{"id":46711,"date":"2018-07-13T17:18:46","date_gmt":"2018-07-13T11:48:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/apnlive.com\/?p=46711"},"modified":"2018-07-13T17:20:34","modified_gmt":"2018-07-13T11:50:34","slug":"photography-allowed-at-monuments-except-ajanta-taj-and-leh-palace-after-pm-modi-questions-ban","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/apnlive.com\/india-news\/photography-allowed-at-monuments-except-ajanta-taj-and-leh-palace-after-pm-modi-questions-ban\/","title":{"rendered":"Photography allowed at monuments except Ajanta, Taj and Leh Palace after PM Modi questions ban"},"content":{"rendered":"

Photography will be allowed in all of the monuments and archeological sites administered by the ASI, except the mausoleum at Taj Mahal, the Ajanta Caves and the Leh Palace, the order said.<\/p>\n

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)<\/a> administers and manages 3,686 ancient monuments, archaeological sites and remains of national importance.<\/p>\n

PM Modi, while inaugurating Dharovar Bhawan, a new building housing ASI’s headquarters in New Delhi, on Thursday questioned why it prohibits people from taking photographs at certain monuments when technology allowed satellites to take pictures from far away.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, using space technology, a photograph can be taken of a scooter parked in a small lane of Delhi from thousands of miles away, but our monuments still display hoardings: \u2018photography prohibited\u2019,\u201d he said, adding, \u201cThe times have changed, so has the technology.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said he felt that restricting people from clicking photographs was not right.<\/p>\n

By evening, the ASI issued orders allowing photography at centrally protected monuments and sites. The ASI, which functions under the Culture Ministry, has excluded the Ajanta Caves, Leh Palace (both housing paintings that can be damaged by camera flash) and the mausoleum of Taj Mahal from the order.<\/p>\n

Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma said, \u201cAs per the Prime Minister\u2019s instruction, such restrictions on the campuses of various monuments will be removed within a day. However, wherever such a ban is mandatory owing to security concerns or overcrowding issues, the restrictions will stay for the time-being.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said in a tweet, \u201cInspired by the vision of hon’ble PM and his guidance this morning…it has been decided to allow photography within the premises of all centrally protected monuments, except Ajanta Caves, Leh Palace and mausoleum of Taj Mahal<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Professional photographers, historians and academicians were required to take permission from the ASI under a 2016 order and they stand to gain the most by the order, said a NDTV report, citing a 2016 ASI order that made it mandatory for photographers to be licensed to operate commercially in protected monuments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"