From April, tourists can stay at Taj only for 3 hrs

AGRA: From April, there will be a three-hour cap on entry tickets to the Taj Mahal.

“At present, there is no time restriction for tourists visiting the Taj Mahal but things will change from April 1. The ticket issued from the monument would mention the time and tourists would be required to stay on the Taj premises only for three hours from the time mentioned. These three hours would not overlap with the closing time and the monument would be closed at the scheduled time,” said Bhuwan Vikram Singh, superintending archaeologist for the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Agra.

Those visitors booking tickets online for the Taj Mahal would be required to specify the time slot of three hours and would be required to visit the monument only during this period.

Visitors exceeding this time limit would be required to pay extra, said Singh.

“Besides, there will be zero value tickets for children up to 15 years of age. This is aimed at having a proper head count of those visiting the Taj Mahal in a day,” said Singh.

He also clarified that no notification had been issued for an additional ticket of ₹200 for those

entering the main mausoleum of the Taj.

“So far, no such notification has been issued. No extra money is to be paid for entry to the main mausoleum at the Taj. It would be

implemented once the notification is issued,” added Singh.

Currently, a ticket for an Indian national costs ₹40 while that for a foreign tourist costs ₹1,000.