On I-Day, Taj Mahal makes debut on Twitter

Taj Mahal, the monument of love in Agra, made its debut on Twitter on Saturday to become the first wonder of the world to mark its presence on the social networking site.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav launched the official handle @Taj Mahal on the occasion of Independence Day in Lucknow. The first tweet from the handle was a picture of the chief minister with his wife and member of Parliament from Kannauj Dimple Yadav and son Arjun sitting on a bench with the monument in the background.

The 17th-century mausoleum, which was built by the Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, already has more than 2000 followers with people tweeting their photographs with the Taj Mahal with MyTajMemory hashtag.

"The new handle of the monument would enable tourists to share and broadcast their experiences during their visit," said an official.

Twitter India wanted the official launch ceremony at the Taj Mahal on the eve of Independence Day but was denied permission by the Archaeological Survey of India citing security issues.

In June, the Taj Mahal also became the first monument in India to offer free wi-fi service to tourists.