Agra: The Diwan-e-Aam of Agra Fort has been closed to tourists after deep cracks developed in the ceiling.
A cultural programme was organised for G20 guests on February 11 and locals said the cracks may have been caused by loud music that was played during the cultural programme held in the fort.
Officials of the Archaeological Survey of India in Agra have refused to comment on how these cracks came up.
Dr Rajkumar Patel, Superintending Archaeologist, Archaeological Survey of India, said that on February 13, the staff inside the monument noticed cracks on the roof of the Diwan-e-Aam.
A team from the ASI went and surveyed the monument and found that cracks on the roof were 2 mm to 6 mm wide.
“As a precautionary measure, the damaged part of the monument has been barricaded and closed so that tourists are not harmed. Tell-tale glasses are also being installed, to measure the crack width variation,” said Patel.
On being asked whether the monument was damaged due to the loud music played during the cultural programme organised in the fort, Dr Patel said it was too early to say anything.
“The report prepared by the ASI team after surveying the damaged monument has been sent to the ASI headquarters in Delhi. It will be decided only after investigation at all levels whether the cracks in the monument were pre-existing or surfaced after the event,” he said.
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