The Taj Mahal has once again emerged as the top-earning monument in India, maintaining its lead in ticket sales among all Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)-protected sites for five consecutive financial years—from 2019–20 to 2023–24.
According to official data shared by Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in the Rajya Sabha, the 17th-century Mughal-era mausoleum generated the highest revenue from entry tickets each year, even during the pandemic slowdown.
Despite global travel restrictions and temporary closures due to COVID-19, the white marble monument in Agra gained its tourist attraction back swiftly. It continued to attract a high volume of both domestic and international tourists, outpacing over 3,600 ASI-protected monuments across the country.
The minister shared a detailed year-wise and monument-wise breakdown in response to a parliamentary question about ASI’s revenue through ticket sales over the last five years.
In FY2019–20, Agra Fort and Qutub Minar secured the second and third positions in revenue. However, the pandemic year of FY2020–21 saw a shift, with Tamil Nadu’s Group of Monuments at Mamallapuram and Odisha’s Sun Temple in Konark following the Taj Mahal.
By FY2023–24, Delhi’s Qutub Minar and Red Fort claimed the second and third spots once again.
Analysts credit the Taj Mahal’s consistent popularity to its global reputation, convenient accessibility, and robust tourist infrastructure in Agra. Its enduring dominance underscores not just its cultural significance but also its critical role in India’s tourism economy.
Commissioned by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, the Taj Mahal remains one of the most visited and iconic landmarks in the world.
