Mumbai: Foreign tourists visiting the country''''s monuments must now pay at a fixed rupee rate rather than in dollars thanks to the falling value of the US currency. 

To shore up revenues, the notified rupee rates at the ticket counters take into account the dollar exchange rate at around Rs50 against the going rate of about Rs39.25. Indian visitors, who pay a much lower rate, however, are not hit.

The move follows the huge fall in revenues this year as the dollar slid more than 12 per cent against the local currency.

The orders to change the dollar rate were issued following a directive by the ministry of tourism and culture.

The ministry said in a statement that the move was "to avoid any anomaly on account of falling exchange rates of the $ vis-a-vis the rupee and consequent fall in revenues".

The government had fixed a $5 entrance fee for world heritage sites like the Taj Mahal and $2 for other monuments at a time when the dollar was worth about Rs50. The new rate for world heritage sites is fixed at Rs250, with the dollar now worth around Rs39.

This means a foreign tourist will pay the equivalent of about $6.50 against the earlier rate of $5.

More than four million tourists visited India last year, bringing in around $6.6 billion in foreign exchange earnings.

"These rates have been fixed in line with international practices. It will avoid any anomaly on account of falling dollar-rupee exchange rate. The fall in revenue to ASI will also be checked," a ministry official said.

India has 27 World Heritage sites, including 22 cultural properties and five natural properties. Of these, 18 are protected and ticketed by ASI.

Delhi''''s Red Fort is the latest addition to the list, which includes Taj Mahal, Ajanta-Ellora caves, Khajuraho, Old Goa churches, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mahabodhi Temple and Qutub Minar.

Although India has as many as 3,667 historical monuments, the number of those protected and ticketed by ASI is 116.

Total revenue from ticketed monuments in 2006-07 was Rs60.84 crore, up from Rs53.91 crore in 2005-06 and Rs52.9 crore in 2004-05. Although the ministry did not have the total value of receipts from foreigners, sources said it would be "substantial", considering that the ticket rate was much higher than for Indians.