SMS polls, men, women and children of all ages breaking into poetry on national pride — all this has marked the run-up to the so-called vote for the “new 7 wonders” of the world. Results will be declared in Lisbon on Saturday night. Why there is no reason to worry about the Taj:

• Who’s behind this “voting” to select the seven wonders?

Firm called New7Wonders based in Zurich. Kicked off campaign in 2000 with 177 monuments nominated by “people around the world.” 77 made it to shortlist. “Experts (unnamed)” pruned it to 21, which are up for vote.

• How seriously should you take the results?

No more no less than how you take SMS polls. This has no sanction from any international body. Just choice of those who vote.

• But there’s a list of current seven wonders, isn’t there?

There is only one list of seven wonders universally recognized as such — prepared by the Greeks more than 2000 years ago and, no surprise, all on the list were Greek monuments. Only one, the Great Pyramid of Giza, survives. We don’t even know what others looked like.

• But everyone told us Taj is one of the seven wonders.

Well, they weren’t lying but they weren’t being accurate either. Taj is widely recognized as one of the wonders. Just as the Great Wall of China. These monuments appear in various lists prepared at various times to rival the Greek one. There is no one universally accepted list. In fact, there are lists like Seven Underwater Wonders, even Seven Forgotten Wonders.

... contd.