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Taj Festival attracts thousands from across the globe
Shilpgram (Uttar Pradesh), Feb 19 (ANI): 'Taj Mahotsava', the ten-day annual
festival at Shilpgram near the Taj Mahal is drawing thousands of tourists from
far and near.
The venue of the festival derives its importance from the fact that it was the
site where the artisans who built the Taj, lived.
Organised by the state tourism department, the festival will witness a
culmination of art, crafts, cuisine, music and dance of the Mughal era.
This year, the theme of the festival is 'Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam', meaning 'the
entire world is one family'.
"This festival is for the entire world. The Taj Festival sends out a message of
unity to all," said Anita, a visitor. The main attractions at the festival will be folk music, dance, camel races and
the traditional food.
Taj Mahal in 7 wonders
As soon as Bollywood star Bipasha Basu exclaimed "Oh my
God, it's the Taj Mahal!"
Bipasha
Basu
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Taj Mahotsava', the ten-day annual
festival at Shilpgram near the Taj Mahal
is drawing thousands of tourists from far and near.
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Taj Mahal today found pride of place in a new list of seven wonders polled by people around the globe. The most photographed monument is accompanied by The Great Wall of China, Petra in Jordan, Statue of Christ Redeemer in Brazil, Machu Picchu in Peru, Pyramid of Chichen Itza in Mexico and the Roman Collosseum in the list announced at a gala ceremony in the Portuguese capital Lisbon to coincide with the date 07.07.07.
In a colourful ceremony amid songs and dance, Bollywood star Bipasha Basu announced Taj Mahal as one of the wonders. Agra Mayor Anjula Singh received the award.
Indians voted overwhelmingly in the polls cast by around 100 million people from across the world. The polling picked up drastically over the last one month, to see the "monument of love" through to the final seven.
The worldwide poll, in which people could vote for their favourite monument either on-line or through SMS, was conducted by the New 7 Wonders Foundation, a Swiss non-profit group.
The one-and-a-half-hour-long ceremony at Portugal's largest venue, the Estadio da Luz, saw award-presentation appearances by celebrities like Hillary Swank, Ben Kingsley, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neil Armstrong.
The celebrity- studded event also saw performances by Jennifer Lopez, Chaka Khan and Dulce Pontes. The voting picked up last month and in the latter half of June, eight per cent of all votes came from India, which then further
increased to 13 per cent.
Although UNESCO has categorically denied its involvement with the contest, which
many leading historians and citizens' groups have called phoney, for the Agra
folks it is a matter of pride.
A private body called the New7Wonders Foundation carried out the global
campaign. Initially, the campaign, which started in 1999, included 77monuments
from around the globe and was then shortened to 21 in January 2006. The final
list of seven wonders was declared based on the popular vote received.
India's Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni had said last month that
elevation of Taj to the new seven wonders list would "boost tourism in the
country". Tourism industry leaders are upbeat too. Arun Dang, former president of the
Tourism Guild, said: "The result will see a boom in tourism and Agra is sure to
benefit."
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