Taj Mahal enters race for seven new wonders

INDIA: India's world famous monument to love, the Taj Mahal, Tuesday officially entered the race to be one of the new seven wonders of the world, Indian officials said.

The "certificate of candidature" of the 17th-century white marble mausoleum was handed over by Bernard Weber, the founder of the "New7Wonders Foundation," to the D.K. Burman, a senior tourism official.

The Taj was chosen as one of the 21 finalists out of 77 nominees by online and SMS polls in which millions of people across the globe took part, a statement posted on the "New7Wonders Foundation" website said.

The Indian monument is on a list that includes the Acropolis in Athens, Cambodia's Angkor Wat temple, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the statue of Liberty and the Sydney Opera House, among others.

The new seven wonders of the world will be announced in the Portuguese capital Lisbon, on July 7, 2007 or 07.07.07.

AGRA, Wednesday, AFP.