The Taj Mahal has been closed as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. IANS The Taj Mahal has been closed as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. IANS
World - THE annual three day Urs (commemoration) of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, builder of the Taj Mahal, will not be held this year.
The Urs was scheduled to take place from March 21 but historic monuments, including the Taj, have been shut down until March 31 in the wake of Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
This will be the first time in the history of the Taj, that the annual Urs will not be held.
During the three day Urs, entry remains free and a series of functions are organised.
Work on the 365m sheet, to be offered, had begun.
A member of the organising committee said the convention would be disrupted, but the safety of the country was more important.
The whole area around the Taj Mahal bears a deserted look.
The Taj is usually visited by around 30 000 people daily. For the past month, there has been a steep decline.
Agra mayor Navin Jain had asked for the closure of the monuments in a letter to the union tourism minister a fortnight ago.
Only during the 1971 war with Pakistan was the Taj Mahal closed for more than a week.
During the flood in 1978, it was again closed for a couple of days.
Meanwhile, with 12 new cases of Covid-19 infections reported in India on Tuesday, the number of patients climbed to 126.
The figure included 104 Indians and 22 foreigners.
Seven new cases were reported in Maharashtra, two in Karnataka, one each in Kerala and Telangana and one in Odisha.
The government on Tuesday suggested closure of all schools, colleges, universities, gymnasiums, museums, cultural and social centres, swimming pools and theatres until March 31.