As ASI monuments reopen across India after coronavirus pandemic, tourists stay away

Leaders from the world over make it a point to visit the photogenic Humayun's Tomb in the heart of Delhi for a souvenir

The mausoleum of the second Mughal Emperor was built in 16th century and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Safdarjung's Tomb, a stone's throw away from Delhi's famous Lodhi Gardens is often overshadowed by the capital's other, better known monuments.

It was built in 18th century in red sandstone that had become the trademark of Mughal Emperors and their architects

India's largest mosque attracts tourists and devotees in equal strength. But on the day it reopened to public, only a handful of the faithful had come to offer prayers

The Jama Masjid is yet another masterpiece created by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan in 17th century

Though Delhi's Red Fort is much more famous, Purana Qila or Old Fort, dating from 13th century and is on site believed to have been occupied continuously by humans for over 2500 years

A favourite for picnics and loved by children, due to the proximity of the Delhi Zoo, the Purana Qila was missing its usual vibrancy

The 13th century Qutb Minar is perhaps best known landmark of Delhi. Over 72.5 m high, it measures only 2.75 m at the top but the base is 14.32 m wide

The complex contains two mosques and Alai Darwaza gate. Remnants of various Hindu temples have been used in construction of some buildings in the Qutb complex

Sundar Nursery in central Delhi is a relatively unexplored 16th century park complex adjoining the iconic Humayun's Tomb

The park attracts numerous locals for strolls and some tourists as well, but on the day it reopened after the lockdown, it remained deserted

Delhi Tourism monuments, under the control of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) reopened across the country on Monday, after having remained closed for over three months due to the coronavirus pandemic. Media India Group observed the response of tourists at some key monuments in New Delhi such as Qutb Minar, Humayun’s Tomb, Safdarjung’s Tomb, Sundar Nursery and Jama Masjid for the first two days and found that practically all the monuments remained deserted. One of the primary reasons behind the poor response could be that hotels in Delhi are still shut thus the city can not expect any tourists unless these are allowed to open. Also, many of these monuments are very popular with foreign tourists as well, who again are not allowed to travel to India in view of the ban on all international flights. While the ASI had made adequate preparations to receive tourists, such as provision, at the entrance of each monument, of hand sanitisers and digital thermometres to check for fever. There were also markings to indicate social distance to be maintained at the entrance. The ASI has also done away with ticket counters and every tourist visiting the monuments has to book tickets online.