Taj Mahal, after remaining closed for more than a year for night viewing, will reopen from tonight for visitors, who want to explore the marble monument under moonlight.
During the first nationwide lockdown due to COVID19 pandemic, night viewing of the monument was closed on March 17, 2020.
According to ASI superintending archaeologist (Agra Circle) Vasant Kumar Swarnkar said the night viewing will be allowed on August 21, 23 and 24 as the monument is closed every week on Friday and the lockdown is in effect on Sunday.
Swarnkar informed that there are a total of three time slots for visitors.
The time slots are – from 8:30 pm-9 pm, 9-9:30 pm and from 9:30 pm-10 pm.
Keeping in view of the Covid19 situation and as preventive measures, the administration has permitted a maximum of 150 people to avail the facility.
Each time slot will be of 30-minute duration.
After the second wave of the Covid19, Taj Mahal was opened for visitors during daytime from June
16, 2021.
But the night viewing of Taj Mahal has remained closed since March 2020.
The marble mausoleum is located on the southern bank of the river Yamuna at Agra in Uttar Pradesh.
A media report quoted district magistrate Prabhu N Singh as saying, “On the basis of the proposal sent by the
Archeological Survey of India, permission has been granted for the moonlight viewing of the Taj Mahal from Saturday onwards.”
“For now, the facility will be available till 10 pm as night lockdown is still there. This month, visitors will be able to see the Taj Mahal in the evening on Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday. Sunday is a complete lockdown,” he added.