| The Taj book
 As part of the celebrations to mark the 350th anniversary of the Taj Mahal, the British Council, HSBC, Penguin Books India and The Park hotel in Chennai have tot togerther to arrange a reading by Theatre Y of the international best selling novel now re-issued by Penguin Books India, TAJ - A STORY OF MUGHAL INDIA by Timeri
N Murari on February 11, 2004.
The reading will be held at 1900 hrs at The PARK, followed by a discussion with the author.
2004 is the 350th anniversary of the Taj Mahal and the Government has declared this the Taj International Year 2004. To commemorate
this occasion, Penguin Books India has reissued the best-seller novel Taj: A Story of Mughal India by Timeri
N Murari, which was earlier published by NEL, UK, in 1985. It was a runaway success then and was translated into nine languages - German, French, Italian, Dutch, Danish and others.
This powerful novel narrates the story of the Taj Mahal, a marble mausoleum of gold, silver and precious jewels, on two parallel levels. It tells the passionate love story of Shah Jahan and Arjumand Banu (Mumtaz-i-Mahal) till her death through the voices of three main characters - Arjumand, Shah Jahan and Isa, Arjumand's favourite eunuch. The second recounts the later years of Shah Jahan's reign, the building of the Taj Mahal and the bloody pursuit of the fabulous Peacock throne by his sons. Intertwined in the building is the story of Murthi, the Hindu master-craftsman sent as a gift to the emperor to carve the famous marble jail around Arjumand's sarcophagus.
Complex and fascinating, Murari has written more than a historical romance. He has skillfully recreated the period against which the story is set, the sensual opulence of the palace, the grinding poverty of seventeenth century India, the vicissitudes of Shah Jahan's reign and the historical background of the conflict between men of different faiths.
Timeri N Murari has written novels, as well as screenplays and stage plays. He lives in
Chennai.
The British Council, in association with Penguin Books India, HSBC and The Park, presents a reading from Taj: A Story of Mughal India followed by an interactive session with the author on February 11, 2004.
For more details, please contact
The British Council @ 28525002.
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