Taj Mahal earned over Rs 98 crore through ticket sales in FY24, Qutub Minar, Red Fort earned Rs...

The Taj Mahal, one of the most iconic monuments in the world, earned a massive Rs 98.55 crore in ticket sales during the financial year 2023-24 (FY24). This made it the highest-earning monument protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), according to government data shared in the Rajya Sabha.

Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat presented the figures in a written reply to a query in Parliament. He was asked about the revenue ASI earned from ticket sales across monuments over the past five years.

The data shows that the Taj Mahal has consistently topped the list of highest-earning monuments each year. Over the last five years, it has earned Rs 297 crore through entry tickets alone.

In FY24, the Taj Mahal saw a footfall of 67.8 lakh visitors — the highest in the last five financial years. The revenue from ticket sales this year even surpassed its FY20 earnings of Rs 97.11 crore.

Other top-earning monuments in FY24 included Delhi’s Qutub Minar, which earned Rs 23.8 crore, and the Red Fort, which earned Rs 18.08 crore.

The Taj Mahal, located in Agra on the banks of the Yamuna River, was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Made from ivory-white marble, it is one of the finest examples of Mughal architecture, blending Persian, Indian, and Islamic styles.

The monument became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and is recognised as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It continues to attract millions of tourists from India and abroad, contributing greatly to India’s cultural tourism revenue.