It studies history, architecture, art, archaeology and aesthetics of the Taj Mahal. Attempt has been made to give almost complete facts and figures related to its site, land, environment, lay-out, placement, foundation, plan, design, garden, water-devices, drainage, architecture and ornamentation, inscriptions, constructional modes and techniques, polish, measurements, builders, material and costs, in separate chapters. Chapters on 'Third set of Real Graves, ' 'Taj Mahal is sinking into the river ?', 'Taj Mahal was offered for sale ?' and 'Chastity of the Taj Mahal' deal with other important aspects of its history and architecture. Visual as is the subject, the text is illustrated by 52 figures (drawings, diagrams and sketches) and 10 + 47 plates (photographs and digital images). A list of technical terms, unavoidably used in the text, and a chronology of the events related to the Taj Mahal have also been given.Though based on a life-time's study of the subject, and essentially a research work, it is written in a simple readable form without diacritical marks, or other research jargon, for the laymen, tourists and the general readers, as well as for the scholars, historians, archaeologists and practising architects for whom too it has useful and authentic data which may not be available otherwise. We fondly hope, this shall be a standard work on the Taj Mahal which all those interested in this subject will not only read, but will also like to possess, for a life-time. CONTENTS Technical Terms viChronology of events related to the Taj Mahal xPreface xivChapters 1.Prologue - 001 2. Site of the Taj Mahal - 007 3.The Land - 011 4.The Environment -013 5.Terraced Lay-out of the Taj Mahal - 0166.Ingenious Placement of the Taj on the edge of the river-bank -023 7.Taj Foundation - 0288.Garden, Water-devices and Drainage - 034 9.Architecture and Ornamentation-04810.Subsidiary Buildings of the Taj Mahal- 06211.The Mahtab-Bagh and the Fiction of a Black Taj Mahal - 07212.Third Set of Tombstones on Real Graves - 07913.Inscriptions of the Taj Mahal - 08614.Constructional Modes and Techniques- 09615. Taj Polish - 11016. Original Measurements of the Taj Mahal - 11517. Builders of the Taj Mahal - 12118. The Material and Costs- 12819.Taj Mahal is sinking into the river ? - 13420.Taj Mahal was offered for sale ? - 14421.Chastity of the Taj Mahal - 149 Black -and-white Plates of the Interior-154Colour Plates 1 to 47 Black-and-White Plates