Due to the rising fear of COVID-19 transmission, several tourist hotspots across India have been facing the brunt as they are forced to shut down temporarily to avoid the spread of the deadly virus.
Recently, the ancient heritage sites in Hampi have been closed for a week as a precautionary measure. The number of tourist arrivals to Hampi’s sites has considerably reduced as the Indian embassy is not granting visas to foreign tourists these days.
According to the news reports, tourist attractions in Kodagu aka Coorg will also remain shut for a week. S.S. Nakul, Ballari Deputy Commissioner, has issued an order for the closure of heritage sites in Hampi under Section 144(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Also, the District Magistrate and the Deputy Commissioner sent the directive on Saturday putting a ban on the entry of tourists between 6 AM w.i.e March 15 and till 6 AM of March 22.
Due to its status as the UNESCO World Heritage Site, a lot of tourists in Hampi had been arriving without going through the 14-day mandatory quarantine. On the other hand, several tourist attractions in Kodagu such as the Raja Seat in Madikeri as well as Cauvery Nisargadhama near Kushalnagar will remain closed. Tourist count has dropped in Kodagu ever since positive cases of COVID-19 were reported from Kerala.
Tourists are no longer allowed to enter Brindavan Gardens and Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary located in Mandya district of Karnataka till an indefinite period. A lot of tourists, both Indian and foreign nationals, visit these sites every year.
On the other hand, Vijayapura district administration has shut several tourist sites, including the Gol Gumbaz and Ibrahim Roza.
Shivakant Bajpai, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI, Bengaluru Circle, told the press that monuments under the Bengaluru Circle will continue to welcome visitors.
The Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) properties are also open for now. Reportedly, the Golden Chariot train that was scheduled for its run on March 22, won’t hit the tracks until further notice.
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