NEW DELHI: As the race for the Seven Wonders of the World draws closer with the on-line voting to choose world-class monuments closing next month, sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik is going to make a last-ditch attempt to canvass for the 'Monument of Love's' inclusion in the prestigious list.
The artist, who is all set to participate in the Berlin International Sand Sculpture Championship beginning from June 14, has decided to use the forum as a medium to appeal art-lovers worldwide to vote overwhelmingly for the Taj.
"Paradise is the theme given to me as the base of the sculpture that I will design in the Berlin fair. Taj Mahal -- the eternal symbol of love -- will aptly represent the theme with the faces of Shahjahan and Mumtaz carved out on it," the artist told from Bhubaneswar.
According to him, there are a large number of Taj lovers in Western countries. He hoped they would come forward to vote for the 16th century monument.
"I hope that the NRIs will also vote for the Taj," he said.
Taj Mahal, which has secured its place among 21 other world-class architectural beauties, including the Great Wall of China, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Statue of Liberty in New York and the Acropolis in Greece, still needs active voting to be bag the final crown among six others.
The campaign was started by Swiss billionaire Bernard Weber in 2000.