Pilgrimage to get a digital spin with online room booking in Karnataka

Religious pilgrimage in Karnataka will soon get a digital spin with the state government introducing online booking for boarding facilities belonging to temples under the Muzrai department.

The booking can be done either through the government app or the website karnatakatemplesaccommodation.com, which is expected to be launched later this month. 

Speaking to DH, Muzrai Minister Ramalinga Reddy said this will make it much easier for people to plan their pilgrimage. “Instead of people arriving at a religious location and looking for places to stay, this will ensure that their stay is confirmed and their travel will be secure,” he said. 

The online booking facility will be available for rooms attached to 25 prominent temples within Karnataka and six outside, including Tirumala, Tuljhapur, Tiruchanur, Varanasi, Mantralaya and
Srisailam.

A person wishing to book can log on, key in personal details and upload a government ID to book any of these facilities. 

Some of the prominent temples where accommodation booking will be made available online include Kukke Subramanya in Dakshina Kannada, Chamundi temple in Mysuru, Kollur Mookambika temple in Udupi, Ghati Subramanya temple in Bengaluru Rural, among others.

1,000 rooms available

According to officials in the Muzrai department, around 1,000 rooms in all will be available for online booking and no banking charges will be levied on pilgrims. People will also be able to rate the cleanliness of the staff and the service at these boarding facilities after their stay, based on which the department will make appropriate changes.

Eventually, the government also plans to include pooja service for major temples online, with pilgrims being able to book for it online and in advance, Reddy added. 

In addition, the government will soon launch Karnatakayatras.com, a website which will enable geotagging for pilgrims seeking to avail government subsidy for Kashi Yatra.

A person can take a selfie within a 5-km radius of the temple and upload it on the government portal. The pilgrim will also have to key in details of a bank account linked to their Aadhaar number, based on which the government will credit Rs 7,500 subsidy to them.

“Earlier, they had to get a certification of the manager at the temple guest house which would lead to long queues and in many instances would result in passengers missing trains. This online facility will remove such hurdles,” an official in the department explained.