Taj Hotel, Mumbai |
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Anyone visiting Mumbai and the Gateway of India are bound to be spellbound at the spectacular building of the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai. The building is definitely like a palace fit for a king. It all began in 1903 when Jamshetji Nusserwanji Tata opened the first Taj Hotel, Mumbai - The Taj Mahal Palace. |
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Legend has it that Jamshetji was refused entry into a hotel as it was a ‘whites only hotel’ and was furious and decided to build a hotel to get back at the English. The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower as it is now called is so because of the Tower of the Taj Intercontinental that is adjacent to the Taj Mahal Palace.
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The Taj Mahal Palace & Hotel, Mumbai has for long been referred to as the Taj Hotel, Mumbai, but nowadays besides other hotels in Mumbai the Taj group have been setting up hotels and resorts and even palaces which now total 57 hotels in 40 locations across India. That is not all the there are 18 international Taj hotels in the Maldives, Mauritius, Malaysia, Australia, UK, USA, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Africa, and the Middle East. |
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Being the pioneer in the hotel business in the country the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai was the first to introduce different kinds of cuisine in India like Thai, Sichuan, Italian, Mexican, and Californian cuisine as early as 1972. The Mumbai Taj hotels opened up the first to open a 24-hour coffee shop in the country and also the first to introduce a ball room, Air-conditioned room and even a cold storage in the country. It is not too difficult to imagine the splendour of those times before the Independence where famous artistes and Viceroys and Maharajas all hobnobbed together at the Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai.
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Other hotels in the Taj Mumbai group besides the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai are the Taj Lands End, Taj President, and the Taj Wellington Mews Luxury. World over travellers to India have for years gone back with wonderful experiences from the all Taj, Mumbai hotels. All Taj hotels are in the Five-star luxury class and have all the world-class amenities that any such hotel in the same class has the world over.
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1. THE LOBBY: This Section of the 105- year-old building, lined with artifacts and antiques, is not badly damaged. Unlike some of the other sections, no explosions or fires occurred here. There are not many bullets lodged in the walls. |
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2. SHAMIANA: The all-day dining restaurant’s flooring has been wrecked by a grenade blast, which left a huge hole. Glass pieces and bags lay scattered all over the floor on Saturday night. The section overlooking the poolside is in a mess. |
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3. HARBOUR BAR: Facing the Colaba seafront on the ground floor was India’s first licensed bar , on that was patronized by the rich and famous. Reputed for its rare selection of whiskey, cognacs and Cuban cigars, the Harbour bar has been badly damaged in the attack. |
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4. WASABI: Japanese restaurant Wasabi, located in the old wing on a level above the ground floor, too has been gutted. Featured in the prestigious Conde Nast Traveller List of eateries, the restaurant was known for its sakes and sushi bar. |
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5. SECOND AND THIRD FLOORS: Here, the status is seen to be relatively okay. |
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6. FOURTH AND FIFTH FLOORS: Not to much damaged, but partially burned. |
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7. SIXTH FLOOR: The headquarters of the terrorists, it’s completely charred. The woodwork is smashed. All sea-facing rooms including the presidential suites – which have played host to heads of state- are in a shambles. Valuable paintings, period furniture and hand-woven silk carpets are believed to have been destroyed. |
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8. SIXTH FLOOR OCCUPANTS: The terrorists had two rooms on the sixth floor ; so did the general manager’s family which perished in the fire. Sabina Sehgal Saikial, Consulting Editor, TOI , who died in the attack, also checked in here. |
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9. DOME: One of the domes, a mark of the Moorish and Oriental influence on the building’s architecture, has been damaged in the fire. |
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10. TERRORISTS ENTRY: Two entered from the poolside at the rear; two others came in from the side entrance. They had already penetrated the hotel via Housekeeping, the only service to be outsourced. They had an intimate knowledge of the layout, the back entrances, the storage rooms. They also knew of the passage between the old and the new wings, from the banqueting section. Old kitchen staff use this passage. |
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11. TERRORISTS: One was found dead in the harbour Bar and one on the staircase between Harbour Bar and Wasabi . |
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