(Image source from: Eighth wonder of the world to be restored!})

The world is all set to get it's eighth wonder soon!

The entry shaft to the Thames Tunnel - a grand doublefoot chamber that has been lying damp and neglected under the streets of east London for a long time now - is all set to be given a fresh lease of life.

Much publicized as the birthplace of modern Metro system, this world's first underwater tunnel, built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and his father Marc and touted as a marvel in engineering history, was originally build to host market stalls, fire-eaters and fundraising banquets. But soon, in 1869, it was converted into a passageway for trains.

A grant has been passed to restore Brunel Museum now for the first time in 145 years, a move that London authorities believe will turn it into a major tourist attraction.

The details of the grant have not yet been announced, but it is thought to be worth about Rs. 2 crore and the work can start as soon as next summer. A second phase worth Rs 10,00,000 will connect the shaft to the museum, in Brunel's old boiler house.

Museum director Robert Hulse, 60, said the money was 'in the bank'. He added: 'You take a Metro train anywhere in the world and your journey really began here. It's the birthplace of the underground transport network and in that sense it's the birthplace of the modern city.

'They originally intended it for cargo, but they couldn't afford the ramps to get the cargo into the tunnel. So what they opened was a cargo tunnel that couldn't take any.

'Instead they turned it into a market. There was dancing and performing horses - God knows how they got the horses down there - along with sword swallowers, Ethiopian serenaders and fire-eaters.

'We're going to convert this space into what it once was - a palace of delight and entertainment.'

AW: Suchorita Dutta Choudhury