New Delhi (NVI): After a six month shutdown, Taj Mahal and Agra Fort will be reopened for visitors from September 21 as part of Unlock 4, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) Agra circle said.
The two world heritage monuments have been closed to public since March 17 to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the wake of coronavirus, entry to the Taj Mahal has been limited to 5,000 per day. Whereas only 2,500 visitors will be permitted in Agra Fort.
All tourists will have to follow the government’s guidelines, like maintaining social distancing and wearing of masks to visit the Taj Mahal and the fort.
In addition, ticket counters will remain closed and visitors will have to purchase entry tickets from the online portal.
Earlier, Agra Tourist Welfare Chamber president Prahalad Agarwal has suggested that before the reopening of the Taj Mahal and other world-famous monuments, Centre must resume international flight operations in the country.
Arun Dang, former chairman of Agra Tourism Guild also informed that the closing of the Taj Mahal has caused and uncountable damage to the tourism industry of Agra.
So far, all the monuments have been reopened in Agra except the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort.
Taj Mahal was among the country’s first public places to be closed in March due to COVID-19 outbreak, even before the nationwide lockdown was announced in India.
However, there are 62,144 active cases in Uttar Pradesh with 3,976 deaths so far, the Union Health Ministry data shows.
-RJV
