The Statue of Unity, dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gujarat last year.

The Statue of Unity, dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gujarat last year. At 182 metres, it is the world’s tallest statue. However, there has been criticism from various quarters over the amount of money spent to build the monument.

As the Statue of Unity completed a year of the inauguration on October 31, social media is filled with posts as to how it has turned into a bigger tourist attraction than the Taj Mahal and earned thrice the revenue than the Monument of Love’.

Facebook page Global Hindus’ stated some figures to claim that the Statue of Unity attracted more tourists and earned thrice the Taj Mahal’s average annual turnover in 2019. India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found the claim to be misleading.

Taj Mahal stats

Facebook page Global Hindus’ has claimed that the Statue of Unity attracted 26 lakh tourists and earned Rs 71.6 crore in 2019. It went on to say that in the last three years, the Taj Mahal’s average annual visitor was 7.50 lakh and the average annual turnover was Rs 22.3 crore. The archived version of the post can be seen here.

We found a document of the ministry of culture where all details related to Taj Mahal and other monuments in India can be found. It is basically an answer given in the Lok Sabha on July 8, 2019.

According to the ministry data, in 2018-19, Taj Mahal attracted more than 68 lakh visitors and earned more than Rs 77 crore in entry fees.

In 2017-18, the world’s seventh wonder saw more than 64 lakh visitors and earned more than Rs 56 crore. In 2016-17, it collected nearly Rs 50 crore with more than 60 lakh people thronging the monument. Therefore, the average of the last three years’ revenue collected from ticket sales at Taj Mahal is around Rs 61.4 crore, proving the viral claim to be false. Also, it should be taken into account that the entry fee of Taj Mahal and Statue of Unity are completely different and hence, cannot be compared. According to the ministry of culture data, the average number of annual visitors in Taj Mahal in the last three years is around 64 lakh, which is much higher than 7.5 lakh claimed by the Facebook page. Statue of Unity figures According to the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust website, over 28 lakh people visited the Statue of Unity since it was inaugurated on October 31, 2018. After a Google keyword search, we found a report by The Times of India’ which said Rs 71.66 crore was collected through ticket sales. The report, dated October 23, 2019, quoted additional chief secretary, forests & environment, and managing director of Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL) Rajiv Gupta as saying, Sardar Vallabhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust (SVPRET) has already collected Rs 71.66 crore through sale of tickets to tourists. Over 2.6 million tickets have been sold so far. Therefore, it can be said that figures related to Taj Mahal in the viral post is misleading. ALSO WATCH | PM Modi dedicates Article 370 move to Sardar Patel

INDIA TODAY FACT CHECK





Claim Statue of Unity attracted more tourists than Taj Mahal and thrice more in revenue. Conclusion Taj Mahal attracted more tourists than Statue of Unity and earned almost thrice the revenue claimed in the post. JHOOTH BOLE KAUVA KAATE The number of crows determines the intensity of the lie. 1 Crow: Half True

2 Crows: Mostly lies

3 Crows: Absolutely false