Tourists face hardship as Gingee Fort in Villupuram lacks basic facilities during peak season
VILLUPURAM: The historic Gingee Fort is facing neglect at the height of the summer vacation season, when footfall usually goes up. Tourists visiting the 12th-century monument are voicing concerns over poor maintenance, with locked toilets and lack of drinking water facilities causing significant discomfort, especially for families with children.
Every summer, Gingee Fort attracts thousands of visitors. But this year, the experience has been marred by basic infrastructure failures. With day temperatures soaring above 40°C, the absence of potable water facilities has become a major issue for visitors navigating the sprawling and rugged terrain of the fort complex.
'The fort is magnificent, but we had to cut our visit short because there were no working toilets or drinking water facilities. Our water bottles were empty by the time we returned from the fort, as there was no facility to fill them up, even though there was a tap,' said Thenmozhi Kumar, a tourist from Chennai visiting with her two children.
'Shockingly, such an important monument is so poorly maintained during peak season,' she said.
Local vendors have attempted to meet demand by selling bottled water, but this has only added to tourists' frustration as the stock gets depleted quickly. Despite being a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Gingee Fort has long struggled with periodic neglect. TNIE visited the spot to find locked restroom gates and a ticket counter with no designated officer.
'It's painful to see such a historic treasure being ignored,' said K Murugan, a history teacher and resident of Gingee. 'The authorities need to step up and provide at least the minimum facilities, especially during school holidays when families come in large numbers,' he added.
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