Lucknow monuments likely to reopen soon

LUCKNOW : As the partial corona curfew has been relaxed across the state, including Lucknow, monuments in the state capital are likely to be reopened for visitors from June 16 with strict guidelines.

A decision in this in this regard would be taken after the meeting between UP tourism minister Neelkanth Tiwari and union tourism and culture minister Prahlad Singh Patel, said regional tourism officer Anupam Srivastava. The meeting was under way in the state capital when the report last came in.

“Like in the past, everyone entering the monuments will have to follow Covid protocols and adhere to social distancing. That’s why we are thinking about allowing entry to limited tourists to monuments like Imambara at a time. Tickets would be sold online and via counters too but here too people would be encouraged to follow social distancing and wear masks,” Srivastava said.

“Those not following Covid protocols will face action. Also, no one would be allowed to click photographs in groups and take eatables inside the monuments. Only bottled water would be allowed for the tourists,” the regional tourism officer added.

“Lucknow’s iconic nawabiera structure, the Bada Imambara, has been closed due to the corona curfew. I never came across such a situation in the past when these monuments have been closed for tourists for so many days. Last year too, the monuments remained closed for around six months. The closure hit employment opportunities for guides and shopkeepers. All of them are looking forward to the reopening of these monuments,” he said.