His Highness Maharaja Gaj Singh II of Jodhpur launches

Taj mahal: Multiple Narratives

By Amita Baig & Rahul Mehrotra

Published by

Om Books International

At Roseate House, Aerocity

 

Om Books International along with Roseate House, Aerocity celebrated the launch of Taj Mahal: Multiple Narratives by Amita Baig and Rahul Mehrotra held on 09th May, 2017. The stunning tome was launched by Chief Guest, His Highness Maharaja Gaj Singh II of Jodhpur.

On the occasion co-authors Amita Baig, Rahul Mehrotra, shared their experience of putting together the book with Kaveree Bamzai, Editor, India Today. Present on the occasion were Sharmila Tagore, Meera and Muzzafar Ali, Ritu Kumar, Karan Thapar, Satish and Kiran Gujral, Feroze and Mohit Gujral, Laila Tyabji, Bim Bissell, Aman Nath, Gurmeet and Raghu Rai, Sunil Sethi, Mrs. Radha Bhatia and Ankur Bhatia.

 

About the book

Taj Mahal: Multiple Narratives presents a new perspective on the Taj Mahal and Agra. The city and its iconic monuments have often been written about, exclusive of each other. Many stories from Agra form the pillars on which the Taj Mahal was built. Pleasure gardens or a dusty township of the Middle Ages, Agra has many dimensions. The book looks at global events, national events and showcases contemporary buildings and subsequent events which transformed it from a sacred personal space to a part of world heritage. The book is a broader and more accessible understanding of these stories, of Agra and the Taj Mahal.

 About the co-authors

Amita Baig is a Heritage Management Consultant and represents World Monuments Fund, a private not-for-profit organisation in New York, US, which supports major conservation of heritage in India. She has worked extensively with the Government and non-Government sectors, developing strategies to protect and conserve India’s heritage for over three decades in India and the Asian region. She worked with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) at its inception and has written extensively on the challenges of preserving India’s heritage. She is also the author of Forts and Palaces of India, a culminationof 25 years of research on the subject.

 

Rahul Mehrotra is a practising architect, urban designer and educator. He has written and lectured extensively on issues to do with architecture, conservation, and urban planning in Mumbai and India. His most recent book, Architecture in India: Since 1990, is a reading of contemporary architecture in India since the liberalisation of India’s economy. He is actively involved in civic and urban affairs in Mumbai and, from 1994 to 2004, served as Executive Director of the Urban Design Research Institute. Mehrotra divides his time between Mumbai and Boston, where he is Professor of Urban Design and Planning at the Graduate School of Design, Harvard University.

 

 

Ajay Mago, Publisher, Om Books International: Visiting the Taj Mahal as a child was a more enjoyable experience than visiting the Qutub Minar in Delhi. Back then, it also meant getting at least 200 kilometres away from school for a couple of days. And for a long time, a monument dedicated to love held greater meaning than a victory tower. Such is the power the Taj Mahal continues to wield over the world. Taj Mahal: Multiple Narratives by Amita Baig and Rahul Mehrotra helps us look at the monument and its significance as a World Heritage Site afresh.

 

 

Mr. Kush Kapoor, General Manager, Roseate House, Aerocity: We are extremely delighted to launch the book ‘Taj Mahal – Multiple Narratives’ unveiled by ‘His Highness Maharaja’ Gaj Singh II of Jodhpur at Roseate House, New Delhi on 9th May 2017. Our hotel feels privileged to be chosen as the exclusive hospitality partner for the event in Delhi NCR.

 

Ravish Kapoor, Innovative Invitations:The Taj Mahal is synonymous with India and its cultural identity. It is an honour to be part of the narrative about our cultural identity.

 

Nitesh Chhapru, Head of Marketing – Premium & Luxury Brands Portfolio, Diageo India: “Our association with the launch of Taj Mahal: Multiple Narratives is a

celebration of luxury, culture and sophistication, and our Classic Malts of Scotland

further enrich this occasion. We are delighted to be the official celebration partners to

launch a book that takes the reader on journey to rediscover the heritage of Agra

and the Taj Mahal.”

 

 

 

Mr Anuj Kushwah, Founder & MD Witlinger: “Being part of such events gives us immense pleasure, and for being associated with such heritage experts and Om Book, I feel privileged on behalf of Witlinger, which is the official pouring partner on the Big day. I am glad that with the association, we could amalgamate with the exquisite heritage and present to quench the thirst and be the perfect companion for everyone present on the launch. Will be coming up with more certain associations like these. “

 

 

About Om Books International

One of the largest English language trade publishers in the Indian subcontinent, Om Books International has been a name to reckon with for over five decades in the Indian publishing and retail industry. Headquartered in Noida, OBI has a diverse publishing list including cinema, biography, memoir, mind-body-spirit, photo essay, art, architecture, lifestyle, fiction — commercial and literary. It counts amongst its notable authors Khalid Mohamed, Mushtaq Shiekh, Bharathi S Pradhan, Nasreen Munni Kabir, Rauf Ahmed, Kamala Das, William Dalrymple, Vir Sanghvi, Christopher C Doyle and Abhay Vaidya.