Taj Mahal in Newton? Is it time to rebrand?

Sure it's beautiful, but you should have seen the override it took to build it ...
(Globe archive image)

NEWTON

Some wags have dubbed the $197.5-million Newton North High School the "Taj Mahal" of Newton.

Not so fast, says a letter writer in Saturday's Globe.

Read on:

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