Tourists visiting the Taj Mahal in Agra will have to pay more from April 1 as the government has decided to introduce a 200 charge for those wishing to see the main mausoleum of the heritage site. As of now, there is no separate fee for entry to the main mausoleum, where the graves of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal lie.
The entry fee has also been raised from existing 40 rupees to 50 rupees. Speaking at a media briefing, Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma said, the move is aimed at preserving the Taj Mahal and effecting better crowd management.
Mr Sharma said, a recent report by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, which had conducted a study on Taj's load-bearing capacity, had recommended immediate steps to reduce footfall into the mausoleum for its protection. Supreme Court recently directed the Uttar Pradesh government to submit a vision document on the preservation of the monument.
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