Mysore Palace virtual tour website getting record hits

The website that gives one a virtual tour of the Mysore Palace is receiving record hits. Within a short span of its launch, global visitors in record numbers are taking a virtual tour of the majestic palace.

In the last one month as on September 10, the monthly hits had crossed 10,000,000 and heading towards the 15,000,000 hits mark. Launched in August and officially inaugurated on August 13 by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, the number of hits had crossed the 8,000,000 mark in the very first month period since its launch. The peak of the hourly hits is over 40,000. The Palace images have become most popular with 435,751 hits.

Developed by the Mysore Palace Board of the Karnataka government, www.mysorepalace.tv, it offers a detailed view of the 21 different sections of the famous Indo-Saracenic structure, most popular among the tourists both inland and foreign tourists.

The high quality 360° panorama enables zoom in and pan around for a detailed virtual tour of the famous royal house and the garden around it. The true-to-life presentation with narrated mini-movies and text makes it more attractive. A quick view of any area of the artistic interiors can be had with its 360° panorama. Hence, the website has become most popular with hits from across the globe.

Countries from where the website is drawing hits for a virtual tour include Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, Hungary, Poland and other European countries, South Korea, Philippines and Netherlands, besides India.

“Most of the repeated hits are from India itself and I think tour operators are visiting it since the pictures are 360 panoramic and it keeps giving the presentation-type look. As the pictures are of high-end quality they provide a grand look. There are first-time hits as well as repeat-hits,” says website developer Sanjay Ahuja of Software Guru.

Expressing his surprise and happiness over the hits the website is getting, he told Business Standard that Mysore deserves such a showcasing as it is a tourism city with a large number of tourist spots to offer tourist interested in any field.

Mysore Palace is on the Facebook social networking site also, http://www.facebook.com/mysorepalace, which has also become popular as it includes pictures of Dasara celebrations from 2006 onwards and of the ongoing preparations for the ensuing celebrations like the recent ‘Gaja Payana’ or departure of Dasara elephants to Mysore from the Nagarahole forest.. It has some old pictures as well.