In 2024–25, the Archaeological Survey of India recorded over 54.2 million visits to its 145 centrally protected monuments, with nearly half of these—47 percent—concentrated among just 10 sites. Leading the list was the Taj Mahal in Agra, which saw 6.26 million domestic visitors and 0.65 million foreign visitors. Other top-ranked monuments by domestic footfall included the Sun Temple in Konark, Qutub Minar and the Red Fort in Delhi, Bibi Ka Maqbara and the Ellora Caves in Aurangabad, Golkonda For

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has found itself at the heart of heated debates in recent years—whether in Ayodhya, Mathura or Gyanvapi. In Outlook’s latest issue, “What ‘Lies’ Beneath,” looks at the politics of archaeology and the role of state agencies. The question of India’s earliest civilisations continues to spark debate, with Hindu nationalists asserting the Harappan civilisation was Vedic—an idea many archaeologists firmly dispute. The ancient Harappan site of Rakhigarhi for sim