Kerala

Three forts under ASI to come under ticketed category

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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: From May 1, visitors will have to pay for visiting the Palakkad Fort, St Angelo Fort in Kannur and the Vattakottai Fort near Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. The ASI is also launching a couple of amenities for the visitors at these locations.

The three structures under the ASI’s Kerala office are among the 26 ASI-protected monuments that would be included in the ticketed category from next month. Charges are the same at the three monuments.
Indians and visitors from SAARC countries will have to pay Rs 25 for a ticket at the counter while visitors from other countries need to pay Rs 300.

Charges would be Rs 20 and Rs 250 respectively if tickets are bought through cashless payment. Cashless payment includes utilising the PoS at the counter or online booking through the ASI website.

The ASI officers said the ticket is not applicable for the visitors to the Hanuman temple in the Palakkad Fort. “Only those who go beyond the temple need to purchase a ticket. Also, morning walkers or those resting on the premises will not be charged,” an officer said.

The facilities to come up at the Palakkad and Kannur forts are a cafeteria, cloak room, ASI publications counter, interpretation centre, drinking water kiosk and a toilet complex. The toilet complex will have separate facilities for men, women and the differently-abled.

Currently only Bekal Fort is in the ticketed category of the Archaeological Survey of India. More facilities will be arranged at the Palakkad Fort when the jail for remand prisoners will be shifted from the fort, officers said.

Entry charge

Indians and visitors from SAARC countries will have to pay Rs 25 for a ticket at the counter while visitors from other countries need to pay Rs 300. Charges would be Rs 20 and Rs 250, respectively, if tickets are bought through cashless payment.

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