Use of Technology in Interpretation of Pilgrim Centres: Application of Mixed Reality and Transmedia Story Telling in Heritage Temple Sites of India

Use Of Technology In Pilgrimage Tourism

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) including social media are widely contributing to reshape the tourism experience (Pawari et al, 2022). With the advent of smart phones, seamless use of information technology, internet of things and mobile applications is driving the digital transformation that tourism is undergoing today. Major global centres like Vatican, Mecca and Medina have created digital platforms. Globally, smart media technologies (SMTs) services like Hajj apps, E – bracelets for pilgrims, free Wi-Fi, mobile charging services, and dedicated social media websites in the Grand Mosques are enhancing the spiritual experience of Hajj (Qurashi and Sharpley, 2018).

Several major pilgrim centres in India have embraced technology which began with web portals that provided important information about the sites including functioning time, offering and festivals. The digitalization in recent years resulted in payment gateways for booking rituals, offerings and ‘prasads’. The covid pandemic over the last two years showed a rapid increase in E – worship services across small and large religious centres across the country due to travel restrictions. Many famous shrines introduced virtual queues and booking facilities for ‘darshan’ to ensure social distancing and reduce overcrowding and started live streaming of different ‘poojas’ or rituals and festivals for the benefit of pilgrims. Several temples have also started the option of E – hundi or E – payment in cash as offering.

Many popular portals facilitating services for pilgrims like onlineprasad.com, shubhpuja.com and proudummah.com also were the result of this transformation. ‘Onlineprasad’ home deliver offerings from all major temples in the country, has facilities for organizing ‘pooja’ or prayer and sell over three hundred religious symbols and products within their portal while ‘Shubhpooja’ has gone past worship related matters and have even started offering astrology, numerology and Vaastu consultations (Jetley, 2014). ‘Proudummah’ focus on Islamic pilgrimages including Hajj and Umrah and deliver quality service through a network of over 1200 agents (Jetley, 2014).