Guwahati, April 1: A first-time visitor to this capital city could end up checking into a hospital if he is guided by the website addresses mentioned in the latest of the “Incredible !ndia” advertisement series of the Central department of tourism.
The “where to stay” page under the “Guwahati” link of www.tourismofindia.com mentions Hotel Samrat in the “supplementary accommodation” category.
Actually, Hotel Samrat was closed down in 1999 and converted into an endolaparoscopic surgical research institute on June 15 the next year.
Umpteen factual errors litter www.tourismofindia.com and www.northeastofindia.com, the two sites where one supposedly gets comprehensive information on the “eight jewels” — the seven sisters of the Northeast and Sikkim.
However, www.tourismofindia.com seems to be confused about which states comprise the Northeast.
It states that the Northeast is made up of “seven states whose natural beauty has earned them the sobriquet of “seven sisters”, but advises prospective tourists to “begin your travels in the picturesque city of Gangtok, capital of Sikkim”.
In its list of “must-see” tourist spots in Arunachal Pradesh, www.northeastofindia.com includes the historical central Assam town of Tezpur and describes it as the “gateway town to the Arunachal hills”.
The number one tour circuit that the website suggests is “Jorhat-Nongpoh-Barapani-Shillong-Mawngan-Weilloi-Jakaram-Weilloi-Mawsynrap-Shillong-Cherrapunjee-Umtyangar- Dawki-Jowai-Nartiang-Jowai-Passi-Garampani-Shillong-Haflong”.
Jorhat, Garampani and Haflong part of a Meghalaya tour? The Upper Assam town of Jorhat is actually an eight-hour detour from Nongpoh and the final destination, Haflong, is the headquarters of Assam’s North Cachar Hills district. Garampani, a hot spring, is in Golaghat district.
Posted in the same website, under the category “Assam: home of the son of Brahma”, are a couple of confusing “tourist circuits”.
The two circuits mentioned in this category are “Imphal-Moirang-Loktak Lake-Keibul Lamjao National Park and back” and “Imphal-Ukhrul-Imphal”.
Does the tourism ministry need to be reminded that these places are in Manipur and not Assam?
When one clicks on the “Manipur — Bejewelled Tourist Circuit” link, the Assam page reappears. This time, it lists two circuits — “Guwahati-Jungalbalahu-Kaziranga-Sibsagar” and “Guwahati-Barapeta-Baroma-Manas”.
But then, there is no place called Jungalbalahu on the map of Assam.
An official at the regional directorate of tourism said the factual errors had been brought to the notice of the tourism department headquarters in New Delhi.
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