Fortune India
Back in 1903, Jamsetji Tata spent millions to build India's greatest hotel, the Taj Mahal, on the shores of Mumbai. Why? Here is the untold story.
As the urban legend goes, Jamsetji Tata was banned from Bombay's 'White-Only' Watson's Hotel in 1898. The plaque outside the hotel reportedly read this: 'No Indians or dogs allowed.'
As per the legend, when he was not allowed inside the Watson's Hotel, despite being a great industrialist, Tata vowed to build a hotel so grand even the English would beg to stay.
Tata began to build a grand hotel on the shores of the Arabian Sea, with imported Italian marble. The hotel even had state-of-the-art German-made elevators, a rarity in those days, and also ceiling fans made in the US, which was the first time such fans were used in India.
On December 16, 1903, the doors of the Taj were opened for the public and it was mesmerizing. Just consider these facts: The hotel was so lavish that it even got exclusive French chefs from Paris to work exclusively for the hotel. Also, room tariffs (₹13/night) were double than that of Watson’s Hotel’s rates!
The irony is that the lavish style of the Taj Mahal Hotel enticed British guests. Officials even booked rooms for VIP guests. The greatest irony is that in the 1960s, Watson's Hotel shut down and by then Taj had become a global symbol of Indian luxury.
The next time you see the Taj, remember that it was built not for profit, but to safeguard the pride of India.