TAJ MAHAL , TAJMAHAL

Tajmahal Review

2008-09-26T06:44:00.000-07:00

The currently reviewing poems for publication in Dec. 2008 issue of Taj Mahal Review, International Literary Journal. Poems may be sent on any theme but should be the original creation of the poet. If you are interested in getting your poem published in Dec. 2008 issue of Taj Mahal Review, please contribute your poem to us. For submitting the poem please log on tocyberwit.net/taj.htmor send by email with your short bio (Optional) and address. Submissions are accepted until 15th November, 2008Thanks. Guidelines For Contributors Taj Mahal Review is published in June and December annually. Poems and stories may be submitted by all authors, whether first-time or published writers. The poems (maximum 35 lines), essays, short stories, literary articles and reviews (maximum 2500 words) must be in English. Poems with a special layout should be sent by email as an attachment using Microsoft Word. Haikus may also be submitted. (Maximum 10) Esperanto Essays and Poems with English translations may also be submitted. The matter sent for publication must be an original creation of the author. The plagiarised work should not be submitted. Your submission declares that the work is original, and your own. The contributors are also advised to give their full address, e-mail, and personal profile while submitting their work. World copyright of each writing published will rest with the authors. Proudly published by Cyberwit from the finest paper and composing including beautiful cover and design, Taj Mahal Review gives you the finest that the Publishing has to offer. A global feel with poets and writers around the world. An Award and certificate called AZsacra International Poetry Premium For Taj Mahal Review will also be given to selected poets. The Journal will be in the form of both Paperback & Hardback. Guidelines for Artworks Submission: The artwork must be an original creation of the artist. Submission to Cyberwit will be assumed ownership of the submitter. Send your artwork to us via email with high resolution (Minimum 150 DPI). Each artist will be required to send at least 1-2 paintings (Photos, Paintings and Drawings). All artworks (Photos, Paintings and Drawings) may be in B&W only. Few words about your artwork. A 50-word note on yourself. All copyrights remain the property of the artists. EditorDr. Santosh Kumar (India)

Taj Repalica in Taj City

2008-08-30T06:54:00.000-07:00

Agra, It took seven years of chiselling and carving by 28 craftsmen and designers. Made in pure white Makrana marble like the original 17th century monument, a Taj Mahal replica will be opened to the public as part of a glitzy stage show from Friday.
The model, built upon a 12 x 12 ft area, weighs 8,250 kg. The workmanship and stone inlay work closely resemble the original. It will be showcased at the 400-seat Kalakriti auditorium specially built for the show.
Ashok Jain, the entrepreneur-promoter of the project, told press'For some time, we were feeling that tourists were not getting their due, with all kinds of restrictions on movement and photography. 'Now through our exciting and innovative presentation of a song and drama spectacle involving 60 artists, we have tried to marry the traditional media with the latest gadgetry, audio visual technology, including laser. The Taj will be presented in 10 different moods, representing varying seasons and hours

Beautiful Monuments

2008-08-25T23:06:00.000-07:00

The Taj Mahal (meaning Crown Palace) is one of the most beautiful monuments built by the Mughals in Agra, India. Built entirely of white marble, its stunning architectural beauty is beyond adequate description and qualifies it as one of the eight wonders of the world. The Taj was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his dear wife and queen, Mumtaz Mahal.

Taj Mahal and Mestro

2008-08-18T22:16:00.000-07:00

multi-instrumentalist Taj Mahal, a two-time GRAMMY® winner and one of the most influential American blues and roots artists of the past half-century, will embark on a nationwide tour in the final months of 2008 in support of Maestro (HUCD 3164), his September 30th release on Heads Up International। Maestro, Taj’s first U.S. recording in five years, marks the 40th anniversary of his rich and diverse recording career by mixing original material with chestnuts from vintage sources and newcomers alike। Guests on this anniversary gala include Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Angelique Kidjo, Los Lobos, Ziggy Marley and others – many of whom have been directly influenced by Taj’s music and guidance.

2008-08-08T06:38:00.001-07:00

Romantic Taj attracts maximum visitors
If ticket sales are anything to go by, the luminous 17th century Taj Mahal in Agra is the most popular monument in India, attracting over 2.5 million visitors a year.

2008-07-31T23:43:00.000-07:00

353 death anniversary of Shahjahan

Agra, July 31 : A large numbers of visitors thronged the famed Taj Mahal in Agra today to mark the 353rd death anniversary ऑफ़ Mughal Emperor Shahjahan। The celebration which started on July 29 was concluded today with special prayers offered for communal harmony and to end terrorism.A 400 metre long seven-coloured chadar (sheet) was laid on the graves of the Mughal emperor Shahjahan and his queen Mumtaz Mahal.

2008-07-24T02:40:00.000-07:00

Attractions around Taj Mahal
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary, Panna National Park
Ranthambore National Park

2008-07-22T04:04:00.000-07:00

Shiv Sena activests

TheShiva Sena activists were forced to perform their arti and puja ritual at the Taj Corridor overlooking the white marble mausoleum as the police did not allow them to move within the 500-metre security ring around the Taj. The Shiv Sena had announced its plans to perform the arti and puja at the Taj on Monday, the first day of the Hindu holy month of Shravan.

2008-07-16T06:25:00.000-07:00

Bhopal's Taj Mahal to get a new Clever

Bhopal: Good days are ahead for the Nawabi era Taj Mahal - lying in ruins here in the state capital due to utter neglect for decades ,Though very different from the celebrated monument in Agra, this one was built by Begum Shah Jahan, in 1874, for the purpose of living in Bhopal, which was the only Muslim state to be ruled by four women monarchs in succession.

2008-07-12T00:38:00.000-07:00

tajmahal music

'One of the most prominent figures in late 20th century blues, singer/multi-instrumentalist Taj Mahal played an enormous role in revitalizing and preserving traditional acoustic blues.www.mp3.com/artist/taj-mahal.

2008-07-04T03:50:00.001-07:00

Tajmahal Water Garden

Through the centre of the garden runs the two marble canals with fountains and lined with cypress trees (symbolising death)।This divides the garden into four equal squares(Islam considers four to be a holy number), evoking the image of Islamic paradise that has rivers of water, milk, wine and honey flow। The stone paved pathways further subdivides each flower bed into 4, making total of 16 flower beds.

2008-06-26T00:34:00.000-07:00

Adlabs Cinemas launch first 6D cinema experience near Taj Mahal City

NEW DELHI: Adlabs Cinemas, part of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG), has launched India’s first 6D cinema experience at Agra, just minutes away from the Taj Mahal। The objective is to team up with tour operators and provide a 25-minute multi-sensory experience around a heritage site.

2008-06-21T03:21:00.000-07:00

Theft at Taj Mahal, close circuit TV cameras go missing Agra,

: In a serious jolt to high security arrangements at the Taj Mahal, at least 15 closed circuit TV cameras, which were installed at vantage points to monitor activities of all visitors, have been found missing । Taj Mahal's security is mainly under the CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) but claims ignorance about CCTV cameras' whereabouts.

2008-06-17T23:03:00.000-07:00

Tajmahal built in 1631-48 in Agra, seat of the Mugal Empire, by Shah Jehan for his wife, Arjuman Banu Begum, the monument sums up many of the formal themes that have played through Islamic architecture. Its refined elegance is a conspicuous contrast both to the Hindu architecture of pre-Islamic India, with its thick walls, corbeled arches, and heavy lintels, and to the Indo-Islamic styles, in which Hindu elements are combined with an eclectic assortment of motifs from Persian and Turkish sources."

2008-06-14T04:23:00.000-07:00

tajmahal
Taj Mahal, the monument of love, is fast losing sheen to Indian tourists, thanks to the greater exposure of Indians to exotic locations overseas। Instead, the monument is catching the fancy of foreign tourists in a big way। As a result, the inflow of foreign tourists to Taj Mahal has gone up by a whopping 196% over the last five years and this has led to a robust 788% growth in revenue from foreign visitors।

Benefit Film Academy in Taj City.

2008-06-12T04:08:00.000-07:00

Benefit Film Academy (BFA) a new film school in Agra Benefit Film Academy, a new film school has been started in Agra, The city of the Taj Mahal. Wannabes can hereafter learn about acting, dancing and singing in this talent school. Leading choreographer of Bollywood Saroj Khan, Music Composer Ismail Darbar and Roshan Taneja going to take classes about Dance, Music and Acting respectively.

Taj mahal launch in Australia

2008-06-09T10:43:00.000-07:00

CHENNAI: The global launch of ‘Taj Mahal,’ a newly developed Indian rose variety, was held in Sydney . Sujan R. Chinoy, Consul General of India in Sydney and S. Ramasundaram, Chairman and Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation and Chairman of Tanflora launched the rose, the first global launch of a rose variety by an Indian floriculture company in an overseas market.

Tajmahal Indian Restaurant at mangolia web

2008-05-31T22:23:00.000-07:00

More than 100 different Indian delicacies from all over the Subcontinent to choose from, Vast selection of authentic cocktails and wines and great ambience an dcourteous service at affordable prices. Also lunch deliveries are possible.

strong security at Taj

2008-05-25T09:35:00.000-07:00

After Jaipur blasts and the militants’ threats to the Taj Mahal, new measures are being set up to make the monument’s security fool-proof, an official said. Golard, an electronic security equipment, and tyre killers, which puncture the tyres of vehicles, would be installed 500 metres away from the monument along with close-circuit TV cameras. Barriers and bullet-proof barricades also would come up at the three entrance gates at the Taj.

Good news of Tajmahal

2008-05-15T09:35:00.000-07:00

AGRA, Here's some good news -- a study on the impact of atmospheric pollution on the Taj Mahal has allayed fears of any chemical reaction of airborne particles on the marble structure.
The study, undertaken by Archaeological Survey of India as part of a UNESCO-funded project, proved that "no calcium sulphate or calcium nitrate particles were found in harmful proportions in the Taj's ambience", ASI sources here said. The study was carried out in the air pollution laboratory of the ASI by assistant superintendent archaeologist Deepankar Banerji.

Tannis star visit at Taj

2008-05-01T10:41:00.000-07:00

Agra, Tennis star Serena Williams has fallen in love with the Taj Mahal. The eight-time Grand Slam winner said this to her guide after going around the 17th century marble monument . A guide told IANS that initially no one recognised the star. But once word spread that she was visiting the Taj

Orange Country's Taj

2008-04-28T00:20:00.000-07:00

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO – It's been called Orange County's "Taj Mahal" by its detractors, a $38 million, California mission-style building flanked by palm trees that graces the hillsides just east of I-5.Less than two years after it opened, Capistrano Unified officials are being asked to consider shuttering their sprawling administrative headquarters and set up shop elsewhere.

Indian armay save Tajmahal

2008-04-25T03:20:00.000-07:00

Agra: Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has fired the latest salvo, by asking indian army to immediately cease construction work on a green patch of land located between the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. The superintending archaeologist(Agra circle) of ASI, D N Dimri has demanded that the army comply with the legal stipulation of seeking a - 'No Objection Certificate (NOC)' from it. However, Forest Officer A K Janoo has asserted immunity of the army from the applicability of the usual existing rules. The local army setup has refrained from any comment on this issue so far.However, the army had over the last two years indulged in considerable constructive activity in the vicinity of the Taj, which has led to massive felling of trees in the region.

A dutch student incident at Taj

2008-04-19T01:21:00.000-07:00

A Dutch student has provoked an international incident by posting on YouTube a clip of him flashing his penis at the Taj Mahal. The director of his school, the Euro College in Rotterdam, has formally apologised to the Indian Ambassador to Holland.And the school is also considering legal action against the student for damaging their proud reputation, reports GVA.The young man is seen on the clip giggling as he takes his penis out of his trousers. The camera then pans around to show the famous backdrop.The student was suspended immediately when teachers found out about the incident which happened during a school trip to India.

kakh tourists visit taj mahal in

2008-04-14T23:29:00.000-07:00

Agra: A record breaking 32 lakh tourists visited to adore the beauty of monument of love Taj Mahal in 2007. According to the Archeological department sources, ''no sooner the Taj Mahal was included in the 'new Seven Wonders' last year, it observed a hike in the number of tourists, both national and international, visiting the place.'' As many as 32 lakh tourists came here in 2007, which included 25 lakh national and seven lakh international tourists respectively. The figure is much higher than that recorded in the preceding year.
In 2006, nearby 25.5 lakh tourists, comprising around 20.5 lakh national and 5 lakh international tourists respectively, came to Taj Mahal, while in 2005, the figure was recorded around 23 lakh that included 19 lakh national and 4 lakh international tourists respectively. The mushrooming number of tourists had also drawn good returns to the hotels and created employment opportunities.

Mudpak for Tajmahal

2008-04-09T22:27:00.001-07:00

New Delhi: The government will spend Rs.1.4 million in giving the Taj Mahal a mudpack treatment to clean up its yellowing marble surfaces in the first phase, Tourism Minister Ambika Soni told the Rajya Sabha .She said the clay pack method, a scientific way of cleaning marble surfaces, would safely and effectively remove superficial accretions. The treatment would be carried out in two phases, the minister said.

Trump Taj Mahal

2008-04-05T05:45:00.000-07:00

ATLANTIC CITY - Not to be outdone by two other competitors that are opening gleaming hotel towers here, the final steel beam will be hoisted into the Trump Taj Mahal's new $255 million tower . On hand for the traditional topping off ceremony will be Donald J. Trump and his daughter, Ivanka Trump, who joined Trump Entertainment Resort Inc.'s board of directors last year, and New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine.

Tajmahal mudpak

2008-04-01T00:04:00.000-07:00

Lucknow, India - Indian archaeologists have started giving a face-lift to the centuries-old Taj Mahal by applying a mud pack to the marble exteriors of the country's most famous monument.The aim of the mud pack is to restore the gleam to the 17th-century architectural wonder in the northern city of Agra, about 400km from the capital."The first phase of the mud packing will take about five months," N.K. Samadia, an Archaeological Survey of India official, said by telephone from Agra.

Tajmahal in Belgium

2008-03-28T03:23:00.000-07:00

NEW DELHI: Belgians will get a chance to see the Taj Mahal as the 17th century monument of love will be brought alive on sand by noted artist Sudarshan Patnaik, who says he wants to do it for French President Nicolas Sarkozy too.
Patnaik will create a replica of the Taj on sand as part of the Asia Fair in Belgium. "The replica will be exhibited for two days at the community centre De Zandloper in Wemmel in Brussels," Patnaik told media from the Belgian capital.

Tennis Star visits the tajmahal

2008-03-24T23:07:00.000-07:00

Agra: Tennis star Serena Williams has fallen in love with the Taj Mahal. The eight-time Grand Slam winner said this to her guide after going around the 17th century marble monument on Tuesday. A guide told that initially no one recognised the star. But once word spread that she was visiting the Taj, many begged to be photographed with her. Before leaving, she said she would like to return and spend some days in Agra. The world no.10 in tennis came to Agra after winning the Bangalore Open - her first title this season

Tourist Indormation Centres at Tajcity

2008-03-19T23:34:00.000-07:00

1.The government Of India Tourist Office - 191, the Mall, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India.
2.UP State Tourism Development Corporation - Tourist Bungalow, Raja-ki- Mandi, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India.
3.Tourist Information Center - UP tourist office, 64 Taj Road, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
4.Tourist Information Counter - Agra Cantonment Railway Station, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India

Tajmahal Globle

2007-09-19T05:06:00.001-07:00

The singer/guitarist has played every kind of blues, dabbled in jazz and conducted major cross-cultural experiments. He once did an album with a quartet of tubas. He has made children's records, movie soundtracks, Hawaiian music. He plays solo acoustic or with big band. He recorded with Miles Davis and the Rolling Stones. He was one of the first major artists to cover songs by Bob Marley.The Taj Mahal Trio will play at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at the Orpheum Theatre, First and Broadway. Lisa Blake will open.Born Henry St. Claire Fredericks in Harlem, Taj grew up in Springfield, Mass.
While studying animal husbandry at Amherst College, he played in a local band and changed his name --"Taj Mahal" came to him in a dream. A year after graduation, he moved to Los Angeles, where he put together a band called the Rising Sons (featuring Ry Cooder on guitar). They opened shows at the famous club Whiskey a Go Go for Otis Redding, Sam the Sham and the Temptations.His 1967 Columbia Records solo debut, "Taj Mahal," was an instant classic.
"I'll figure out some way to celebrate this," he said. "I've been a busy man."

Famous Seven Wonder's Taj

2007-09-17T06:31:00.000-07:00

Tourists from all over the world visit Agra not to see the ruins of the red sandstone fortress built by the Mughal emperors but to make a pilgrimage to Taj Mahal, India’s most famous architectural wonder, in a land where magnificent temples and edificies abound to remind visitors about the rich civilization of a country that is slowly but surely lifting itself into an industrialized society. The postcard picture of Taj Mahal does not adequately convey the legend, the poetry and the romance that shroud what Rabindranath Tagore calls "a teardrop on the cheek of time". Taj Mahal means "Crown Palace" and is in fact the most well preserved and architecturally beautiful tomb in the world. It is best described by the English poet, Sir Edwin Arnold, as "Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passions of an emperor’s love wrought in living stones." It is a celebration of woman built in marble and that’s the way to appreciate it. Taj Mahal stands on the bank of River Yamuna, which otherwise serves as a wide moat defending the Great Red Fort of Agra, the center of the Mughal emperors until they moved their capital to Delhi in 1637. It was built by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan in 1631 in memory of his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, a Muslim Persian princess. She died while accompanying her husband in Burhanpur in a campaign to crush a rebellion after giving birth to their 14th child. The death so crushed the emperor that all his hair and beard were said to have grown snow white in a few months.
When Mumtaz Mahal was still alive, she extracted four promises from the emperor: first, that he build the Taj; second, that he should marry again; third, that he be kind to their children; and fourth, that he visit the tomb on her death anniversary. He kept the first and second promises. Construction began in 1631 and was completed in 22 years. Twenty thousand people were deployed to work on it. The material was brought in from all over India and central Asia and it took a fleet of 1000 elephants to transport it to the site. It was designed by the Iranian architect Ustad Isa and it is best appreciated when the architecture and its adornments are linked to the passion that inspired it. It is a "symbol of eternal love".The Taj rises on a high red sandstone base topped by a huge white marble terrace on which rests the famous dome flanked by four tapering minarets. Within the dome lies the jewel-inlaid cenotaph of the queen. So exquisite is the workmanship that the Taj has been described as "having been designed by giants and finished by jewellers". The only asymmetrical object in the Taj is the casket of the emperor which was built beside the queen’s as an afterthought. The emperor was deposed by his son and imprisoned in the Great Red Fort for eight years but was buried in the Taj. During his imprisonment, he had a view of the Taj. As a tribute to a beautiful woman and as a monument for enduring love, the Taj reveals its subtleties when one visits it without being in a hurry. The rectangular base of Taj is in itself symbolic of the different sides from which to view a beautiful woman. The main gate is like a veil to a woman’s face which should be lifted delicately, gently and without haste on the wedding night. In indian tradition the veil is lifted gently to reveal the beauty of the bride. As one stands inside the main gate of Taj, his eyes are directed to an arch which frames the Taj. The dome is made of white marble, but the tomb is set against the plain across the river and it is this background that works its magic of colours that, through their reflection, change the view of the Taj.

The colours change at different hours of the day and during different seasons. Like a jewel, the Taj sparkles in moonlight when the semi-precious stones inlaid into the white marble on the main mausoleum catch the glow of the moon. The Taj is pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden when the moon shines. These changes, they say, depict the different moods of woman. Different people have different views of the Taj but it would be enough to say that the Taj has a life of its own that leaps out of marble, provided you understand that it is a monument of love. As an architectural masterpiece, nothing could be added or substracted from it.

Yellow Taj Problem

2007-09-15T06:13:00.000-07:00

India's most famous monument, the Taj Mahal, is turning yellow, and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has decided to give it a mud-pack beauty treatment to restore its pristine white beauty, news reports said on Wednesday.In a couple of months, a sterilised version of multani mitti (mud from Multan), named after the region in Pakistan where this fine lime-rich clay is found, will be applied to the marble mausoleum to cleanse it of pollutants that have left it yellow, the Times of India newspaper reported, quoting ASI officials.
The mud packs will be left to dry for a couple of days and then be washed off with salt-free water in a method traditionally used by Indian women for facials over the ages. They, however, leave the pack on for only a few hours."It's a non-abrasive formula that won't do any damage to the monument and will remove accretionary deposits," a senior ASI official was quoted as saying.The move comes after a parliamentary committee reported in May that deposits of suspended particulate matter on the shimmering white marble of the Taj Mahal was imparting a yellow tinge to its surface.The Taj Mahal was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the northern Indian city of Agra as a tribute to his queen Mumtaz Mahal and is seen as a symbol of eternal love.The monument, which is more than 350 years old, took more than 20 years to build and attracts thousands of visitors every day. More than 2,5-million tourists visited the Taj in 2006, according to the ASI. -- Sapa-dpa

2007-09-13T07:18:00.003-07:00

2007-09-13T07:18:00.001-07:00

2007-09-13T07:14:00.001-07:00

Tajmahal Lovers

2007-09-13T06:52:00.000-07:00

Taj Mahal - not so wonderful?
By Sunil Raman BBC News, Delhi

Taj Mahal is a memorial to the Mughal ruler Shah Jahan's wife There are barely three weeks to go before voting closes in a global poll to decide on a new list of the seven wonders of the world.
The current seven wonders list was drawn up more than 2,000 years ago. But one world famous building that isn't doing too well in the poll is India's Taj Mahal.
The stunning marble monument to love was on the list of 21 sites short-listed last year for the global poll. It needs to make it to the top seven to qualify as a new wonder in the poll, organised by The New Seven Wonders Foundation, a privately-funded Switzerland-based organisation.
Results of the online votes and votes through mobile phones will be declared on 7 July.
Lacklustre Brazil's President Lula de Silva used a radio address to tell people how to vote for Rio's statue of Christ the Redeemer.
The government of Peru has opened computer terminals in public plazas to encourage people to vote for the ancient city of Machu Pichu.
But, the lack of enthusiasm in India to vote for the 17th-Century Taj Mahal has been striking.
India has around 170 million mobile phone users and one person in every 50 has access to a personal computer.
But lacklustre voting over the past few months has seen the Taj Mahal get just enough votes to get at the bottom of the top 10 list.
Until a few weeks ago, there was virtually no information about the campaign.

Taj Mahal has found pride of place in a new list of seven wonders

2007-07-09T00:05:00.000-07:00

Always counted among the man-made marvels of the world by its admirers, the Taj Mahal has 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.
Always counted among the man-made marvels of the world by its admirers, the Taj Mahal has 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. According to the voting percentage, India was in the fourth place, while Peru, rooting for the Inca city of Machu Picchu, led with 20 per cent votes towards June-end. The publicity campaign gathered steam as the deadline drew closer, with many organisations and individuals appealing to vote for the Taj. Union Culture Minister Ambika Soni cast her vote in favour of the monument of love on 22nd June and appealed to Indians to do the same. While there has been huge media hype surrounding the campaign launched in 2000, the brainchild of Swiss author-filmmaker Bernerd Weber, has also drawn criticism, with the UNESCO distancing itself from the campaign and some experts flaying it as a commercial gimmick. After the launch of the voting campaign in 2000, the nominations were whittled down by public votes to 77 last year, which was shortened to 21 by a panel of architectural experts chaired by former UNESCO chief F M Zaragoza. Among the places left out were Accropolis in Athens, The Statues of Easter Island in Italy, Cambodia Angkar, Hagia Sophia in Turkey, Eiffel Tower in Paris, Statue of Liberty in New York and Russia Kremlin and St. Basil's Cathedral. The new Seven Wonders The Taj Mahal (India) The Roman Colosseum (Italy) The Pyramid of Chichen, Itza (Mexico) Machu Picchu (Peru) Christ the Redeemer (statue) (Brazil) Petra (Jordan) The Great Wall of China (China) (DDN)