The hotel occupied by terrorists is unique: many famous people stayed in a 200-year-old building, and politicians made decisions behind its thick walls that shaped world history.
The Taj Mahal Hotel, occupied by terrorists on the outskirts of Mumbai, is unmatched throughout India. German Chancellor Angela Merkel held political talks there during her visit last October. Former Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer stayed in the building in 2004, a relic of the country’s former colonial splendor. However, it was not built by the British, but by an Indian.
The hotel in the palace, opened in 1803, was commissioned by Jamshetji Nusserwani Tata, the father of Indian heavy industry. Since the introduction of the four-door microcar ‘Nano’, which costs only $2000, Dad has once again come to the center of attention of Europeans. The name is synonymous with Indian entrepreneurship, and today it covers the hotel chain and companies ranging from IT to steel. The name ‘Dad’ is also found on most Indian trucks.
When Luxury Was Reserved For Whites Only: The Taj Mahal Hotel History
The founder of a large corporation that bears his name was educated in England. However, upon his return, the British colonial authorities prevented him from entering the GreenS Hotel – also in Bombay – which was known for its long bar and bohemian atmosphere. He was reserved for white people.
The Taj Mahala complex, with its fortress-like walls and the appearance of the Mughal Palace, haunts the spirit of a turbulent past. It was not yet completed at the opening, but thanks to its Indian builder, it already represented a covert demonstration against imperialism and racism.
Meetings of the Maharaja in the Taj Mahal: Secrets of the British Sub-Kingel
In the hotel next to the harbor, the ‘gate of India’, all the Maharajas of the British Viceroy gathered to discuss contributions to support London in the war against Hitler’s Germany. It was the first meeting of its kind. There were no further meetings.
In 1947, when Great Britain granted India independence, the outgoing British troops marched ceremoniously past the Victorian Colossus. Lord Mountbatten, the last viceroy, and Lady Mountbatten stood in the shadow of the Taj Mahal, watching with emotion.
Taj Mahal’s Celebrity Guests: When did Gregory Peck need a bigger bed
Before, in the 1920s, the hotel ballrooms were full of a mixture of stiff colonial officials, adventurers, newly rich, Indian nobles eager for pleasures and Arab powerful people. Occasionally, in search of adventure, shining beauties from all over Europe stayed there.
The list of prominent guests is endless. Among them were Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, Jimmy Carter, Gandhi, Zubin Meta, Duke Ellington – and the hotel carpenter even had to extend the bed for Gregory Peck. Marlene Dietrich was also there, ironically at a time when it was suspected to be a Nazi spy in these parts.
The Invincible Taj Mahal: How the Hotel Survived a Devastating Earthquake
George Harrison of the Beatles was also a guest. John Lennon and Yoko Ono had a legendary performance. Police fenced off the building when the couple locked themselves into their apartment for five days – allegedly to meditate on brown rice.
Bombay urban planners in the 1950s and 60s talked about the demolition of the old building. But the December 1967 earthquake eventually saved her. Many city buildings could not withstand ground tremors. The hotel, supposedly weakened in the foundation, stood firm as a rock – and still stands today.
Cover photo: Joe Ravi, CC BY-SA 3.0, Via Wikimedia Commons
