HomePhotos NewsUnwind NewsMost visited monuments in India: These places are most visited by foreigners

Most visited monuments in India: These places are most visited by foreigners

SUMMARY

The Indian Ministry of Tourism has released numbers on the most visited ticketed monuments in India and at least the top 1 position comes as no surprise. The Taj Mahal was the most visited monument in India, with about 8 lakh international guests paying to stare at the marble wonder. Many also dropped by Delhi’s Qutab Minar with 300,000 foreign visitors visiting. International tourists were more likely to stop off at locations close to Agra, Delhi or Varanasi. Further South, most international tourists visited monuments near Kochi or Chennai. Source: Statista/Archaeological Survey Of India/UNESCO

Profile image

By CNBC-TV18 July 19, 2019, 12:59:03 PM IST (Published)

Image count1 / 10

1. Taj Mahal, Uttar Pradesh: International Visitors: 7.9 lakh. An immense mausoleum of white marble, built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, the Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage. (Image: Reuters)

Image count2 / 10

2. Agra Fort, Uttar Pradesh: International Visitors: 4.9 lakh. Near the gardens of the Taj Mahal stands the important 16th-century Mughal monument known as the Red Fort of Agra. This powerful fortress of red sandstone encompasses, within its 2.5-km-long enclosure walls, the imperial city of the Mughal rulers. It comprises many fairy-tale palaces, such as the Jahangir Palace and the Khas Mahal, built by Shah Jahan; audience halls, such as the Diwan-i-Khas; and two very beautiful mosques. (Image: Reuters)

Image count3 / 10

3. Qutub Minar and its Monuments, New Delhi: International Visitors: 3 lakh. Built in the early 13th century a few kilometers south of Delhi, the red sandstone tower of Qutb Minar is 72.5 m high, tapering from 2.75 m in diameter at its peak to 14.32 m at its base, and alternating angular and rounded flutings. The surrounding archaeological area contains funerary buildings, notably the magnificent Alai-Darwaza Gate, the masterpiece of Indo-Muslim art (built in 1311), and two mosques, including the Quwwatu'l-Islam, the oldest in northern India, built of materials reused from some 20 Brahman temples. (Image: Reuters)

Image count4 / 10

4. Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh: International Visitors: 3 lakh. Built during the second half of the 16th century by Emperor Akbar, Fatehpur Sikri (the City of Victory) was the capital of the Mughal Empire for only some 10 years. The complex of monuments and temples, all in a uniform architectural style, includes one of the largest mosques in India, the Jama Masjid. (Image: WikiCommons)

Image count5 / 10

5. Humayun's Tomb, New Delhi: International Visitors: 2.3 lakh. This tomb, built in 1570, is of particular cultural significance as it was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent. It inspired several major architectural innovations, culminating in the construction of the Taj Mahal. (Image: Reuters)

Image count6 / 10

6. Excavated Remains At Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh: International Visitors: 2.1 lakh. Sarnath is a place located 10 kilometers north-east of Varanasi near the confluence of the Ganges and the Varuna rivers in Uttar Pradesh, India. The deer park in Sarnath is where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma, and where the Buddhist Sangha came into existence. (Image: WikiCommons)

Image count7 / 10

7. Red Fort Complex, New Delhi: International Visitors: 1.4 lakh. The Red Fort Complex was built as the palace fort of Shahjahanabad – the new capital of the fifth Mughal Emperor of India, Shah Jahan. Named for its massive enclosing walls of red sandstone, it is adjacent to an older fort, the Salimgarh, built by Islam Shah Suri in 1546, with which it forms the Red Fort Complex. The private apartments consist of a row of pavilions connected by a continuous water channel, known as the Nahr-i-Behisht (Stream of Paradise). The Red Fort is considered to represent the zenith of Mughal creativity which, under the Shah Jahan, was brought to a new level of refinement. (Image: Reuters)

Image count8 / 10

8. Mattancherry Palace Museum, Kochi, Kerala: International Visitors: 1.2 lakh. The Mattancherry Palace is a Portuguese palace popularly known as the Dutch Palace, in Mattancherry, Kochi, in the Indian state of Kerala which features Kerala murals depicting portraits and exhibits of the Rajas of Kochi. (Image: WikiCommons)

Image count9 / 10

9. Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu: International Visitors: 1 lakh. This group of sanctuaries, founded by the Pallava kings, was carved out of rock along the Coromandel coast in the 7th and 8th centuries. It is known especially for its rathas (temples in the form of chariots), mandapas (cave sanctuaries), giant open-air reliefs such as the famous 'Descent of the Ganges', and the temple of Rivage, with thousands of sculptures to the glory of Shiva. (Image: WikiCommons)

Image count10 / 10

10. Khajuraho Group of Monuments, Madhya Pradesh: International Visitors: 80,000. The temples at Khajuraho were built during the Chandella dynasty, which reached its apogee between 950 and 1050. Only about 20 temples remain; they fall into three distinct groups and belong to two different religions – Hinduism and Jainism. They strike a perfect balance between architecture and sculpture. The Temple of Kandariya is decorated with a profusion of sculptures that are among the greatest masterpieces of Indian art. (Image: WikiCommons)

Check out our in-depth Market Coverage, Business News & get real-time Stock Market Updates on CNBC-TV18. Also, Watch our channels CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz and CNBC Bajar Live on-the-go!
arrow down