The Taj Mahal is open again, and we cannot wait to get clicked on the bench in front of the iconic monument, one of the most coveted photo ops in the world.
But, hold on to the celebrations.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has mandated that visitors can take photographs from the location, but they have to maintain social distancing norms at all times.
Gone are those days of cosy lovebirds posing for a photograph or a huddled-up family portrait. The authorities have said that photographs can feature more than one person, but only if a minimum distance of six feet is maintained between them.
ASI superintending archaeologist for the Agra circle, Vasant Kumar Swarnakar, has also made it clear that all precautions against COVID-19 will be strictly implemented both within and outside the Taj complex.
Tickets have to be purchased online and only e-payments will be allowed. Masks and sanitisers are mandatory at all times. All areas of the Taj Mahal complex with tourist traffic will be sanitised at least twice daily.
You will no longer be frisked during security checks. After passing through a metal detector, all tourists will be scanned by a security person using a handheld detector.
The mausoleum has been a popular tourist destination for visitors from all across the globe. The lockdown for over six months had impacted the state's economy and the (nearly) 10,000 people who were directly, or indirectly, associated with the Taj Mahal.
