INDIA-TAJ MAHAL REPLICA Indian artists create replica of historic Taj Mahal using silver and gold

Record ID: 1383197

  • Title: INDIA-TAJ MAHAL REPLICA Indian artists create replica of historic Taj Mahal using silver and gold
  • Date: 4th September 2014
  • Summary: BHOPAL, MADHYA PRADESH, INDIA (SEPTEMBER 03, 2014) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC/ARD) REPLICA OF HISTORIC TAJ MAHAL MADE OF GOLD AND SILVER, KEPT ON A TABLE DOME OF REPLICA OF TAJ MAHAL REPLICA OF TAJ MAHAL A PERSON GIVING FINISHING TOUCHES TO REPLICA MINARET OF THE REPLICA A SILVER PLATE BEARING INSCRIPTIONS IN ARABIC VARIOUS OF ARTIST GIVING FINISHING TOUCHES CLOSE OF THE ARTIST (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) DIRECTOR, STAR GEMS, SYED HANIF, SAYING: "We have made a mirror image of the historic Taj Mahal, which is handmade, and the most expensive - it might be a world record. We will try for Guinness Book of World Records. This is developed in 30,000 parts. Each minaret, carving, inscription is a mirror image of real Taj Mahal. We haven't missed anything." ARTISTS GIVING FINISHING TOUCHES TOP VIEW OF A MINARET (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) DIRECTOR, STAR GEMS, SYED HANIF, SAYING: "We have used 400 kilograms of pure silver and 10 kilograms of gold. There are 32 doors, 25 vases, and outside railing, which are made of gold. We are embedding two diamonds of two karats on every door, so we have put total of eight diamonds." CUT OUTS OF CARVINGS ARTIST GIVING TOUCHES TO CARVINGS (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) AN ARTISAN, SYED FARUKH, SAYING: "We are working on this Taj Mahal project. We have a team comprising 35 people. What is noteworthy is that even though the artists are not highly educated, they have created a mirror image of the real Taj Mahal without making any compromise." MINIATURE OF TAJ MAHAL MORE OF THE REPLICA
  • Embargoed: 20th September 2014 16:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: India
  • Country: India
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA32CNSGT3W7CBCV61UAFAQB3EX
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: A team of 35 craftsmen developed a model of the famous Taj Mahal, using 400 kilograms of silver, 10 kilograms of gold and diamonds in the city of Bhopal, in India's central Madhya Pradesh state.
    The model, that the artists say is a mirror image of the 17th century marble mausoleum , costs nearly 11.5 million pounds
    A businessman, Syed Hanif, who conceptualised the idea of the intricate model, said he has visited Taj Mahal several times in the last 30 years and was completely awed by its magnificence.
    "We have made a mirror image of the historic Taj Mahal, which is handmade, and the most expensive - it might be a world record. We will try for Guinness Book of World Records. This is developed in 30,000 parts. Each minaret, carving, inscription is a mirror image of real Taj Mahal. We haven't missed anything." said Hanif on Wednesday (September 3).
    "We have used 400 kilograms of pure silver and 10 kilograms of gold. There are 32 doors, 25 vases, and outside railing, which are made of gold. We are embedding two diamonds of two karats on every door, so we have put total of eight diamonds," he added.
    Meanwhile, an artisan, Syed Farukh, said the team managed to create an identical model, which is one-hundredth the size of the original marble structure, despite not having an engineering or graduate degree.
    "We are working on this Taj Mahal project. We have a team comprising 35 people. Even though the artists are not educated, still they developed a mirror image of the real Taj Mahal. There is no compromise," he said.
    The Taj Mahal, in the northern city of Agra about four hours drive south of the capital New Delhi, was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Attracting around 20,000 visitors every day, the monument was completed in 1648.
    In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  • Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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