Grand Architecture of Medieval Rajasthan (Set of 2 Vols.) by Salim Zaweed

From the dazzling spectacle of fort-palace complexes to the gigantic temples or the beautiful havelīs, gardens, cenotaphs and Stepwells, Rajasthan preserves a remarkable demonstration of inventive and display a mesmerizing decorative complexity with form and ornament combining to create an indivisible whole. The monuments testify to a culture where local and imported ideas, vernacular and pan-Islamic traditions fused and re-interpreted to create a majestic architectural heritage with exceptional buildings. General publications on Indian Regional architecture usually devote a single chapter to the Rajasthan. Even specialist monographs can only cover a portion of the region due to the sheer number of sites as well as only single type of building. Built between the thirteenth and seventeenth centuries by the Rajput Maharajas, with stylistic variations, this book represents the first comprehensive, regional study of these fort-palace complexes, temples, cenotaphs, havelīs, gardens and water conservation techniques in two volumes to embrace the visual diversity of the Rajasthan without sacrificing the rigour of the academic study. Structures of all types historical or architectural significances are placed in their context. It traces the evolution and transformation of the forms and ornamental motifs and its sub-regional variations. A chapter is dedicated to each type of building (i.e., palace, temples, cenotaphs, havelis, gardens and water-conserving techniques) and every principal Rajput sites (i.e, Gwalior, Amber, Jaipur, Nahargarh, Jaigarh, Udaipur, Chittor, Ranthambhor, Mandore, Jodhpur, Kumbhalgarh, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Nagaur is accompanied by maps, plans, and plates for architectural elements and surface decorative motifs. Alternating chapters that address chronological or regionally based developments with thematic studies, the book presents the architectural developments in a way that makes them accessible, interesting, and intellectually stimulating.