Vote for Taj fever grips country

With just few days left for voting to select the new Seven Wonders of the World, campaigning is in full swing to crown the monument of love, the Taj Mahal, on top of the new list.

Lucknow/Bhopal/Patna, July 4 : With just few days left for voting to select the new Seven Wonders of the World, campaigning is in full swing to crown the monument of love, the Taj Mahal, on top of the new list.

In Lucknow, a florist's attempt to do his bit for Taj Mahal's inclusion in the 'Seven Wonders of the World' is attracting people by droves.

The florist has made a model of Taj Mahal in white flowers in an attempt to draw the attention of people to vote for it.

Made of around 12,000 flowers, the model is a result of four days' of labour by workers, which cost the florist 500,000 rupees.

"This is world's first mausoleum which brings peace and harmony to anybody who sees it. It should be included in the seven wonders. Indians had tried this earlier also but did not succeed, but this time majority of people are voting for it and it should be included in the Seven Wonders of the World," said Zameel Shamsi, the florist.

Built by Mughal emperor Shahjahan in the 17th century Taj Mahal is a mausoleum symbolizing the enduring love of the emperor for his wife Mumtaz.

While in Bhopal, an artist made a sketch of Taj in his blood, to urge people to vote for it; in Patna men got fancy haircut reading "Vote for Taj" to motivate people to vote for the white marble monument.

"Taj Mahal is a symbol of pride for our country; India's honour is related to it. We have got this haircut to give message to people to vote for Taj so that it can be included in seven wonders," said Rakesh Kumar.

From India's Taj Mahal to Mexico's Mayan ruins, suggestions for seven new Wonders of the World have flooded in from more than 60 million people in one of the biggest global polls ever conducted.

National pride has played a major role in the contest's widespread popularity.

The 21 finalists in the new wonders list, which include Rome's Colosseum, Jordan's ancient city of Petra, Britain's Stonehenge and the Great Wall of China, were short listed on January 1 by a panel of experts chaired by former head of UNESCO, Federico Mayor.

ANI