Taj Mahal by moonlight thrills tourists

Agra: The three-day annual festival celebrating Sharad Purnima attracted hundreds of tourists, who were thrilled to see the monument of love, the Taj Mahal glow in moonlight on Saturday, despite the mist and lunar eclipse.

Initially disappointed due to misty clouds hovering over the Taj Mahal, the crowd of around 400 visitors cheered lustily as the sky cleared and the soft cool rays of the moon fell on the white marble mausoleum after 10 p.m..

“Though not so bright due to mist and the lunar eclipse, it was still a memorable experience to be cherished for long,” said a tourist from Kolkata, who had booked his ticket online.

A large crowd assembled at the Taj View Point, near Mahtab Bagh, at the rear of the Taj Mahal to watch the annual spectacle.

This time of the year, after the monsoon rains, the sky is clear and the moonlight is at its brightest, said tourist guide Ved Gautam.

However the dry and polluted Yamuna River at the back was a put-off for many tourists, he added.

The moon was certainly not as dazzling as it normally is, due to the cloud cover and the eclipse.

“We were disappointed to see the mausoleum from such a long distance, said a tourist from France.

For three days, one day before and one day after the Purnima, visitors are allowed to visit the Taj Mahal, late in the evening, in batches. Only 400 are allowed. This number has been fixed by the Supreme Court, and the tourists watch the Taj Mahal from a distance, near the main entrance gate.

Before 1984, visitors were allowed to enter the main mausoleum and spend leisurely hours soaking in the moonlight, and shouting “Chamki, Chamki,” whenever a precious stone reflected moonlight, said senior citizen Rajiv Gupta.

Gupta recalled the olden days when an annual "Chamki Mela" was held at the Taj Mahal with lakhs joining in on Sharad Purnima.

"Normally after the rains, the Taj looks sparkling white and when the moon rays fall on the white surface, people are thrilled to see the chamki.”

"Before 1985, there were no restrictions, and almost the entire city -- the youngsters, particularly -- used to turn up at the Taj on Sharad Purnima for the 'Chamki Mela'. Each marble piece sparkled when the moon rays struck its surface at a certain angle - and people would burst into joyous ecstasy and shout 'chamki'," he added.

Meanwhile, a record 44,951 tourists visited the Taj Mahal on Saturday. A large number were students. The number of foreign visitors was 3,910.

“This is a good start to the tourist season which begins from Sharad Purnima. All hotels are full and one could see endless queues at the Eastern and Western entrance gates of the Taj Mahal."