Taj Mahal in Moonlight The Supreme Court had ordered to start of the online booking facility of night view tickets for the Taj Mahal for the convenience of tourists. Ratri Deedar will start on Wednesday this month. The Superintending Archaeologist said that efforts are on to provide this facility from February.
Tourists will soon be able to book tickets online for the night view of the Taj Mahal. The software for booking has been prepared by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The software is currently being tested. The Supreme Court had ordered for the convenience of tourists to start the online booking facility for night sightseeing tickets. Ratri Deedar will start on Wednesday this month. The Agra Development Foundation (ADF) filed a petition in the Supreme Court in 2019, demanding the introduction of online booking of tickets for Taj Ratri Didar, which is held five days a month. On November 9, Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Abhay S Oak of the Supreme Court ordered to start the facility of online booking of Taj Ratri Didar tickets. Superintending Archaeologist Dr. Rajkumar Patel said that efforts are on to provide facilities to tourists since February. This month, the night will be visible only according to the old system.
When will the online booking be done?
Tickets will be booked at ASI's office from today. The full moon is on January 6. Since this day is Friday, the Taj Mahal will remain closed due to the weekly shutdown. Ratri Deedar will start from Wednesday till Sunday (except Friday). Tourists will be able to book tickets for night sightings from Tuesday at ASI's office on Mall Road.
There was no restriction till 1984
Till 1984, there was no restriction on the night visit to the Taj Mahal. The Taj Ratri was visible for the whole night on the full moon. It was closed due to security reasons. Reopened in November 2004 on the orders of the Supreme Court. On the full moon, five days in a month (full moon, two days before, and two days after the full moon) there is night vision. For this, tickets have to be booked a day in advance from ASI's Mall Road office. A maximum of 400 tourists can visit the night in a day. Tourists get admission in groups of 50-50 in eight slots of half an hour each.
More than 24 thousand tourists saw the Taj Mahal in the cold wave
More than 24,000 tourists visited the Taj Mahal on Monday despite the cold wave and absence of sun in the afternoon. In the morning, the Taj Mahal remained hidden in the blanket of fog, due to which the tourists who arrived in the morning were disappointed. More tourists came in the afternoon. On December 31, more than 37 thousand tourists, and on January 1, more than 43 thousand tourists came to see the Taj Mahal. Due to this, there were long lines at the monument. About 19,000 fewer tourists came to the Taj Mahal on Monday as compared to Sunday. On Monday, 24,744 tourists visited the Taj Mahal throughout the day. These included 22,818 Indians and 1926 foreigners. Fewer tourists visited all the monuments on Monday as compared to Sunday.
