IDUKKI: The online ticket booking to Eravikulam National Park has begun ahead of the Neelakurinji season. Though a short delay in the blooming of the kurinji flowers was expected this season, the authorities have opened the wildlife website a month ago for booking, envisaging a huge turnout.
The officers with the Eravikulam National Park said the visitors who book the tickets via online would have the facility to visit the park from August 1. However, the number of visitors will be restricted to 3,500 per day. About 75 per cent of the total tickets are made available online and the remaining 25 per cent will be sold from counters set up at Marayoor Wildlife Complex and Old Munnar.
The counter at the Eravikulam National Park will not function and tickets will be sold through the above-mentioned counters.The price of ticket for adults will be Rs 120 per person while it is Rs 90 for children. Whereas, Rs 400 per person will be charged for tourists from outside the country. “For using camera inside the park, Rs 40 extra will be charged,” an officer said.
Neelakurinji bloomed last at the Eravikulam National Park in 2006. As per the data available with the park authorities, as many as 3 lakh tourists visited the park during that time. However, the officers expect as many as 5 lakh tourists this time.The authorities have already started arranging facilities for tourists to park their vehicles. For online booking, visitors can login into www.munnarwildlife.com,www.eravikulamnationalpark.com