Coming soon: Unrestricted view of Taj Mahal in moonlight
Agra Tourist Welfare Chamber has proposed to the Union Minister of State for Tourism and Culture that Mehtab Bagh, which is behind the Taj across the Yamuna, could become a venue for the night view of the Taj after basic amenities like parking and a cafeteria are resolved.
While Agra gears up for its swelling domestic and international tourist traffic with a series of inftastructure projects including a high-speed train, new flyovers, a new road leading directly to the Taj Mahal and a new terminal at the airport, the highlight of the revamp plan is the proposed unrestricted view of the Mughal monument.
Talking to India Today, Prahalad Agarwal of the Agra Tourist Welfare Chamber said that they had been demanding relaxation in security arrangements around the Taj during the nights so that more tourists could view the wonder of the world in moonlight.
But the restrictions imposed by the Supreme Court on the monument's security made it difficult for these arrangements to be relaxed.
As an alternate, the Agra Tourist Welfare Chamber and Agra Development Foundation proposed to the Union Minister of State for Tourism and Culture Sripad Yesso Naik that Mehtab Bagh, which is behind the Taj across the Yamuna, could become a venue for the night view of the Taj after basic amenities like parking and a cafeteria are resolved.
Naik instructed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to prepare the proposal in cooperation with the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department.
Dinesh Kumar, Regional Tourism Officer at Agra told India Today that a Rs 2 crore proposal, which includes a cafeteria, a large parking space and a modern toilet, has been prepared by the department and forwarded to the Union Tourism Ministry.
Vishal Sharma of the Agra Tourist Welfare Chamber said that the opening of Mehtab Bagh will lead to a massive increase in the number of tourists visiting Agra during the moonlit nights of the month. This, he said, will also boost the hotel industry with most visitors spending their nights in the western Uttar Pradesh town.
Opening Mehtab Bagh for tourists will also ensure that no tourist returns from Agra without viewing the Taj Mahal, when the monument is officially closed on Fridays.
With new star category hotels coming up in Agra, the city prepares itself to welcome its tourists with the new season beginning with the long weekend on October 2.