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6
TUESDAY
A Mughal building is not complete without its pleasure garden. This is true not only of the many ruined Mughal structures that litter northern India, but also of the Taj Mahal, the best-knownand perhaps best, periodlandmark from the era when the Islamic invaders ruled the region. Elizabeth B. Moynihan has studied the remains of Mahtab Bagh, the garden directly across the Yamuna River from the Taj Mahal. In this lecture, Moynihan introduces the findings recounted in her new book, The Moonlight Garden: New Discoveries at the Taj Mahal. She discusses both practical and romantic aspects of the garden, which she suggests was used for both lavish entertainments and quiet contemplation of the Taj Mahal as reflected in the garden’s octagonal pooland perhaps also as a staging area for Mughal armies. The program begins at 7 p.m. at the Freer Gallery of Art’s Meyer Auditorium, 12th and Jefferson Drive SW. Free. (202) 357-2700. (Mark Jenkins)