Now, e-tickets for Humayun’s Tomb

NEW DELHI: From today, if you want to visit the majestic Taj Mahal or Humayun's Tomb, you can book your ticket online. The Archaeological Survey of India ( ASI) has introduced e-ticketing at these two world heritage sites, the first in the nation, wherein one can simply print their tickets at home and then gain entry at the monument through the barcode reader.

The system will be replicated at other world heritage sites in weeks to follow.

The e-ticketing system will be inaugurated by union culture and tourism minister Mahesh Kumar on Friday morning. "At Humayun's Tomb, two barcode machine readers have set up. Visitors just need to have their printed tickets with QR code scanned and they can enter the monument.'' said an official.

However, the manual ticket checking will also be in place, in case there were any technical difficulties.

A separate portal will be launched for the tickets, and links will be also available at the IRCTC website, culture ministry and ASI website.

Sources said that each ticket would be valid for approximately two days and can be booked about sixty days in advance. Popular sites like Delhi's Qutub Minar and Red Fort which receive large number of footfalls are also expected to have e-ticketing in place by the first quarter of 2015.