Srirangapatna has witnessed a drastic decline in the number of tourists for the past one week following growing anger from the BJP affiliated groups against celebrating Tipu Jayanti on Thursday.
Srirangapatna, the erstwhile capital of the Mysore kingdom, has a number of monuments linked to Tipu Sultan, the 18th century ruler, and to his regime. They attract a large number of tourists — both domestic and international — each day. Nevertheless, ongoing protests against the State government’s decision to celebrate Tipu Jayanti and subsequent deployment of heavy platoon of security forces have forced visitors to stay away from Srirangapatna.
Tourists are staying away from Srirangapatna monuments for the past three days, say personnel at Dariya Daulat Bagh.
Dariya Daulat Bagh — Tipu’s summer palace — is one of the main attractions in Srirangapatna. The monument usually attracts over 4,000 tourists each day. But, the number of tourists visiting it has significantly declined in the past one week, the personnel added. Monuments such as Gumbaz, where Tipu, his father Hyder Ali and mother Fakr-un-Nisa are buried, Masjid-e-Ala (Juma Masjid), and war memorials are experiencing the heat of anti-Tipu Jayanti protests.
An extensive coverage of the death of Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s organising secretary Kuttappa in Madikeri, during the Tipu Sultan Jayanti celebrations last year, in the media has had a cascading effect on the arrival of tourists.
The police and tourism departments in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have advised trip organisers to be “extra-cautious” during their visits to Srirangapatna and Madikeri. Educational institutions have also been cancelling their trips to the town, a senior official at the Gumbaz said.
It is a natural phenomenon, sources at the Tourism Department here said. Tourists from neighbouring States are changing their tour plans owing to the disputes pertaining to celebration of Tipu Jayanti. Similar trend was observed during the Cauvery agitations, the official said. The hospitality and other stake-holding sectors are also bearing the brunt as visitors are not visiting Srirangapatna. Meanwhile, the police said that they are prepared to curb any kind of untoward incident during the celebrations and also to provide protection to the visitors.
