All historic monuments will be opening in Agra from September 1, except the iconic Taj Mahal and Red Fort (also Agra Fort). This was recently announced by the district administration. The historical monuments, which were closed down since March due to the Coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown, will now reopen for visitors.

Earlier, the Centre allowed all centrally protected monuments of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to open in July, with necessary safety protocols in place. That was, however, left to the discretion of the local administration. While some states reopened the touristy places right away, others took time to screen the situation.

Recently, Agra’s District Magistrate announced that all historical monuments in the city, which were previously categorised as part of a buffer zone due to the Coronavirus lockdown, will be reopening to tourists from September 1. However, the two biggest attractions that attract a huge number of visitors, i.e., the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort will remain out of bounds as of now.

Although all the monuments are reopening, they will remain closed on weekends, i.e., Saturday and Sunday, owing to weekly lockdown in the state. Also, as per the orders issued by the district administration, social distancing needs to be followed all the times, and wearing masks will be essential.

As such, the monuments that will now be accessible include Mughal Gardens such as Aram Bagh and Mehtab Bagh, from where you can enjoy views of the Taj, the tomb of Mariam-Uz-Zamani, historic town of Fatehpur Sikri, Chini ka Rauza, mausoleum for Akbar’s queen consort, Sikandra, among other attractions.