, have been installed on a raised concrete pedestal. In the first phase, we installed 11 vertical permanent structures including one each at Delhi Gate, Rangeen Gate, Naubat Gate, Bhadkal Gate and Sunehri Mahal and two each at Bibi ka Maqbara and Aurangabad Caves. Each vertical structure mentions the name of the heritage monument/structure and the QR Code scanner in big size on it. It is catching the attention of passers-by. Any G20 delegate; tourist or visitor passing by a heritage site can scan the QR Code through his cellphone and he or she will get the historical information on a welcome page in English. On selection of the language choice, he/she will also be able to get the info in 26 different Indian and foreign languages. The heritage service has been activated from Thursday (February 23)."