We know that it is one of the most famous buildings to see in India; our social media accounts are littered with people posing in front of it. But can you imagine just how much the income of the Taj Mahal is?
Staggering Beauty. Photo Credit: Paul Asman
If you can’t imagine, or would rather not spend days calculating the answer to this question, we have good news for you: Tourism and Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma just told everyone in a letter. The number provided in the letter is the revenue of the last three years of India’s most visited tourist sight, and it is quite a staggering amount: INR 75 crore.
Are you now wrinkling your forehead, trying to convert the amount to dollars? Let me help you: 75 crore equals INR 750,000,000. Now, that adds up to a bit more than USD 12.1 million. Wow, right? This impressive revenue comes from ticket sales and other paid services (such as tour guides.) To break down the numbers, approximately INR 22.45 crore came in during 2013 and 2014; INR 21.26 crore in 2014-2015 and INR 23.88 crore in 2015-2016. Now comes the most interesting fact: from April to June 2016, the income of the Taj Mahal was INR 8.30 crore! In only three months, that’s an amazing figure.
While you’re in India, don’t forget to check out the Taj Mahal before or after the India’s Cup – selfies in front of the building are compulsory!
According to the Times of India, the letter also reveals that more than INR 11 crore was spent on restoring, conserving and maintaining the magnificent building during the last three years. “In order to maintain the original aesthetic appeal of Taj Mahal and to protect its marble surface, science branch of Archaeological Survey of India takes up cleaning process in a systematic and phased manner using appropriate conservation materials,” the minister said.
Don’t Forget the Selfie! Photo Credit: Christopher John
Fun Fact: They clean the discolored marble surface of the building with the mud pack method, a treatment that is applied every 6-7 years to keep the beautiful white marble from yellowing. The yellowing is caused by the high levels of pollution in Agra.
Soon, another mud pack therapy will be necessary.
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About the Author
veronika
Vera graduated from McDaniel College Europe with a degree in Political Sciences and International Relations. She loves to write about anything that interests her and she has a mania for baking - she also has a baking channel. She is an avid organizer, recording everything in her Filofax. An active person, she runs a lot and has to go to the gym on a regular basis, otherwise she would go craaaazyy.