You plan your vacations online; you book your flight tickets, hotel rooms online; you put up pictures of the vacation online. Then why not go online to book a ticket for the monuments you want to see on those holidays?
With Archaeological Survey of India’s new tie-up with ticket company BookMyShow and travel company Yatra, that is precisely what you will be able to do. Overseas as well as domestic tourists can book tickets online at the same cost , eliminating long queues under the harsh Indian sun.
Alongside the regular categories of movies, events, plays and sports on the BookMyShow app and website, a new section: Monuments, sits comfortably in place. You will be able to choose from 141 historical monuments under the purview of ASI — from the Taj Mahal to the ancient Leh Palace — spread across over 40 cities. BookMyShow also gives a brief description of each monument and the history behind its foundation.
A similar addition can be seen on the Yatra.com site under the ‘Indian Heritage’ label. Each monument ticket comes with a detailed write-up and a tag line of its own — Taj Mahal, for instance is ‘a teardrop in the cheek of time’. Speaking on the partnership, Dhiresh Sharma, Chief Business Officer, Activities, Yatra, said, “In addition to providing online booking services, Yatra will be extending its platform for promoting cultural heritage and featuring all the essential information that a visitor needs to plan their sight-seeing.” The website provides details on connectivity and access to each monument, its opening and closing timings, besides facilities available there, as well as the city’s weather.
Unlike Yatra, BookMyShow also requires the customer to submit a Government-approved digital ID proof such as the Aadhaar or PAN card. Karan Arora, General Manager – Business Development, BookMyShow, said, “We are looking at this as a critical partnership that would not only provide unmatched convenience and seamless access to monuments, but also redefine how we experience our collective history. We are also proud of contributing to the Government’s Digital India initiative by increasing adoption for e-ticketing in this segment.”
Log on to BookMyShow or Yatra.com to check out tickets for monuments online.
