Now, e-ticketing facility at historical sites in Lucknow

In a bid to encourage tourism in the state capital, e-ticketing facility will be launched at five historical monuments and buildings in Lucknow next week. “The software for online ticketing has been developed and it will be launched on February 14,” District Magistrate Raj Shekhar said in Lucknow on Thursday. “Work on constructing payment gateway is going on after linking the software with banks and all this is likely to be completed by February 10,” he said. The facility is being made available for historically important sites such as Bara Imambara, Chota Imambara and Picture Gallery managed by the Hussainabad Trust, he said. Bara Imambara is a shrine built by Nawab of Lucknow, Asaf -ud-Daula, in 1784, while Chota Imambara is an imposing monument built by Muhammad Ali Shah, the third Nawab of Awadh in 1838. Terming the facility as user friendly and convenient, he said the operations are being outsourced to a private company for the first few months after which the Trust will take over. The forms for e-tickets will have a passport-sized photo taken from a personal webcam which would be uploaded on the ticketing server, he said, adding that no extra fees would be charged for e-ticket. A combo ticket pack enabling tourists to visit all heritage buildings on one ticket is also under consideration. PTI