Delhi monuments to get audio guides ahead of 2010 Games

"Audio guides will be installed at all the ticketed monuments in the capital city before the sporting extravaganza," ASI Superintending Archaeologist (Delhi) K K Muhammad said.

The audio guides would be installed to facilitate the tourists better understand the heritage structures. The success of the facility at Qutub Minar, where it was first installed, has made the ASI to extend it to other sites.

Delhi has 10 ticketed monuments including the Qutub Minar, the Red Fort and the Lal Qila among others.

The audio guides are now available in English, French and Spanish and there is a proposal to provide it in other foreign languages like German, Russian, Chinese and Korean, Muhammad said.

Meanwhile, Mukesh Bhargava, CEO of Integrated Digital Solutions Pvt Ltd, which provides technical and mechanical know-how for audio guides at Qutub Minar, said that the agency has got a good response.

"We have got a good response at Qutub Minar and the facility would soon be extended to Red Fort in about two months," Bhargava said.

The audio of a monument contains the history and other major details about the heritage structure and it is very easy to operate and understand, he said.

An amount of Rs 100 is charged from tourists for hiring an audio guide at Qutub Minar.

Elderly, school students and groups are given a concession. They are charged Rs 80, he added.

Amer Fort and Jantar Mantar in Jaipur already has the facility from 2007.

Pinki Gupta, who came from US with her two daughters to visit Qutub Minar, finds the facility very attractive.

"You are at your own. You can listen the commentary about the monument any time and it helps you in better understanding of the place," she said.

"Also, you can listen the commentary in any language you want. It gives you a choice," she added.

Naresh Jain, another tourist, said it helps in better understanding of the monument as one do not have to face any language problems.