Zil-Hijjah / Muharram 1423 H
March 2003
Volume 16-03 No : 195
Camps \ Workshops
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Zil-Hijjah / Muharram 1423 H March 2003 Volume 16-03 No : 195 Camps \ Workshops |
By A Staff Writer
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Looking at the photograph, you are not likely to disbelieve.
This Taj Mahal has been built in Bangalore’s Palace Grounds for a consumer exhibition. And its creator is Salim Tamimi who is an Art Director in Mumbai’s filmdom. Nearly two lakh people have already visited it in Bangalore where it is likely to stand for another one month.
It has been built out of timber, plywood, plaster of Paris and thermocole. Following the conclusion of the exhibition, it will be dismantled and carted away to the next venue of the exhibition.
Though it is smaller than the real Taj at Agra, it is not as small as the marble replicas sold in Agra’s curio shops. Hundreds of visitors can ascend its huge platform and its dome is 97 feet and four minars 88 feet high. The real Taj’s dome and minars reach up to double this height.
Built at a cost of Rs. 1.5 crore with 2,000 pieces of plywood each measuring eight feet by four feet and 300 bags of plaster of Paris, this ‘Taj Mahal’ is drawing huge crowds in Bangalore. Its platform is nearly 10 feet high from the ground. Its forecourt has a canal running in the middle and is complete with a Taj Mahal like gate and a platform from where visitors can look at it.
This was built over a period of 40 days by a 300 strong force of labourers, carpenters, joiners and artists. All details, down up to the calligraphy of Quranic verses have been copied exactly from the real Taj Mahal. Even decorative motifs are copy of the real Taj Mahal.
Al-Nasr Exports
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