Agra monuments to be lit to celebrate 100 cr vaccinations

 Agra, October 14

Four Mughal monuments in Agra -- Etmauddaula, Akbar's tomb Sikandra, Agra Fort, and Fatehpur Sikri, will be lit up on Friday night when India achieves a rare feat of 100 crore vaccinations against Covid-19.

The Archaeological Survey of India carried out trials on Wednesday and Thursday.

Etmauddaula was lit up Wednesday evening, taking the city by surprise as its magnificent reflection in the placid waters of the Yamuna river drew cheers on social media. A large number of people gathered at the banks of the river to watch this rare spectacle.

The Taj Mahal is not being lit up due to restrictions on lighting the mausoleum, due to fear of damage to the surface. The last time the Taj Mahal was lit up was in 1997 when the international piano master Yanni held a show against the backdrop of the monument. This had drawn the ire of the Supreme Court of India.

Some temples in Mathura and Vrindavan will also be lit up.

Meanwhile, some local activists have questioned the wisdom of lighting up the monuments when there is such a serious power crisis. IANS