I visited Mysore yesterday with my partner from the US and two other colleagues. The weather was good with occasional drizzling and a cool breeze. We reached Mysore palace after visiting the Sri Ranganatha Temple at Srirangapatna and Tipu Sultan’s fort. The board at the entrance fee read ” For Adults Rs 25, for Foreigners Rs 200″ !!!!
When we crib and cry about our treatment in other countries I think we should step back and change our system. My colleague from the US said “Woah, everywhere tourists are charged more, thats natural. But this is the first time that I am seeing it written on a board”.
I guess if I go to the Newyork Museum and the board reads US Nationals $5 others $10 ” I would feel discriminated. (Does any other country charge for other Nationals? Not sure.. Do comment).
May be its a goverment’s way of making quick money but then I would say its not the right way to treat foreigners in the land where we proclaim ” Athidhi Devo Bhava”.
27 responses so far ↓
vishesh unni raghunathan // November 9, 2009 at 8:04 am |
Oh! ya ya ya..what else can I say
| Balu | // November 9, 2009 at 8:09 am |
These rules are from a time when India was a poor country. The rates need to be changed and made more uniform now that our lifestyles are almost if not on par with those living in developed countries..
scorpiogenius // November 9, 2009 at 8:41 am |
It is a shameful act of discrimination being carried out everywhere in India. Wonder why the authorities fail to see the damage these kind of open acts does to the nation.
Vijay // November 9, 2009 at 9:45 am |
As Balu says…archaic laws..yet no one seems to want to change them..
Nita // November 9, 2009 at 10:03 am |
When I went to see the London Tower the charge was 17 pounds. And for that they just showed us the museum, there was no show or anything. They apparently need this much money for the upkeep. In India our tourist places need upkeep too and how are they going to do it unless they charge? The question is not about whether to charge the foreigners more, but whether to charge the Indians more. There is no question as to whether to charge everyone less as at that pittance the tourist centre might as well close down! But Indians are poor, even if India itself is not so poor anymore, and therefore for the average Indian the rate is kept down. I don’t think anythign is wrong with it personally because Indians are poor! Not you and me perhaps but most of them. They too should be allowed to see monuments etc shouldn’t they and so the fee is kept less, so everyone can afford it.
Maybe a time will come when all Indians will be able to afford to pay rs 200 or whatever and we shall look forward to that day.
sakhi // November 9, 2009 at 10:05 am |
I second nita!
Manoj // November 13, 2009 at 9:08 pm |
Nita, I do not know whether the entrance fees difference is right or wrong. But I wonder about those foreign students in India who come from poorer (than India) countries for education. Will they have to shell out huge amounts too!!?
sakhi // November 9, 2009 at 10:03 am |
I somehow don’t feel this is shameful! Other countries too have the same thing. I don’t say that this is rigth just because others are doing it. But locals should have some priviledges. What our own people need to learn is more civilised way of behaving when we are at our precious historical places!! We have to learn!!!
Xylene // November 9, 2009 at 11:56 am |
Vishesh,
Balu,Vijay, Yep, but as Nita points out it everyone can’t afford it.
Nita,
Yes, we need to upkeep the place and we need money. But I guess there would be other means like either a fund or increase the rates for car parking (it was 10Rs there unlimited time) !! (considering that the rich come in their own car). I guess this would stop us from disciminating and can make some money for the rich !
Scorpio,
I would really like to see those boards go away and everyone is charges the same.
Sakhi,
I am not really sure if the developed nations have this. Yeah we get in paying Rs 20 and write “I love….” signs on the monuments. Shameful !
vishesh unni raghunathan // November 9, 2009 at 5:11 pm |
ya that’s what I was about to say
So said the ya before they commented(experience, I sort of guessed what their stand would be 
)
amreekandesi // November 10, 2009 at 8:00 am |
I agree with Nita’s comment. In the US they charge a fortune to go to any ‘monument’. In India we cant do that because Indians are ‘poor’. But since the foreigners are not so badly off, they can afford higher priced tickets.
Convoluted logic, but i guess that’s how things go in our country!
vbentley // November 10, 2009 at 9:24 am |
I personally haven’t been to anything of historic nature in the US (or the other few places that I have had the privilege of visiting/living) where variable rates based on nationality was instituted.
Even from an ethical stand point, no one has the authority to dictate who gains access and for what price if the information is of historic nature. Any such practice amounts to discrimination and discrimination in any form should not be tolerated
Prerna // November 10, 2009 at 3:03 pm |
In Egypt they charge more from tourists.
Bentley // November 10, 2009 at 5:35 pm |
@Prerna : Never heard of this practice before. I stand corrected on that front. None the less, cant see how this can be justified
Xylene // November 11, 2009 at 5:11 am |
Amreenkandesi,
Yes, I guess increasing the entry tickets to 200 wouldn’t help, but I guess it can be bought down to a reasonable value which should be equal for all.
Also like I suggested we could charge more for parking to breakeven.
Vbentley
That was my whole point. If in the US or Australia the notice board read “$50 for foreigners and $5 for American citizens, the government spokesperson would have immediately given a statement condemning any act of discrimination”
Prerna,
OH! So this is going back in civilization as well
scriblingpad // November 11, 2009 at 7:20 am |
In the places I visited at US, everbody was charged the same amount irrespective of gender, nationality, race or national origin.
As a tourist, I never felt lost, as there were signs, and well informed people manning information counters. I truly felt treated equal in the US than other countries that I have visited.
While visiting Hydrabad, the signs were like,
Foreigners: $5 and Indians, 20 Rs. While this is still discrimination, this would be a better sign than the one that you saw at Mysore.
vbentley // November 12, 2009 at 5:53 am |
@Xylene: We agree yet again!
Great post bro
Srikant // November 13, 2009 at 5:04 am |
hahaha… That’s ridiculous. I can’t believe they actually had the audacity to put up a board like that. When tourists visit a spot, there’s no difference between Indian tourists, Nepali tourists and American tourists. It’s a tourist attraction to the world in general. That sort of thing would just make me turn around and leave. Man, if this happened anywhere else, we’d be yelling “neo-imperialism”, “discrimination” and everything else under the sun. You gotta love hypocrisy.
Manoj // November 13, 2009 at 9:05 pm |
I really don’t know if that is right or wrong. I do not know the intention behind this difference in the entrance fee. But I did see this at many places in India, including Taj Mahal!
Prax // November 19, 2009 at 5:53 am |
Xylene the approach is wrong… but generally, i think it is based on the ppp (purch power parity)
Rather they should say Rs 5 for Indians and 5$ for Foreigners.
Does that not sound fair ?
Prax // November 19, 2009 at 5:55 am |
Infact id be happy if other country s followed that system like if they charged 17 P for Britons and 17Rs for Indians too.
Dev // November 19, 2009 at 11:08 am |
I think its not a very bad idea. Foreigners come here after paying a lot of airfare (usually). So, if they can somehow help by paying for the maintainence of monuments…then nothing wrong about it.
Reema // November 21, 2009 at 5:48 pm |
Though Nita’s point is valid, I would like to add that atleast they are spending the amount to maintain the places. we are taking the money but there is almost no maintenance….seen many places deteriorating due to negligence and bad civic sense..lucknow,sanchi etc
lifeofhues // November 23, 2009 at 1:58 pm |
What discrimination? Tried travelling in the US on an Indian passport? Or tried getting a US visa?
The entry fee is probably based on the ability to pay. Yes there may be tourists from poor countries or students. Not all Indians visit tourist spots paying $15 or GBP 17 mentioned in comments above. The lower amount for Indians is because of lower purchasing power of Indians. Been to the Taj Mahal lately? You will see crowds from literally all walks of life. Not everyone can pay Rs. 500 or Rs. 200. Should we deprive Indians to see monuments within their own country? Not quite. As for visitors from Nepal etc., well I am sure they pass of as Indians and pay less anyway. No one actually checks the passports there really.
Xylene // November 24, 2009 at 4:38 pm |
@lifeofhues,
I agree, but I don’t agree that we should milk the cash cows to keep our monuments maintained.
And not getting a visa to US is not discrimination, its a nations own way of screening whom they want to welcome. We are do the samething for pakistani nationals, everyone know why.
lifeofhues // November 25, 2009 at 2:25 am |
Perhaps another way to look at it is that the ticket is indeed Rs. 500. However it is being subsidized for Indian nationals. That should work.
Xylene // November 25, 2009 at 2:49 pm |
@lifeofhues, haha. That might keep me from complaining.