A Teardrop on the Cheek of Time The Story of the Taj Mahal

THE STORY OF THE TAJ MAHAL We could not have written this book without spending considerable time in India – a country that, despite the many times we have travelled there, still overwhelms our senses. In New Delhi Professor R. C. Agrawal, Joint Director- General of the Archaeological Survey of India, gave generously to us of his own time and facilitated our visits to the Taj Mahal and other sites associated with the story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. In Agra we were very grateful for the expert advice of Superintending Archaeologist Dr D. Dayalan and of his deputy Mr A. K. Tiwari and to Dr R. K. Dixit, who, in his atmospheric office perched in the southern gatehouse to the Taj, briefed us on recent excavations and future plans. He also led us extensively around the Taj complex and the excavations of the waterworks, helping us see things both figuratively and physically in a new light. Dr K. K. Muhammed, Superintending Archaeologist of the ASI in Bhopal, made possible our visit to the palace fortress of Burhanpur, where Mumtaz Mahal died, and the lonely site where she was temporarily laid to rest. We are also grateful to many others whom we met in India, especially Lucy Peck for her knowledge of the Moghul monuments of Delhi, Vibhuti Sachdev for insights into Hindu architectural principles and Dr Giles Tillotson for advice on Moghul architecture.