As a part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav and the 75th Independence Day celebration, all the monuments and sites which are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will have free entry. This will be provided to Indian travellers as well as foreign visitors who plan to visit these sites from August 5 to August 15.
Taking it to the microblogging site, Twitter, Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy said,” As part of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ and the 75th I-Day celebrations, @ASIGoI has made entry free for visitors/ tourists to all its protected monuments/sites across the country, from 5th-15th August, 2022.”
To take the celebration a step higher, different events will be conducted including a cleaning campaign and exhibitions, which will take place in Agra which houses the famous Taj Mahal.
As per media reports, a swachhata campaign of 40 monuments will take place from August 8 to 15. Following monuments will be lit up as a part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav - the Agra Fort, Akbar’s Tomb at Sikandra, Fatehpur Sikri and Itmad-ud-daulah. Reports further claim that the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Guru Ka Tal at Sikandra will hold exhibitions. Along with this, two tricolours each 50 feet high will be installed at Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri.
According to media reports, there are 3,600 ASI-protected monuments in the country. There are total of 116 monuments which charge an entry fee. The states are 17 in Uttar Pradesh, 16 in Maharashtra, 12 in Karnataka, 10 in Delhi, eight in Madhya Pradesh, six in Gujarat and seven in Tamil Nadu.
These monuments are found in different geographical settings which sheds light on historical eras, prehistoric and colonial times. Such monuments serve as perfect examples of ancient settlements, temples, mosques, tombs, churches, cemeteries, forts, palaces, step-wells, rock-cut, cavers and secular architecture.
