On March 10 2022, India hosted a special event at its national pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai to celebrate the Taj Mahal’s status as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.
During the event, attendees enjoyed a screening of a short film that drew attention to the importance of the New 7 Wonders, both man-made and natural. The event’s participants also raised a glass to India’s Taj Mahal at an exclusive dinner reception on the Taj terrace at India Pavilion.
Dr. Gunveena Chadha, the Director of India Pavilion, commented on the event, saying, “India is home to the Taj Mahal, one of the officially voted New 7 Wonders of the World, and it is therefore a privilege for us to share this unique symbol of love with the world, and specifically with all the nations with Wonders at Expo 2020 Dubai in our astounding national pavilion.”
These words emphasised what the Taj Mahal’s inclusion in this special canon of Wonders means to the people of India: places that are homes to Wonders are also part of the New7Wonders family. President and Founder of New7Wonders, Mr. Bernard Weber, spoke of the role that these canons have in uniting people and helping them to recognise the power of making their voices heard: “By actively participating with hundreds of millions of votes, people from around the world have defined and given us the official New 7 Wonders of the past two thousand years. And by doing so, all the participants have also created what I call Global Memory: a canon of 7 things that every human being can and will remember in the future. Expo 2020 Dubai is the perfect location and moment to honour these great symbols of unity which respect and celebrate the cultural and natural diversity on our planet.”
Over 600 million votes in the global New7Wonders campaigns led to the election of the New 7 Wonders of the World and the New 7 Wonders of Nature. Here is a quick summary of the nations with Wonders:
New 7 Wonders of the World:
Brazil : Cristo Redentor
China: Great Wall
India: Taj Mahal
Italy: Colosseum
Jordan: Petra
México: Chichén Itzá
Perú: Machu Picchu
New 7 Wonders of Nature:
Argentina, Brazil: Iguazú Falls
Bolivia, Brazil,Colombia,Ecuador,Guiana, Guyana, Perú, Suriname, Venezuela: Amazon
Indonesia: Komodo
Philippines: Puerto Princesa Underground River
South Africa: Table Mountain
South Korea: Jeju Island
Viet Nam: Ha Long Bay.
Pictured in featured image: Jean-Paul de la Fuente (Director of New7Wonders), Bernard Weber (President of New7Wonders) and Consul Uttam Chand