By IANS
Agra : The sudden dip in temperature has caught the city of the Taj Mahal unawares. The mercury dipped to 2.2 degrees Celsius Monday and touched freezing point 22 km away on the road to Mathura.
Visitors to the Taj Mahal, particularly those from southern and western India, shivered in the long queues at the entrance to the monument. The cold wave has taken its toll on the number of tourists in the city.
The grey skies and chilly winds sweeping across the near-dry Yamuna river forced many tourists to stay back in their hotel rooms.
Voluntary organisations operating night shelters reported full houses. Some of the homeless were seen spending the night around bonfires that dotted the heritage city.
The local weather and agriculture offices said if the cold wave continued for a few more days, it could affect the crops. “The farmers are spending sleepless nights fearing frost and fog which could damage not just the potato crop, but also wheat and mustard,” the officials said.
Barring the Taj Mahal, other monuments like Sikandra and Etmauddaula attracted very few tourists over the weekend. Fatehpur Sikri also reported a lean turnout.