Inception of the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai

The Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai was a project based on patriotism and a personal grudge to defy racism. Jamsetji was denied entry into a city hotel called Watson, for being an Indian. The incident left such a deep impact on his psyche that he decided to construct a place equally luxurious and lavish for all fellow Indians. The Taj Mahal Hotel was completed in 1903. Its cost exceeded Rs 4.21 crore by the time it became functional. It was the first building in Mumbai that used electricity. It became the finest luxury hotel in India. The Queen of England stayed at the hotel on her visit to India. Endorsed with supreme luxury items from across the globe, Taj Mahal Hotel boasted American fans, German elevators, Turkish baths, English butlers and whole lot of other innovative delights that the Indians were deprived of during the British Raj.

Its architect was Siddhesh S., Sitaram Khanderao Vaidya and D. N. Mirza but the project was completed by an English engineer, W. A. Chambers who later committed suicide. It is widely claimed that he misunderstood the plan/layout and committed a major error. The hotel’s front was supposed to open towards the sea, instead it opened inland. The original design was reversed and the opening to the hotel was wrongly made facing the city. It has 565 rooms, 46 suites, 11 restaurants and 22 floors. It opened its doors to guests on 16 December, 1903. During World War I, the hotel was converted into a 600-bed hospital. The dome of the hotel is made from steel as used in the Eiffel Tower. On 26 November 2008, the hotel came under terrorist attack. Many innocent lives were destroyed and the property was damaged badly. But within a year, it was restored to its full glory.