Vote for Taj: ITFAA

Shillong, Mar 31 (UNI) Industries and Trade Fair Association of Assam (ITFAA), organiser of the eighth International Shillong Trade Fair (ISTF), today expressed its solidarity with the rest of the country in its initiative to select Taj Mahal as one of the new seven wonders of the world.

As part of its campaign for this great work of architecture on its 350th anniversary, the organising committee of ISTF has built a replica of Taj Mahal at the Fire Brigade Ground here.

During a solidarity campaign, delegates from Egypt, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Thailand, who had flown into Shillong to participate in the eighth ISTF, requested everyone to vote for Taj Mahal by holding banners in front of the replica.

The multimedia campaign to choose the New 7 Wonders of the World is in its final stage.

This is the biggest global vote ever to have taken place.

Millions of people have already voted for their favourite 'wonder'.

Numerous milestones have already been reached on a journey across the Internet, television and the world's media.

On January 1, 2006, the New 7 Wonder Panel of Experts, chaired by former UNESCO Head Prof Dr Federico Mayor, short-listed those nominations with the most votes received by the end of 2005.

The top 77 choices have been narrowed down to 21 finalists, which are the focus for the final year of voting.

The Taj Mahal is presently in the top seven of nominated wonders with more than 17 million votes already cast. Its great rivals remain the Great Wall of China, the Coliseum in Rome and France's Versailles Palace. People can cast their votes by visiting official website www.new7wonders.com.

The campaign to select the New 7 Wonders via a worldwide ballot has already attracted more than 19 million votes from around the globe.

Contrary to popular belief, the Taj Mahal is not one of the original Seven Wonders. They were named in 200 BC and only the Egyptian Pyramids remain in existence.

The New 7 Wonders of the World will be announced during the Official Declaration ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal on July 7, 2007 UNI