Taj Mahal and It\'s Conservation

Contents: Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. Taj, the magnificent. 3. The Architect and other craftsmen of Taj Mahal. 4. The period of construction of Taj Mahal. 5. The study of building materials. 6. The structural study. Appendices: 1. Land mark event/conservation of Taj Mahal. 2. Conservation works of Taj Mahal in chronological order. 3. Structural dimensions of Taj Mahal. 4. Legal status of Taj Mahal. 5. Profile of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal and the details of contemporary celebrities and foreign travellers. 6. Annotated citations. Bibliography. Index. 

"Taj Mahal, the marvel in marble is not only the greatest architectural achievement of the whole spectrum of Indo-Islamic architecture but also invariably ranked in the list of world\'s foremost wonders. Each and every aspect of its design-be it spatial, architectonic, landscaping, surface embellishment--has been visualized carefully and executed meticulously. It stimulates emotions in just anyone due to its evocative aesthetic appeal and grandeur. Not withstanding a large number of tomes are written on Taj Mahal, there are only few works focused exclusively on the art and architectural aspects of this glorious edifice and practically much has not been written on the conservation aspects of Taj Mahal. This monograph is one among the very few works of scientific and critical analysis of the art and architectural feature of this wonderful creation. The main aim of the book is to present precise and comprehensive details of various aspects of Taj Mahal in its different spheres. The book examines in detail the evolution of each and every architectural elements, traditions and styles adopted here by the architects to originate a unique mausoleum. The history of conservation of Taj Mahal started within four years after the completion of this memory of love and faith. This monograph is the first and the latest systematic documentation of the conservation works carried out so far to Taj Mahal and also designed to divulge in the various scientific studies pertaining to the structural stability, nature of foundation, analysis of the building materials, verticality of the minarets etc. In addition, this work also discuss in detail about the architects and other craftsmen and period of construction of this edifice. The conspectus of the annotated bibliography of Taj Mahal, legal status and profile of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz are some of the notable additions of the book. The present volume is replete with the relevant photographs, drawings and sketches." (jacket)