Some months ago, it seemed as though the Taj Mahal was not going to make it to the top seven. But in a campaign that saw the government, politicians, celebrities, newspapers and television channels actively root for the marble splendour, the Taj Mahal has now found itself snuggly placed in the list of new seven wonders of the world. What is amazing about the campaign is the rush of patriotism it garnered from tech-savvy Indians around the world, who used the internet and their mobile phones to ensure that their favourite monument got a place in the list. The announcement of the new seven wonders, was at a star-studded ceremony in Lisbon, by the Swiss New7Wonders Foundation, that launched the global polls, and rubbing shoulders with world celebrities, was Bollywood actor Bipasha Basu, proving beyond doubt, that an Indian presence has become a must in such global extravaganzas.
However, there is nothing official about it and UNESCO, which compiles the world heritage list, has even distanced itself from the 18-month-long worldwide poll. The world cultural body felt that attaching sentimental value to a site would not help preserve it and that the new list reflected the opinions of only those with access to the internet and telephones and not the entire world. The campaign has also drawn criticism for using sentiments of people for commercial gains. Countering the criticism, the organisers have said that the campaign was aimed at increasing awareness of world heritage. They have also said that they would use 50 per cent of all net revenue raised by the project towards restoration efforts worldwide.
Leaving aside the differing opinions of whether the new seven wonders is official or not, or whether the mobile service providers and the organisers made a lot of money, the spin-offs for India is that it definitely is going to bring more tourist traffic to the country, to see the Taj and more besides. So the tourism ministry should immediately undertake to clean-up the filthy Yamuna river flowing beside the Taj and prevent pollution from yellowing the monument. Besides they must also make efforts to prevent vandalism and preserve the various heritage monuments scattered across the country. And joining hands with them, should be the millions of Indians who voted for the Taj.