Entry to the premises of the Taj Mahal shall continue to remain free and accessible for all visitors from August 13-15, except the main mausoleum in order to effectively manage the crowd at the iconic Mughal-era monument, the ASI said on Friday.
The Union Culture Ministry recently had announced free entry to all Archaeological Survey of India-protected monuments, sites and museums across the country from August 5 to 15, for both domestic and foreign visitors.
The ASI on Friday issued an official order saying, "Entry to Taj Mahal, Agra shall remain free and accessible for the public and general visitors from 13th to 15th August 2022, except the main Mausoleum in order to effectively manage the visitors at Taj Mahal."
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The ASI also tweeted a copy of the order. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on August 2 had announced that free entry to the ASI sites across the country from August 5-15 was being done as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.
There are a total of 3,693 heritage sites in India protected by the ASI. Many of these are UNECSO World Heritage Sites such as Taj Mahal in Agra; Red Fort, Qutub Minar and Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, ruins of ancient Nalanda university in Bihar, among other sites.
-With PTI Input
