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Now, book online tickets for night viewing of Taj Mahal
The Supreme Court, on Wednesday, modified its 2004 order and allowed online booking of tickets for night viewing of Taj Mahal.
AGRA: People who wish to enjoy the mesmerising beauty of the Taj Mahal during night hours can now secure tickets in online mode. So far, tickets for night viewing of Taj Mahal had to be physically bought from the ticket window at the Agra-based Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) office. These tickets had to be purchased a day before the night viewing.
However, the Supreme Court (SC), on Wednesday, modified its 2004 order and allowed online booking of tickets for night viewing of Taj Mahal. Now, visitors can view the Taj Mahal on full moon nights, two days before it, and two days after the new moon phase. The order came after an Interlocutory Application (IA) was filed by Agra Development Foundation (ADF) through its secretary KC Jain, a lawyer from Agra.
Speaking on the SC order, Raj Kumar Patel, the Superintending Archaeologist for Agra Circle of ASI, said that the directive of the apex court will be implemented. “We are yet to receive a copy of the Supreme Court order. Once we receive it, the same would be forwarded to ASI headquarters in Delhi for necessary guidelines to ensure compliance of the Supreme Court order,” said Patel.
In a similar vein, KC Jain, the petitioner before the Supreme Court, said, “Viewing the iconic Taj in moonlit nights has now become easy as the Supreme Court modified its earlier order passed in 2004 which required computerised electronic tickets to the visitors 24 hours in advance. The viewers were required to buy such tickets from the office of the ASI at 22, Mall Road, Agra.”
To recall, the gates of Taj Mahal used to remain open all through the night till 1980s but due to security concerns, the gates of the monument had to be closed after dark. Years later, tourism trade organisations sought permission for night viewing and the SC permitted viewing of Taj Mahal in restricted batches of 50 tourists each on full moon night and two nights before and after it.
“With technological advancements, the ASI had itself introduced the system of online tickets for viewing Taj Mahal in day time in 2014. Thus, it was felt that buying offline tickets for night viewing from the office of the ASI is too inconvenient and impractical for the viewers who wish to view Taj Mahal on five nights of month. To address the issue, Agra Development Foundation (a citizens’ forum) took initiative to file the IA in the Supreme Court in 2019. On Wednesday, the SC Bench, presided over by Justice Sanjay Krishan Kaul, taking note of the technical advancement, directed the ASI to ensure availability of online tickets,” added Jain.
The ADF secretary further said, “The new online system of availability of the tickets to visit Taj in moonlit nights has come as a great respite. It would increase the night stay of the tourists and would also enhance the revenue for the ASI. The visitors cherish seeing the Taj at night and to have a unique experience. Now, they can book tickets online without having to overstay in Agra for a day in advance. The new online ticket system would also avoid the unpleasant experiences of the tourists in buying tickets at the ASI counter.”
