More than six months after it was closed down for visitors in the wake of the pandemic, the Taj Mahal will open its doors to the public from September 21. Archaeological Survey of India has confirmed this. However, there will be a cap of 5,000 on the number of visitors allowed per day.
Even as all other ASI-protected monuments in Agra were allowed to open from September 1, Taj Mahal and Agra Fort remained shut as per the district administration’s orders as they were located close to containment zones. Agra Fort will have a cap of 3,000 visitors daily. Previously scheduled opening of the monument in July alongwith all ASI monuments nationwide was also put off.
When the Taj opens on September 21 morning, visitors will have to follow all guidelines issued by the Centre such as social distancing and hand sanitisation. Masks are mandatory to enter the monuments and all tickets must be purchased online. Ticket counters will not open. Tickets will be sold online or through the ASI phone app. While the Taj Mahal will remain closed on Fridays and Sundays, Agra Fort will remain shut on Sundays.
According to ASI estimates, Taj Mahal receives around 70-80 lakh visitors each year, including a large number of foreign tourists who are not likely to come till regular international traffic resumes. In peak season daily visitor count even touched to 80,000 in pre-covid era. The Agra Fort gets 30 lakh visitors a year.
All centrally protected monuments were shut down on March 17 before the nationwide lockdown came into force to control the spread of Covid-19. This was the first time after the Indo-Pak wars in 1965 and 1971 when Taj was closed to the public.
There is much cheer and hope in the travel industry in India as finally the iconic India Taj Mahal and other monuments like the Agra Fort are set to open. Although many in the industry believe that it will take time to reach even this number in initial days as people are still weary of health and security. But with weather getting better and inter-state travel restrictions now almost over, the numbers will definitely rise in coming months.
As per some estimates, travel and hospitality industry in Agra lost almost 2000 crores Rs because of the monument closures. Over 250,000 people in Agra are directly and indirectly involved in the travel and tourism industry. Besides the hotels and tour operators segment, this number also includes photographers, guides, shoe-shine boys, shopkeepers, among others.