A home owner has built a miniature replica of Dubai's famous Burj Al Arab in Phagwara, Punjab.
Called Burj Ali, the miniature in a village of the state's Kapurthala District, is a three-storied rural luxurious farmhouse, where people from the nearby villages, especially from the NRI belt, come to savour the food and feel the milieu of Dubai.
Although the building has been in existence for quite some time, it has only recently drawn attention after its images hit social media platforms.
"I know that this is in Dubai. Even now when I talk to anyone in Phagwara, I say okay, let's go to Dubai today. We refer this place as Dubai," said a regular visitor, Balbeer Singh Padham.
Patrons also visit for its reasonable rates.
The place has also drawn attention of Dubai's Jumeirah Group, the owner of Burj Al Arab. Reports were rife that it plans to initiate legal action against the Indian owner for not seeking its approval before building the miniature replica of the Burj Al Arab.
Gerald Lawless, president and CEO of Jumeirah Group, says, the group owns the copyright to the landmark architectural design of the Burj Al Arab and the Indian home owner built it without seeking any permission from the luxury hotelier.
Rajinder Kumar, the owner of the farmhouse, who has never been to Dubai himself, said he had a triangular-shaped land and wanted to use that property. He was attracted to the seven-starred Burj Al Arab and planned to build a similar structure in order to make the best use of it.
"Personally, I have not got any notice of legal action. But yes, while browsing the internet, I had once read that owners of Jumeirah beach might take any legal action. But I think we are in our country and are free to do so," said Kumar.
Kumar also said his hotel was not a ditto of the 280-metre-tall Arab skyscraper.
