Charminar, Golconda Fort to re-open for visitors from July 6

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Historic Charminar and Golconda Fort, the two major tourist attractions in Hyderabad, will be re-opened from July 6, after being shut for around three months due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown. The entry tickets for visitors will be sold online. There will be no physical sale of the tickets. Tourists can book the ticket on ASI website.

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials said not more than 2,000 visitors would be allowed at the centrally protected monuments every day.

Officials said they would ensure strict adherence to safety protocols issued for all the centrally protected monuments and visitors.

Superintendent archaeologist (Hyderabad circle), Milan Kumar Chauley held a meeting with the officials to given a final touch to the arrangements for re-opening of Charminar and Golconda Fort.

Wearing face mask will be mandatory for visitors. They will also have to maintain social distancing.

Entrance to the monuments will have mandatory hand hygiene and thermal scanning provisions. Only asymptomatic persons will be allowed. No group photography will be allowed within the premises. Officials said eatables would not be allowed.

As per the Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) formulated by ASI, only digital payment is allowed at the parking and cafeteria. The cafeteria and kiosk inside the monument shall only serve bottled water on digital payment.

Charminar and Golconda Fort were closed for visitors ever since the lockdown was imposed in the last week of March to contain the spread of Covid-19.

Built in 1591 by Hyderabad's founder Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah, Charminar is the symbol of Hyderabad. According to ASI data, about a lakh people visit the monument every month.

The majestic Golconda Fort was the capital of Qutb Shahi kings from 1518 to 1687. It also attracts thousands of visitors every day.

Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent charge) Prahlad Singh Patel on Friday announced that the Ministry of Culture and ASI have decided to open all the centrally protected monuments from July 6.

Only those monuments which are in the non-containment zone will be open for visitors.A

All the monuments will be bound by the protocols like sanitization, social distancing and other health protocols issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

(With IANS Inputs)

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