The UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one out of the seven wonders of the world, has opened its gates for night viewing again after more than a year and a half. Taj Mahal, the beautiful marble mausoleum, can again be seen under the moonlight and the stars from today owing to the COVID-19 restrictions being relaxed in UP.
The monument will be open for visitors with modified timings and keeping the COVID-19 guidelines under consideration. The mausoleum will be closed on Fridays and Sundays due to religious and lockdown restrictions. However, people who want to see Taj’s night glory in galore can do it today, August 21, Monday (August 23), and Tuesday (August 24).
There are slots drawn for people to keep the pandemic-induced manners intact. “As per the guidelines given by the Supreme Court of India, every slot will have 50 tourists entering the premise, and ticket for the slot can be booked in advance from Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) counter on 22 Mall Road, Agra,” Vasant Kumar Swarnkar, ASI Superintending Archaeologist, told PTI.
The slot timings are divided into three windows – 8:30 pm – 9 pm, 9 pm – 9:30 pm, 9:30 pm – 10 pm – for night viewing. Many people, including Rajeev Saxena, VP of the Tourism Guild of Agra, and government-approved tour guide Monika Sharma, applauded the step taken and hope for a smooth revival of Agra’s tourism sector.
Taj Mahal used to be accessible on all days between 6 am and 7 pm, except Friday, when prayers were offered at the complex’s mosque between 12 pm – 2 pm. Night viewing was allowed on full moon days, including two days before and after. However, the monument was closed for tourists on March 17, 2020, when the novel virus disrupted the flow of everything. Since then, tourists from in and around the country were longing to pay a visit to the Taj Mahal, especially during the night time.
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