PANAJI: Those who want to visit the historical Raj Bhavan over the weekend can now start signing up for it on the Goa Raj Bhavan website, but will have to upload a government ID at the time of signing up for the tour. The list of accepted government IDs will be informed to prospective visitors when they go to book a tour on the website. This will enable the visitor to get police clearance, which is a must for security purposes at the Raj Bhavan. In order to allow time for police verification, the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) - that will be running the Raj Bhavan tours - has asked visitors to sign up for the tour at least three days before they would like to visit.
After the police give clearance to a visitor, an SMS confirming that the visitor will be allowed to take the tour will be sent to him/her. It is obligatory for the visitor to show this message, which will contain a QR code, at the gates.
At the time of the inauguration of the Raj Bhavan tours at the Raj Bhavan on Friday, 40 people had already signed up, said Nikhil Desai, Managing Director of the GTDC.
Visitors can also provide feedback on the website. The oldest governor's residence in India, which dates back 450 years, the Goa Raj Bhavan comprises 86 acres of land, and is home to rich flora and fauna. Desai stated, that of the approximate 450 species of birds that live in Goa, at least 45 can be found in the area where the Raj Bhavan is located.
With Indo-Portuguese architecture, the opulance at the Raj Bhavan is unmatched. Those who wish to book a tour of the Raj Bhavan will be provided with a trained guide by the GTDC. Upto 50 people are allowed per tour. Tours are slotted at 2:30 pm and 4:00 pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. While adults have to pay a nominal Rs 300 to visit the governor's palace, tours for children below the age of 12 are free.
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Goa is not a place
to eat, drink and
make merry: Guv
PANAJI: Goa governor Dr Mridula Sinha on Friday emphasised the need to give tourists the 'right' idea of Goa. Tourists should not get the idea that Goa is a place to 'eat, drink and make merry,' said the governor at the inaugural function of Raj Bhavan tours, at the Raj Bhavan. "Lots of tourists come to Goa. We, at the Raj Bhavan, along with the GTDC, are trying to give them the right idea of Goa," she said, adding that promoting Goa's real culture to tourists was very important. She also said that short cultural programmes that depicted Goa's culture through song and dance would be beneficial to enhance tourism.
Talking about why she threw open the Raj Bhavan to the public, the Governor said that it was not in her nature to be alone, and that she yearned to be surrounded by people. "The future tourists that come to Goa will feel the need to visit the Raj Bhavan. But my need is to be amongst you all," she said, adding, "I like to hear the voices of people. It makes me happy." The governor also said she welcomed suggestions from visitors and would try to introduce as many suggestions as possible.
