At a meeting held in Delhi on Tuesday, which was attended by high-ranking officials from the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India), police and bureaucrats, it was decided that the number of tourists visiting the Taj Mahal will be capped to 40,000 per day.

The decision comes as a part of the precautions being suggested keeping in mind environmental concerns and to avoid stampede-like situations, after a minor stampede happened at one of the entry gates of Taj Mahal , last Thursday.

Another crowd-management measure suggested by the ASI to the Ministry of Culture involves curbing the visit duration to three hours. According to the ASI, 35,000 to 40,000 people visit the monument every day, but the numbers shoot up to 60,000-70,000 during holidays and weekends, giving rise to stampede-like situations, where the tourists spend hours inside the monument-complex making things worse for the crowd. The ASI has therefore suggested restricting the sale of tickets to 40,000 per day, but with an exemption for foreign tourists.

Picture courtesy: Instagram/kaps_click_photography Picture courtesy: Instagram/kaps_click_photography

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Apart from controlling the footfall and time-duration per visitor, the ASI has also suggested separate entry tickets into the crypt, which has replicas of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal's grave. On Sunday, the ASI restricted visitors' entry into the crypt, but the ban was soon lifted after the complaints by visitors.

According to the report by The Indian Express, the Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma said, "Several measures have been proposed by the ASI to ensure a smooth experience at the Taj Mahal and avert any tragedy, including limiting the number of visitors at 40,000 and limiting the validity of entry to three hours. We have no option but to go by these measures."