Incredible India indeed!

Incredible India. Every time we have visited any site in India, most of the times, it makes one look at complete wonder and bewilderment at all the heritage which our country has. The forts in Aurangabad, or the Qutub Minar or the Taj Mahal, there is so much to see. And when you travel to other countries, you do see amazing things sometimes but the entrance fees leaves a hole in your pockets. Compared to that, what we charge at our monuments is dirt cheap, sometimes seems like a cheap joke!

But statistics of the revenue collection at these various sites, goes on to show which are the most popular and most visited sites in India. This data comes from none other than the Ministry of Culture, Lok Sabha, as an answer to a question raised during the session. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) manages 116 monuments in 19 different states. Revenue from entrance fee is collected by ASI and remitted to the consolidated fund of India.

The top 8 monuments in India, in terms of the money earned- topping the list is Taj Mahal, followed by Agra Fort, Qutb Minar, Red Fort, Humayun’s Tomb, Fatehpur Sikri, Hampi and Mahabalipuram.

As per government data, a total of 190.23 crore was collected in entrance fee in 2013-14 and 2014-15. The highest collection was from Taj Mahal with 43.1 crore. Hampi recorded a drop in revenue of 75% in 2014-15 compared to 2013-14.