Taj Palace & Gateway to India

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Taj Palace Hotel

Since Jamshetji Tata opened his hotel in 1903 it has attracted the rich and famous, from British royals to Joan Collins. From Mick Jagger to Hilary Clinton and anyone who is anyone in between.

When we visited in 2006 President Hu of China was staying here and it was a wonderful place to wander around.

Since the terrorist attacks of 2008 I have to assume one will no longer be able to walk in off the street to just admire the vaulted ceilings, onyx pillars furnishings, chandeliers and the floating staircase as we did.  Today it would cost £127 million to build and it's restoration budget must be huge.

The famous facade above was originally the back of the hotel, it could be that the builders miss read the plans as hotel management say, or maybe it was just easier for arriving guests carriages to enter from the West as others claim.  What ever the truth about it's orientation, in the 1960's the West entrance was closed and our accommodating door man now stands in front of the entrance on the Eastern or harbour side of the building

 

The Gateway to India

Built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Bombay in 1911.  It was completed in 1924 and for a time it really was the Gateway, the arrival point for many travellers to India.

On February 28th 1948 it became the Gateway From India when the last British troops to leave India for Blighty, the First Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry passed ceremoniously through on their way into the history books.

The sun had set on the British Empire the 'pink bits' were all but gone.

At the base of the Gateway is Apollo Pier.   Boats leave from here to take trippers out into the harbour and to visit Elephanta Caves, Mumbai's most popular tourist attraction.

 
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