It’s time to pack your bags and head to Agra because the iconic Taj Mahal and Agra Fort are reopening for the public from September 21 under Unlock 4.0. By Kumar Shree
One of the most famed attractions of Agra, the Taj Mahal, and the Agra Fort, which has been closed since March because of the nationwide lockdown, are all set to reopen from September 21. However, initially, the per day operating capacity for both the monuments will remain restricted to 5,000 and 2,500 people only.
View this post on Instagram
Further throwing light on the new rules and regulations that have been put in place to curb the spread of Coronavirus, Vasant Swarnkar, Superintending Archaeologist of the Archaeological Survey of India’s Agra Circle told The Indian Express, that, “Masks are mandatory to enter the monuments, and all tickets must be purchased online. Ticket counters won’t open.”
These tickets will be sold slot wise — the first one will be till 02:30 pm and the second slot will resume after that. One can also purchase these from the ASI app, as no hard copies will be provided.
View this post on Instagram
You can assume the popularity of these monuments from the fact that nearly 70 lakh tourists visit the Taj Mahal every year and 30 lakh visit the Agra Fort. The Taj Mahal even qualifies as one of the seven wonders of the world.
These two including all other monuments protected by the Centre were closed from March 17 onwards to contain the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic. Interestingly, this was the first time in a very long period that Taj Mahal was closed for the public. The earlier two known instances date to 1965 and 1971 when the monument was closed because of the Indo-Pak wars.
Related: The Statue Of Liberty Among Other NYC Attractions To Reopen For The Public