AS A member of the Indo-Iranian community, I take strong exception to the characterization of the plan for a new Newton North High School as a Taj Mahal (Op-ed, March 22). As one who lived near Agra, India, and visited the place many times, I can attest that in all of its grandeur, the Taj Mahal is an enduring monument to simplicity, a testament to the love of Shah Jahan for his Persian bride, and a great public works project that united people from all corners of the East in a singular effort. I find it offensive that the name of this hallowed place is used to deride the architecture of a building that is exorbitant, pompous, environmentally unsustainable, and a travesty as far as urban planning is concerned.
Next time the fiscally minded in Newton wish to find a symbolic reference to way-out architecture, I suggest they pick on St. Peter's Basilica. But please, leave the Taj Mahal alone.
GUIVE MIRFENDERESKI
Newton
