Religion
Tirupati
Sabarimala

Newindpress on Sunday

Vinod Nedumudy

Mapmyindia.com makes travel to any destination simple and hassle-free.

GOING places is not going to be the same anymore. A website along with its unique navigator is creating ripples across the nation, giving realtime access to all the necessary details for one’s safe and easy travel to preferred destinations.

Mapmyindia.com is giving a new direction to the tour and travel itineraries, adding a variety of features including ‘eLocation’ and ‘Embedmap’.

Logon to the site and enter the place from where you intend to travel (eg: from Ernakulam) and click on ‘directions’ on top to enter your destination (to Coimbatore).

You will be given all details along with a colour map to the destination, including total distance (in kilometres) and travel time, followed with unbelievable ‘step by step’ instructions, like turning right or left on the road you are going to travel.

The landmarks on the way are also given — with the kilometre distance to such places from the starting point. Take a printout and get started!

With MapmyIndia Navigator, that has become a rage in Delhi and select cities in the country, things are much more easier. This smart and sleek GPS gadget fitted on the vehicle uses satellites to determine one’s current location.

Enter your destination and the Navigator will guide you, turn by turn, with graphical map instructions supported by voice prompts. Search for points of interest along the way, such as the nearest petrol pump when you are out of gas, or ATM when you are out of cash, and get them too! For spotting a restaurant and finding directions to a colony, this will be of real help.

The Navigator costs Rs 21,000, but the price is expected to come down with it selling like hot cakes since September 15 when it was launched.

With MapmyIndia eLocation, mark your favourite places on the map (home, office, hangouts etc.) and provide personalized directions. You can save your visitors the hassle of getting lost, and yourself the hassle of explaining directions over the phone. Just tell them to check your eLocation on MapmyIndia!

With ‘Embed Map’, Mapmyindia allows you to add a detailed and interactive map snippet to your blog or website. You can also zoom in or out.

It works pretty much like the embedded media players that are ubiquitous on the blogosphere. All one needs to do is, copy the code snippet from the mapmyindia site and paste it into one’s website’s html code or simply insert into the blog post. It’s free. You won’t believe: All these come from a company headed by 22-year-old Rohan Verma.

But there a few drawbacks being pointed out: ‘‘Mapmyindia is yet to cover all the destinations in the country and sometimes it misses the shortest route to a destination,’’ says Nishant, a user of the Navigator. But he adds: ‘‘In a year from now, it is certain to cover more miles!’’