NEW DELHI, Jan 6 : Tourists visiting popular heritage sites and museums under the Archaeological Survey of India can now book tickets online through various digital platforms, as ASI’s ticketing system has been integrated onto an open digital network, officials said on Tuesday.
The ASI has enabled online ticket booking for “over 170 centrally protected monuments and museums” on the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), seeking to expand digital access, the Culture Ministry said.
Tickets for popular ASI sites such as the Taj Mahal of Agra and the Red Fort and the Qutub Minar of Delhi among other monuments can now also be booked through these platforms.
ONDC is an initiative aiming at promoting open networks for all aspects of the exchange of goods and services over digital or electronic networks.
It is based on open-sourced methodology, using open specifications and open network protocols independent of any specific platform.
“By integrating ASI’s ticketing system onto an open digital network, citizens and tourists can book tickets through different applications. This improves accessibility and convenience, while strengthening the transparent and efficient delivery of public services through interoperable digital systems,” the ministry said in a statement.
This integration has been technically enabled by NDML (NSDL Database Management Limited), which has onboarded ASI’s complete inventory of monuments and museums onto the ONDC Network.
Tickets are currently available through platforms such as Highway Delite (web, Android and iOS), Pelocal’s WhatsApp-based ticketing experience (users can initiate booking by sending a ‘Hi’ message to +91 84228 89057), and Abhee by Mondee (Android and iOS), the ministry said.
Several additional consumer-facing applications are in various stages of integration with the ONDC Network, the officials said.
This initiative greatly expands digital access to ASI monuments and museums, making it easier for visitors from across India and abroad to seamlessly book entry tickets to some of the country’s most iconic heritage sites and museums through multiple digital platforms, they said.
Visitors booking tickets for ASI monuments through ONDC-enabled applications can continue to enjoy existing benefits, including a Rs 5 discount for Indian visitors and Rs 50 for foreign nationals, it said.
Online booking also enables visitors to bypass physical ticketing queues at monuments and museums, ensuring faster and smoother entry, the officials said. (PTI)
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