Taj Mahal: 42 (Wonders of the World) - Softcover

Tillotson, Giles

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0674066286 ISBN 13: 9780674066281

Publisher: Harvard University Press, 2012

Synopsis

An enduring monument of haunting beauty, the Taj Mahal seems a symbol of stability itself. The familiar view of the glowing marble mausoleum from the gateway entrance offers the very picture of permanence. And yet this extraordinary edifice presents a shifting image to observers across time and cultures. The meaning of the Taj Mahal, the perceptions and responses it prompts, ideas about the building and the history that shape them: these form the subject of Giles Tillotson's book. More than a richly illustrated history--though it is that as well--this book is an eloquent meditation on the place of the Taj Mahal in the cultural imagination of India and the wider world.

Since its completion in 1648, the mausoleum commissioned by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, has come to symbolize many things: the undying love of a man for his wife, the perfection of Mughal architecture, the ideal synthesis of various strands of subcontinental aesthetics, even an icon of modern India itself. Exploring different perspectives brought to the magnificent structure--by a Mughal court poet, an English Romantic traveler, a colonial administrator, an architectural historian, or a contemporary Bollywood filmmaker--this book is an incomparable guide through the varied and changing ideas inspired by the Taj Mahal, from its construction to our day. In Tillotson's expert hands, the story of a seventeenth-century structure in the city of Agra reveals itself as a story about our own place and time.

About this title

Review

This wry, brisk book is a delightful and fascinating excavation of the Taj Mahal's many layers of meanings. Giles Tillotson deploys his formidable knowledge of India's artistic and cultural history to create a kaleidoscopic interpretation of the Taj...[he] unravels the fables and myths incited by this sublime creation, and yet succeeds in keeping its unworldly aura intact.--Sunil Khilnani, author of The Idea of India

[Tillotson's] accessible and enjoyable style will engage a broader readership. Like every author in [Harvard's] "Wonders of the World" series, Tillotson considers not only architectural history but also cultural heritage and resonance--picturesque 18th-century aquatints of the Taj, early 20th-century restorations by Lord Curzon, literary responses such as Rabindranath Tagore's poem ("a teardrop on the cheek of time"), and the famous photo of Princess Diana posing alone in front of the "monument to love" shortly before her marriage break-up...Tillotson airs the many myths and legends with relish; then slays most of them with facts and reason, and a generous helping of illustrations.-- (08/22/2008)

The Taj Mahal is one of the most instantly recognizable buildings in the world, endlessly painted and photographed, and currently welcoming an average of 8,000 visitors a day. Giles Tillotson's sprightly account of its structure and history, the stories that have accumulated around it and the impression it has made on tourists down the centuries is a welcome addition to [Harvard's] "Wonders of the World" series. These books are not only architectural monographs; they are equally concerned with what buildings mean, and few structures have meant more different things to people than the Taj Mahal...Witty and authoritative, this book achieves the remarkable feat of making us look again at a building we might otherwise think altogether too familiar.-- (09/13/2008)

For all its fame, remarkably little has been written on the Taj Majal, and Giles Tillotson's slim and balanced book is, without question, the best short introduction yet produced...This is a much-needed and eminently readable book that is likely to remain a standard work for many years to come.-- (09/07/2008)

Book Description

The Taj Mahal is the queen of architecture. Other buildings may be as famous but no other has been so consistently admired for its beauty. Imperial tomb, symbol of India, symbol of love, brand of tea - the Taj can be what you want it to be. Drawing on a huge range of sources from the Padshahnama to Bollywood and Princess Diana, this superb book gives its history and its true meaning.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0674066286
• ISBN 13: 9780674066281
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 208