ASI protected monuments to reopen on June 16; tickets to be available online

The Taj Mahal and other ASI-protected monuments, sites and museums were declared shut till May 15 by the Union ministry of culture due to the onset of the second wave of Covid-19 in the country.

The Archaeological Society of India (ASI) said that the Taj Mahal and other monuments protected by it and remained closed for visitors for the last two months due to the coronavirus disease pandemic (Covid-19) will reopen on June 16, an official familiar with the development told news agency PTI.

The Taj Mahal along with other ASI-protected monuments and sites are set to reopen from June 16, (PTI)

The official also said that visitors will be able to book entry tickets online and offline booking facilities will be unavailable.

The Taj Mahal and other ASI-protected monuments, sites and museums were declared shut till May 15 by the Union ministry of culture due to the onset of the second wave of Covid-19 in the country. The reopening of these monuments, museums and sites is likely to help revive tourism across several states as state governments ease restrictions following a reduction in the number of cases.

The ASI also took up important restoration work in several of these monuments including the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. It said that the restoration work will make the monuments look more beautiful when tourists return, according to another PTI report.

“During the closed period, mud pack treatment will be applied to the main dome of Taj Mahal while conservation of minarets in the monument will be done. The old stones of pietra dura art at the royal gate will be changed and the gate itself will be given a new look,” ASI’s superintending archaeologist (Agra circle) Vasant Kumar Swarnkar told PTI.

The government had introduced a similar measure in March 2020 when the pandemic broke out but later in December the ASI removed the cap on the number of visitors to its protected monuments when the number of cases fell.