By IANS
New Delhi : Culture and Tourism Minister Ambika Soni Friday cast her vote to include the 17th century architectural wonder Taj Mahal in the coveted list of 'New Seven Wonders of the World', saying it would "boost tourism" in India.
"The Taj Mahal has made it to the top 10 monuments of the world leaving behind 30 others. I am voting to see that it ranks number one in the world," Soni said after sending her vote via SMS.
The minister also appealed to Indians to vote for the monument of love. Built by Mughal emperor Shahjahan in memory of his wife Mumtaj Mahal, the white marble marvel has been a tourist attraction for many years.
The new7wonders foundation, a Swiss non-government organisation (NGO), has launched a global campaign through Internet, telephone and SMS to select seven monuments across the globe. Initially, 40 monuments were in the list.
"Though the campaign is being organised by a private institution, Taj Mahal's inclusion will boost tourism in India. It has generated lots of excitement and over 50 million people across the globe have voted in the campaign," Soni told reporters here.
"There are tangible benefits. When people around the globe will talk about the Taj, they will think of India. And whenever they will think about India, they will think about visiting the country," she said.
The final list will be declared on July 7 in Lisbon, Portugal.
Meanwhile, the UNESCO has said that it has nothing to do with the ongoing campaign and would not accept the final verdict.
"In order to avoid any damaging confusion, UNESCO wishes to reaffirm that there is no link whatsoever between UNESCO's World Heritage programme, which aims to protect world heritage, and the current campaign concerning "The New Seven Wonders of the World," the UN agency said on its website.