UNITED KINGDOM: London kicks off "India Now" with a floating Taj Mahal down the River Thames

Record ID: 379374

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: London kicks off "India Now" with a floating Taj Mahal down the River Thames
  • Date: 19th July 2007
  • Summary: TAJ MAHAL MODEL ON BARGE BEING PULLED PAST THE LONDON EYE
  • Embargoed: 3rd August 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA6LY7RIBWS7UACJUJ029IYDKTQ
  • Story Text: Tower Bridge opened her arms to India's symbol of love on Tuesday (July 17, 2007) as a replica of the Taj Mahal floated down the River Thames to mark the launch of the "India Now" festival in London.
    India Now, which aims to strengthen ties between London and India, is a three month long festival consisting of over 1,500 events to showcase all aspects of Indian culture.
    Indian fashion designer Manish Arora said being Indian now was a good thing.
    "It's like I said it is about India now. India now is what India wasn't two hundred years ago. And it's all about the Indian economy which is growing at the fastest feed right now. Which means a lot of international people are coming to India, a lot of media attention is going to India and it could be anything. Like I always keep saying right now if you are Indian you are the luckiest person in the whole world because everything is going for you. If you are good at what you are and you are Indian you've made it internationally," he said.
    Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, who became a household name in the UK after winning the reality television show Big Brother, attended the festival's launch along with London Mayor Ken Livingstone, British actress Joanna Lumley and Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid.
    Shetty said the festivals events would strengthen London ties with India.
    "I feel extremely proud to represent India, and I am here to encourage the event and the thought behind the event. And it's obviously going to make the ties between London and India stronger," she said London Mayor Ken Livingstone said a positive attitude toward India and business opportunities it presented was important to London's future.
    "India is now the ten largest economies of the world. In twenty years it will be one of the big three along with China and America. And a city like London if it raises barriers against inward investment from Indian firms or makes itself unattractive to tourists or business people it's cutting itself off from the future," he said.
    Actress Joanna Lumley who was born in Kashmir, felt there were many links between India and London.
    "So now that were not actually treading on each others toes so much but are able to link ourselves through friendship and culture, cricket and cooking and politics, I think we have a much better chance of remaining the best friends," she said.
    The Taj Mahal model, which took three weeks to create sailed past some of London's iconic symbols including the Westminster, Big Ben and the London Eye.
    The actual Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan as a showcase of his love for his wife Mumtaz resides on the banks of the Yamuna River in India and took 17 years to construct.
    Indian artist, Suchi Chidambaram created artwork which was attached to the Taj Mahal model. She drew inspiration from both Mumbai and London cities for her paintings.
    "Yes these two cities are hugely different in terms of where or speak, in terms of cultural differences but there is growing emulation of these cities all the time and it is quite fashionable to be Indian here and I think it is quite fashionable in India to have a link to Britain," she said.
    Trafalgar Square will host a three week outdoor spectacle of theatre and contemporary and classical Indian dance from August 2, while Regent Street will be transformed into a mini India complete with a Goan beach on September
    India Now will also host the worldwide premiere of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's next film 'Chak de India' on August 9 and Indian designer Manish Arora's 'Fashion in Motion' exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum on September 7.
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