Mysuru: A relief of Mysuru from a considerably elevated point would, to an untrained eye, appear like a vista – a miniature museum dotted by towers, spires and enormous domes jutting into the air, all of it set amid a lush green expanse. It is indeed a gratifying experience to behold the ‘Heritage City’ from a higher vantage point, and it is little wonder that locals and tourists alike are making a beeline to enjoy a panoramic, and panoptican vision of Mysuru from the lenses of a high-powered binoculars In the run-up to the 2017 Dasara celebrations, two binoculars were installed at Chamundi Hills at an estimated cost of Rs 7.5 lakh each. However, a little over 10 months later, the authorities concerned have managed to recover their installation cost, with the cash registers ringing unstoppably since their installation. The government has so far collected Rs 16,33,419 from the binoculars.Initially, people could take in the sight of Mysuru from Chamundi Hills from 7.30am to 5pm. However, in the wake of the overwhelming response to the initiative, the authorities concerned extended the deadline to 8pm.Deputy director of the tourism department, Mysuru, HP Janardhan is understandably elated with the response to the initiative. “The response has been phenomenal from tourists and locals alike, who are thronging the binoculars to see the city in its entirety,” Janardhan told TOI.He added that the demand among visitors to the hills to look at the city, aglitter at night, was high, as a consequence of which they had extended the timings for the binoculars to 8pm. “On weekdays, there are around 200 to 300 people who line up to take a look at the city through the binoculars, while the number exceeds 500 on weekends and holidays,” Janardhan said.An official of the Sri Chamundeshwari temple said that the binoculars had become an added attraction in what is already one of the most popular tourist spots in the city. “Collection from the binoculars rise appreciably during weekends and holidays. We collect a revenueof around Rs 7,00 to Rs 8,000 every month from the binoculars,” he added.- Shivendra Urs

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