NEW DELHI — Fire swept through dozens of shops near the Taj Mahal during an annual celebration Monday, but there were no injuries and no damage to India's famous monument to love, a news report said.
Hundreds fled in panic as the blaze burned 35 shops at the venue of the Taj festival, about a half-mile from the white marbled monument, Press Trust of India news agency said.
Firefighters doused the flames after nearly two hours.
The annual festival with the Taj Mahal providing the backdrop was organized by the Uttar Pradesh state government.
State Tourism Minister Kaukar Hameed ordered an investigation into the fire.
The Taj Mahal was built by Mogul Emperor Shah Jahan between 1632 and 1654 as a monument to his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
The Taj, in the city of Agra, 130 miles east of India's capital, New Delhi, has attracted visitors for centuries.