Tourists visiting Chamundi Hill on Ashada Fridays feel let down

Mysuru being a tourists hub, attracts tourists from across globe. Whereas, those visit Chamundi Hill in Ashada Fridays face a problem because of the huge crowd. Unaware of the huge crowd in the Aashada, the unsuspecting tourist who visit Mysuru to have a darshan of Goddess Chamundeshwari are getting disappointed due to the huge Aashada Masa crowd on Fridays.

Though most of the travel agents are suggesting people that this is the wrong time to visit Chamundi Hill, some of the tourists are taking a chance to visit the hill, and are returning looking at the sea of people, as unable to stand in queue for hours together.

“Though we suggest tourists not to visit Chamundi Hill on Aashada Fridays, some of them will take a chance and return within two hours, looking at the huge queue,” says Taxi Driver Praveen.

Mysuru Travel Mart Chairperson Prashanth said that most of the tourist who come to Mysuru, travel towards Kerala, Coorg, Ooty, and those halt in Mysuru is very less. 'The district administration should introduce Mysuru Tourists Card in the Aashada month to visit places like Karanji Lake, Palace, Zoo, Chamundi Hill, Nanjangud and other surrounding places. The tourist who have the card should be given entry in the VIPs queue. So that it will boost tourism, as with a gratification tourists can continue their journey,' he suggests.

NM Shashikumar, Deputy Director, Department of Tourism, Mysore
said that after launch of e-ticketing system which is at initial stage tourists will be allowed in VIP counter during Aashada Fridays to have darshana. Under e-ticketing system tourist will be given single ticket to visit zoo, place, and Chamundi Hill.

Speaking to Express, Mani, a woman from Tamil Nadu who visited Mysuru first time said: “This is my first visit to Chamundi Hill. Am surprised to see such a huge crowd. I thought of going back looking at the crowd. But still made my mind to have darshana. Have stood in the queue from 9 am and I had darshana around 2.30 pm. Will come back on some other time to have darshana, as it was not much satisfying.”

Tourists from North Karnataka Sowmya and Rajkumar said that 'We came early morning and had darshana after standing in queue for six long hours. There is need of making separate arrangements to have darshan of Goddess for tourists.'