The three-day annual ‘Urs’ of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan began at Taj Mahal in Agra on Wednesday.
As part of the ritual, the doors of the basement, which otherwise remain closed, were open for public.
The said doors provide access to original graves of Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal.
The entry to Taj Mahal was also made free from 2 pm on Wednesday till the same time on Thursday.
On the third and final day of the Urs on Friday, the entry to the monument will be free, said a notice issued by Archaeological Survey of India.
The ‘Urs’ began with the ‘gusl’ (bath) ritual after doors were opened amid recital of ‘azaan’.
“This is a rare occasion when devotees get the opportunity to view the original graves of the Mughal emperor and his queen,” said Munawwar Ali, convenor, Uttar Pradesh Aman Committee.
After the traditional ‘gusl’, ‘dua’ (prayers) were made for peace and harmony in nation and thereafter ‘phoolon ki chadar’ (floral mat) was placed on the graves that are located under the main mausoleum.
“The tradition of applying sandalwood paste on the graves will be observed on Thursday and ‘chadar-poshi’ (offering of ‘chadar’) will take place on Friday,” said Ali.
{{/usCountry}}“The tradition of applying sandalwood paste on the graves will be observed on Thursday and ‘chadar-poshi’ (offering of ‘chadar’) will take place on Friday,” said Ali.
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