Taj is most popular Asian destination

NEW DELHI (TIA /AGENCIES)- India’s most  beautiful architectural monument, Taj Mahal has been chosen as most popular Asian destination. Built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1653 in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, is the grand winner of the voters’ choice for the most popular Asian destination.

The announcement in this regard was made by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) at the Asian Attractions Awards ceremony held during Asian Attractions Expo (AAE) 2010 in Kuala Lumpur.

Asian attractions were promoted throughout May and June on Star TV Network, a subsidiary of Fox International, which has 80 million cable subscribers in Asia.

The awards were broken into six categories, and a total of 94,099 votes cast by the public through the AAA website and social media outlets, determined the winners, said a pti report.

While the Taj Mahal was declared the Grand Winner, it was followed by Large Attraction (Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore), Medium Attraction (Sunway Lagoon, Malaysia), Small Attraction (Sentosa 4D Magix, Singapore), Waterpark (Sunway Lagoon, Malaysia), Wildlife Park (Night Safari, Singapore), and Theme Park (Universal Studios Japan, Japan).

Taj, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Islamic, Indian and Persian architectural styles.

In 1983, the Taj Mahal, building began around 1632 and was completed around 1653, and employed thousands of artisans and craftsmen, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In a project that attempted to update the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, popularity poll was led by Canadian-Swiss Bernard Weber and organized by the Swiss-based, government-controlled New7Wonders Foundation considered Taj Mahal to be one of the present new seven wonders of the world.

It is said that Shah Jahan presented Maharajah Jai Singh with a large palace in the center of Agra in exchange for the land. An area of roughly three acres was excavated, filled with dirt to reduce seepage, and leveled at 50 metres (160 ft) above riverbank. In the tomb area, wells were dug and filled with stone and rubble to form the footings of the tomb. Instead of lashed bamboo, workmen constructed a colossal brick scaffold that mirrored the tomb. The scaffold was so enormous that foremen estimated it would take years to dismantle. According to the legend, Shah Jahan decreed that anyone could keep the bricks taken from the scaffold, and thus it was dismantled by peasants overnight.

The Taj Mahal, built on a parcel of land to the south of the walled city of Agra, attracts from 2 to 4 million visitors annually, with more than 200,000 from overseas. Most tourists visit in the cooler months of October, November and February.

For centuries, the Taj Mahal has inspired poets, painters and musicians to try and capture its elusive magic in word, colour and song. It is one of the most flawless architectural creations of the world. Since the 17th century, travellers have crossed continents to come and see this ultimate memorial to love, and few have been unmoved by its incomparable beauty.