Taj Mahal: 1st Day, 1st Show

The iconic Taj Mahal, after a six-month longest closure, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, has reopened its doors to tourists on Monday. The Agra Fort and the mosque inside the Taj Mahal complex have also been opened.

Visitors visiting the Taj Mahal will have to follow the guidelines issued by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), according to which a maximum of 5,000 visitors will be allowed at the Taj Mahal and 2,500 tourists at Agra Fort in a day. There will be some restrictions such as compulsory mask-wearing, thermal screening of visitors and physical distancing at the monument.

Authorities said visitors would have to book online tickets on ASI website as ticket windows for both monuments are closed. They will only be allowed after scanning the QR code at the entrance. The Department of Archaeology says that the SOP issued by the department for the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort is being strictly followed.

As per revised rules, only five persons will be allowed entry to the main mausoleum of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz; the museum is also open for tourists. Tourists will have to use digital payment methods for parking as well.

At the Taj Mahal, tourists will have to stay away from walls and railings. Only asymptomatic tourists will get an entry, whose details are being recorded.

The Taj Mahal was closed since March 17 as the country went into a stringent lockdown to halt the spread of COVID-19 infection. According to the Archaeological Department, every year around 70 lakh tourists from India and abroad come to see the jewel in Agra’s crown. Whereas Agra Fort attracts at least 30 lakh tourists per year, contributing massively to the revenue of Uttar Pradesh. Taj is the most popular tourist attraction in Agra tourism.

In the last six months, the tourism industry has suffered a loss of thousands of crores of rupees. Tourists and people linked with the industry are enthralled with the reopening of the Taj.