One of the seven wonders of the world, India’s iconic historic monument ‘Taj Mahal’ has closed to cease the escalation of the novel Coronavirus Pandemic, Archaeological Survey of India said on Monday.
Officials said over ten thousand footfalls happen every day to visit the ‘monument of love’ and it was a matter of life and health.
Constructed in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, Taj Mahal is an ivory-white marble monument located on the south bank of the Yamuna river will remain closed till 31 March.
One of the world’s most popular tourist attractions draws more or less 80,000 thousand visitors in a day. The revenue of the cultural ministry of India might be affected due to this closure.
The toll of Coronavirus infected people in India has climbed up to 114 cases and two deaths. Over 7,000 have been tested for the infection.
In addition to this approach, the culture ministry will shut down some other famous monuments, museums and heritage buildings where a huge footfall is recorded. This is to keep the country safe, officials added.
India’s culture minister Prahlad Patel confirmed the closure of the monument will remain until the end of March and may extend after review.
India has all set to fight against this global emergency with a few steps to stop Covid-19
- All International visas, accepting a few categories, have been restricted for a month
- Visa-free international travel of the country’s citizens will remain suspended until 15 April and even those who have fled would be under 14 days quarantine.
- Schools, colleges, theatres and public gatherings are banned until 31 march
- Indian Premier League (IPL) has been put off to 15 April
The Indian health ministry says it’s all set to fight against this pandemic and has asked even private laps to test, excluding government-owned labs.
