Taj Mahal top earning ASI monument through ticket sales: Govt

New Delhi, April 04: Mughal-era mausoleum Taj Mahal was the top earning ASI-protected monument through ticket sales in the last five years, according to data shared by the government.

Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat shared the data in a written response to a query in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

He was asked the amount that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has received from selling entry tickets to various monuments in the last five years, year-wise and monument-wise; and the monuments that have received the highest income through sale of entry tickets in the last five years.

In his response, the minister shared the data in a tabular form for cycles of financial years ranging from FY19-20 to FY23-24.

According to the data, Taj Mahal earned the top slot for all five years.

The Mughal-era architectural wonder was commissioned by Emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century, and it is considered one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.

In FY19-20, the Agra Fort in Agra and Qutub Minar in Delhi were in the second and third positions.

In FY20-21, the Group of Monuments Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu and Sun Temple, Konark were in the second and third positions. In FY23-24, Qutub Minar and Red Fort of Delhi were in the second and third positions.