More to Kota than IIT coaching: All the 'seven wonders'

Kota, so far famous for its IIT-JEE coaching classes, is set to get its very own "seven wonders of the world". Over 150 workers — traditional stone artisans from across the state and some drawn from Agra — have been working at feverish pace for the last eight months, sculpting replicas of the Taj Mahal, Great Pyramid of Giza and other architectural marvels.
The Rs 20-crore project is being implemented by the local wing of the Urban Development Department, the Urban Improvement Trust of Kota. Urban Development and Housing Minister Shanti Dhariwal is the local MLA.
"We are developing a park that will exhibit the seven wonders of the world. Not only will it be educative for the locals, but we also hope to draw in more tourists with this initiative," said R D Meena, Secretary, UIT.
The replicas of the "seven wonders" are being set up in a park in Vallabh Bari, in the heart of the town. Besides the Taj Mahal and the Great Pyramid of Giza, Kota's version of the "seven wonders" includes Brazil's Christ the Redeemer, Eiffel Tower of Paris, Leaning Tower of Pisa, New York's Statue of Liberty and Rome's Colosseum.
Designed by Jaipur-based architect Anoop Bartaria, the replicas, while smaller in size, closely model the originals in their construction technique and use of material. Of the estimated cost of Rs 20 crore, Rs 6 crore has been set aside for the replicas, while the remaining funds will be spent on landscaping, lighting and redevelopment of the road which runs along the length of the park.
"Traditional stone workers from Bharatpur and Dholpur have been brought in to construct the replicas. We are using stone for most of the monuments and are giving it the same finish as the originals. Whether it is the Taj Mahal or the Colosseum or Christ the Redeemer, we have stuck very close to the original. We are using steel for the Eiffel Tower," said project engineer O P Verma.