Monuments, including the Taj Mahal, would be free for all women visitors.

Women visiting any of the ticketed monuments maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India would not be charged entry fee on Sunday on the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Union Culture Ministry said on Saturday.

Monuments, including Taj Mahal in Agra, would be free for all women visitors, domestic or foreign. Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel said the decision was taken in keeping with India’s tradition of “giving respect to women”. He added that apart from this “small tribute” from the Ministry, the ASI was also working to make its monuments safe and secure for women visitors.

“In our country, women are worshipped from much before the International Women’s Day was conceived. In our culture, women have the status of goddesses since ancient times. This is a great initiative,” Culture Minister Prahlad Patel said on Saturday.

The move comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that he will hand over his social media accounts to women on Sunday.

10 monuments to be open from sunrise till 9 p.m.

(With inputs from PTI)