Thai tourists in ceremonial dresses denied entry to Taj Mahal

PTI, Aug 4, 2022, 4:41 PM IST

A group of tourists from Thailand wearing ceremonial dresses for a photoshoot at the Taj Mahal were stopped from entering the monument’s premises.

A senior official at the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) rejected the claims of the tourists being denied entry from the east gate of the monument on Wednesday due to their attire.

He said they were asked to keep their masks, crowns and other metal objects in the cloakroom of the monument, but the tourists refused to do so.

On Wednesday evening, a 37-second video showing three Thai tourists — a man and two women– wearing ceremonial attire entering the security check gate of the Taj Mahal also went viral on the internet.

An official at the Taj Mahal said, ”Tourists also wanted to do photoshoots as well as video shoots for some occasion, but they did not have permission.” The tourists were then suggested to go to Dussehra Ghat, which overlooks the 17th-century monument, for the photoshoot, the official said.

Six Thai tourists, of whom three were wearing ceremonial attire, entered the monument premises after 3 pm. They were carrying masks, crowns and other decorative objects made of metal, a source said.

Rajkumar Patel, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI, Agra Circle told PTI, ”There was no objection to the dress of the tourists, but they were also carrying masks and metal crowns. Tourists were asked to deposit masks and metal crowns at the cloakroom.”