New Delhi,June 12: Nothing could be better than posing for pictures in front of the Taj Mahal in Agra or exploring the monument but here’s an update if you are planning to visit soon. Tourists spending more than three hours at the Taj Mahal will be charged an additional fee, as per a circular issued by authorities, news agency ANI reports.Visitors, earlier, were allowed to tour Taj Mahal from morning to evening.
Turnstile gates have been constructed at the East and West entry points so as to prevent unauthorised entry. The token for touring the monument is valid for three hours only. If the tourist desires to spend more time, the token needs to be recharged at the counter.
“7 turnstile gates have been installed at both the East and West entry point. 5 gates are for the exit. For the entry of foreign tourists, there are separate gates. Entry is only through token which is valid for three hours, exceeding which, a visitor is required to recharge it at the counter at the exit gates,” Basant Kumar, superintendent, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), was quoted as saying by ANI.
Asked about their opinions on the implementation of the new timings, tourists expressed extreme displeasure, saying that it might affect tourism. “A person comes here for relaxation and to spend some time. If the sightseeing is limited to three hours and the charges are so much then anyone will think twice before coming here,” Mohammad Mustafa Hussain, a tourist from Hyderabad, told ANI.
Celina, an American tourist, is irked by the concern that tickets for foreign visitors cost much more. “Foreign tourists are required to pay 10 times as compared to Indians. It would be really nice to stay long here but timings are limited,” Celina told ANI.
