New Seven Wonders of The World-Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal, according to a greater thinker, “is a drop of love on the rosy cheeks of time.” Tagore called it, “A Dream in Marble” while others held the view that it is “Poem in Marble” and “Symphony in Stone.” This majestic piece of art and architecture was built by Shah Jahan, the Mughal Emperor, in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. This historical monument is a monument of love between Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. The main building stands on a platform. On the four corners of the platform, there stand four towers acting like four sentinels of this central crown of glory. Inside the tomb, is the graveyard of Shah Jahan’s wife. At the back of the Taj, runs the sacred river Yamuna. The reflection of the Taj Mahal in the still waters of Yamuna on a moonlit night is an exquisite sight. Thousands of people visit this great work of art. The entire building, which is made up of white marble, shines like a dream on a moonlit night. It is said that crores of rupees were spent and many labourers were employed in order to construct this tombstone. It took 31 years to complete. Many a poet, thinker, and writer has showered encomium on this historical building. It was hoped that in the years to come, it would continue to be ranked among the Seven Wonders of the World.
Finally, the Taj Mahal, regarded as one of the most beautiful monuments, was 07-07-2007 night voted in a global poll as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. Officials of the Media Corp. the Indian representatives of ‘New Seven Wonders of the World’, claimed that they got the information about the Mughal marvel getting into the list from the Swiss organization. Which organized the worldwide campaign. The official declaration of the new Seven Wonders of the World was made in Lisbon later in the night. The official declaration ceremony began at Estadio da Luz in Lisbon minutes after midnight. Actress Bipasha Bashu represented India and its pride Taj Mahal at the new Seven Wonders of the World event. Meanwhile, with the announcement of the result, Agra, where the Mughal marvel is situated, erupted in celebration. People burst firecrackers and distributed sweets in the city.
According to reports received in New Delhi, the 17th Century marble monument of love received the maximum votes in the poll, which was conducted through the Internet, SMS, and on the phone. The Worldwide poll, in which people could vote for their favourite monument either online or through SMS, was conducted by the new Seven Wonders Foundation, a Swiss non-profit group. Front runners out of the short-listed sites included the Acropolis in Greece, the ancient Mayan City of Chichen Itza in Mexico, the Coliseum in Rome, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Great Wall of China, the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu, Petra in Jordan, the statues on Easter Island, Britain’s Stonehenge and the Taj Mahal in India.
