Taj Mahal, the 17th-century architectural marvel, closed since March 17 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, opened to the public on Monday. About 160 tickets were booked online, but the first to enter was a tourist from Taiwan who stayed in India, authorities said.
A maximum of 5,000 visitors in two shifts per day will be allowed at the monument, which will be a sight for sore eyes with its well-manicured grounds.
Officials with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) said they had not neglected the monument despite the fact that its doors had been closed for so long.
The strict Covid-19 protocol will be followed to control tourists. There will be no ticket sales at the window, visitors can scan the code to purchase tickets or reserve online through the ASI website or mobile app.
Not many paid Rs 200 to visit the main mausoleum, but they seemed happier taking photos of the monument and clicking on the ‘Diana seat’.
Also read: Covid-19: what we need to know today
“The grass was maintained during these six months and we are ready for the reopening of the Taj from September 21, from sunrise to sunset. They would all go through a thermal check and be provided with a disinfectant, ”said AN Gupta, ASI’s conservation assistant in Taj Mahal.
Gupta said no more than five visitors will be allowed at a time inside the main mausoleum that houses the tombs of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Taj Mahal will be closed on Fridays, ”said Agra District Magistrate Prabhu N Singh.
Vasant Swarnkar, ASI’s Agra Circle Superintendent Archaeologist, said: “The Taj Mahal will have visitors in two spaces: before lunch and after lunch. In each space, there would be a maximum of 2,500 visitors. Once tickets for the first slot are sold, tickets for the second slot will be issued. In one day, a maximum of 5000 visitors can visit the Taj Mahal. ”
The jaws of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will remain at a distance and monitor visitors with portable metal detectors.
While merchandise should not be transported inside the Taj Mahal, an ambulance would be ready at the gates, Gupta said.
The reopening of the Taj has thrilled everyone who makes a living in and around the monument. For example, Munawwar Ali, 50, began cleaning items in his marble goods store on Sunday for the first time since March 16.
“We have called the staff on Monday after six months. We expect business to be slow, but at least we will see tourists going to the Taj, ”said Ali, who has a shop next to the western gate of the monument.
‘Yes, we are excited about the reopening of the Taj after such a long time. A day will come when international flights will resume. At first, domestic tourists would come from nearby regions, ”said Rajiv Tiwari, president of the Agra Travel Association Federation.
“ASI must follow the Covid-19 protocol for everything to go well. The government should start thinking about restarting international flights as European nations have resumed tourism. We have to live with the coronavirus, ”Tiwari added.
Indians will have to pay 50 rupees per ticket to visit the Taj Mahal and shell out an additional 200 rupees to enter the main mausoleum. During the routine days, it was mostly foreign tourists who used to pay the most to enter the main mausoleum.
Tourism trade experts recall that the Taj Mahal has never been closed for so long. The decision to close monuments across the country due to the Covid-19 pandemic was made on March 17, before closing.
“Perhaps this is the first time that the ‘monument of love’, which attracts a large number of tourists to India, has been closed for so long,” said Arun Dang, former president of Tourism Guild.
“This is unprecedented. Although the monument was closed during World War II and also during two wars with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971, the closure had not been that long, “said Dang.
.
