Site offers virtual tour of Palace

Two major attractions in Mysore have turned tourist friendly. One can get a virtual tour of the Mysore Palace and Chamundi Hills on a website with information and facilities available atop the famous pilgrim place.

A gift of the erstwhile rulers a century ago, the Mysore Palace is an architectural splendour. Famous for its mix of Indo-Saracenic architecture, it is the second most visited tourist destination, next only to Madame Tussauds’ wax museum of London. Mysore Palace has thus become one of the must-see places in India for international and inland tourists The Palace Board has helped develop the web-based virtual tour, www.mysorepalace.tv. It has high quality 360° panorama, zoom in and pan around for a detailed virtual tour. Visitors tour 21 different sections of the palace and its gardens through 360° panorama, narrated mini-movies and text. The 360° panorama allows a quick view of any area, according to deputy commissioner and board executive Officer Harsh Gupta.

The virtual tour website on the new-age technology provides a true-to-life presentation, says website developer Sanjay Ahuja of Software Guru.

Users are given choice to select virutal tour without Flash or with Flash in English or Kannada versions. A picture gallery with videos is available on the site. The virtual tour enables visitors to explore the Palace in detail. Audio narration is integrated with the virtual tour.

At any point, visitors can view narrated mini-movies about the palace, its architecture and history. An easy-to-follow map ensures that, unlike a real tourist, virtual visitors can go around the gardens and the monument with a single click. It is available 24x7x365 and hence can promote the Palace for more tourists.

The other tourist-friendly website is of the Chamundi Hills and its famed temple of Goddess Chamundeswari, the abode of Mysore’s presiding deity.

13 kms off Mysore, the temple attracts 65-70 lakh pilgrims and tourists annually and the Karnataka Government Religious Endowment Department has listed it under ‘A’ category temples. Temple information is available in English and Kannada versions, besides highlighting the major attractions on the hill.

By entering into the website mysorechamunditemple.com pilgrims can access information about the temple timings, Sevas and other information and make online bookings for offerings and services and contributions to the temple.

Chief Minister B.S.Yeddyurappa on Thursday launched the two websites at the high-level Dasara meeting to chalkout details of the 2010 famed festival commencing from October 8. He also launched a documentary on Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, who put then Mysore State on modern lines assisted by two famed Dewans, Sir M.Visvesvaraya and Sir Mirza Ismail. Department of Information has brought out the documentary film, directed by P.V.Nanjaraja Urs.

Yeddyurappa announced Rs. 9 crore for ensuing Dasara, against Rs. 6 crore granted last year and said Dharmasthala chief Veerendra Hegde will be invited to inaugurate the 10-day celebrations. Union Minister for Tourism Selja will be specially invited to seek Centre’s support to showcase Dasara at national and international levels on better footage.