Taj Mahal Bangladesh is a scaled copy of the original Taj Mahal located 10 miles
east of the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka in Sonargaon. A Bangladeshi film-maker
yesterday unveiled an inventive, if expensive. Unlike the original, work on the
building took only five years. Ahsanullah Moni, a wealthy Bangladeshi
film-maker, announced his 'Copycat version of Taj Mahal' project in December
2008. The director, who also owns a studio and cinema, first saw the Taj Mahal
in 1980 and travelled back six times to see how he might "rebuild it in
Bangladesh".
 |
| Taj Mahal Bangladesh |
In the end he sent his architects to measure the dimensions of the
building and brought back Indian technicians to help him recreate one of the
"wonders of the world". The project cost about USD$56 Million, and was built 20
miles northeast of Capital Dhaka. Moni has explained that he built a replica of
the Taj Mahal so that the poor of his nation can realise their dream of seeing
neighbouring India's famed monument. He said that Bangladeshis could not "afford
to go to Agra to see the Taj, so i am bringing the Taj to them".
 |
| Taj Mahal Bangladesh |
He said
that his homage had been built because most people living in Bangladesh - where
nearly half of the population exist below the poverty line - cannot afford to
travel to India to see the real thing. "Everyone dreams about seeing the Taj
Mahal but very few Bangladeshis can make the trip because it's too expensive for
them, " he said. Mr Moni first visited the original in 1980 and has made six
return trips.
 |
| Taj Mahal Bangladesh |
So enamoured was he of the site that he hired a group of
architects and sent them to India to measure it. He said: “I used the same
marble and stone as in the original Taj. We used machinery, which is why it took
less time. Last night Mr Mittal, at the Indian High Commission, did concede that
the replica was unlikely to detract from the magnificence of the original. He
also admitted that visitors were unlikely to mix up one with the other.
No comments