Taj In Dubai? Agra Does Not Like It

Jaahilon ki kammi nahin hai…

Link To The News Article

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The reported move to build a Taj Mahal in Dubai has not gone down well here with people who think it amounts to desecrating a renowned tourist draw and a spiritual monument.

Click on the image for full size picture.

Source: http://blogs.gonomad.com/traveltalesfromindia/2009/03/graffiti-at-the-taj-mahal-so-sad.html

Desecrating? Really? And what about the graffiti the visitors put up on the structure in Agra? Isn't THAT desecration?

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"At best it can only be a caricature of the original. From where will they bring the romantic tales, the river Yamuna and the ambience of Agra?" asks Rakesh Sharma, president of the All India Brahmin Mahasabha.

The proposed structure is going to be a hotel. Not a time-machine or a teleportation portal. It's similar to buying a miniature replica of the Taj and giving it to your girlfriend. She doesn't expect you to change the course of the Yamuna OR shrink the river to go along with the miniature replica.

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"At least they should pay a royalty to the Taj city for using its brand name," tourism industry leader Abhinav Jain told IANS

Typical. Money money money. Is that all you think about? Here is something for you to think about -

• Track down every poet / lyricist - dead / alive who has referred to the Taj in his/her poem and demand royalty.
• Demand royalty from every travel agency that uses the image of Taj Mahal on its brochures / posters / holiday packages.
• Demand royalty from every street vendor and souvenir shop selling the miniature replicas.

Not enough, want some more?

Does the Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces (Owned by Tata) pay royalty to the Taj city for using its brand name? To the best of my knowledge - and with a quick Google search, I couldn't find any evidence that suggests it does.

In all honesty, it was a lazy search. Then again, I am not the one making the ridiculous demand. BUT it would serve your purpose if you could find out whether Taj Group does pay royalty or not. If it doesn't, then ask them to pay. If it does - please cite that and THEN demand a royalty from Taj Dubai.

Suggestion - Think before you bark speak.

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"It is patently wrong and absurd," Mr Gupta told IANS. "This kind of distortion and in principle duplication of history artificially makes no sense.

Err… Do you recall the series - Sword of Tipu Sultan? Wasn't that duplication of history artificially (rolls eyes)? How about the re-enactments of the American Civil war?

History is 'artificially duplicated' all the time, you nut case! If you want to give a quote, please make sure you know what you are talking about and use the right phrases.

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Surendra Sharma, president of the Society, told IANS: "Ideally the Dubai builder should not go ahead with this project as it hurts our sentiments. Taj Mahal is basically a spiritual centre, with lakhs of people offering prayers and paying obeisance round the year.The Taj represents or climaxes the 5,000 years of Indian excellence. To belittle the original through a fake model is not a desirable thing."

Hurts our sentiments - Get a new line!

Belittle the original through a fake model - How come you haven't said the same thing for the countless miniature replicas selling away all over the world!? Don't those little fake models 'belittle 5,000 years of Indian excellence'?

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Former Agra mayor Anjula Singh Mahaur said she felt deeply hurt. "For commercial purposes you cannot misuse symbols and identity of a nation," she said.

Everybody has been doing it for ages. The tourism industry, the film industry, poets, street vendors. And NOW you are deeply hurt?

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Dikhaawon pe mat jaao. Apni akal ladaao… Aur iss reporter ko quotes dene waalo - tum sab to doob ke mar jaaao!