Colaba!!

Cafe Leopold

The New look...

The older look.....

This bar and cafe has become an institution in Bombay. It has no doors and that adds to its welcoming spirit. Interestingly, Leopold was named after the Belgium King. The bright, high-ceiling, airy cafe is always full with people guzzling down beer and gorging on Mutton Tikkas and Chicken Fry. There is Elvis on the walls and a blow-up of a trillion dollar note. The service is brisk and true to Mumbai-ishtyle. You have to pay for your liquor beforehand because the management has had some bad experience with people not paying up. There is an air-conditioned bar upstairs with cozy corners and all but it is only favored by the yuppy brigade.

A T-shirt in Cloaba....

One of the T-shirts on Colaba causeway, wonder what he was on when he thought of that....

The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Mumbai.

The Palace.

The Tower

The Taj Mahal Palace hotel resort was commissioned by Jamsetji Tata and first opened its doors to guests on December 16, 1903. Tata allegedly decided to build the luxurious hotel after he was refused entry to one of the city's grand hotels of the time, Watson's Hotel, as it was restricted to 'whites only'.
The side of the hotel seen from the harbor is actually its rear. The front faces away to the west. There is a widespread misconception that the architects' building plans were confused by the builder so that he built it facing away from the harbor. This is not true, as the hotel was deliberately built facing inland rather than to the harbor. This was probably a deliberate snub to the British king by Jamsedji Tata due to nationalist feelings. Some people believe that the front of the hotel had to face inland because the horse carriages, in which guests came to the hotel, could easily approach the hotel from the city. The carriages were then taken to Wellington Mews. Five decades ago, the old front was closed off, and access is since then through the seaside (former rear)

Since it opened in 1903, The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Mumbai has created its own unique history. From Maharajas and Princes to various Kings, Presidents, CEOs and entertainers, the Taj has played the perfect host, supportive of their every need.

Built in 1903, the hotel is an architectural marvel and brings together Moorish, Oriental and Florentine styles. Offering panoramic views of the Arabian Sea and the Gateway of India, the hotel is a gracious landmark of the city of Mumbai, showcasing contemporary Indian influences along with beautiful vaulted alabaster ceilings, onyx columns, graceful archways, hand-woven silk carpets, crystal chandeliers, a magnificent art collection, an eclectic collection of furniture, and a dramatic cantilever stairway.

Over the past century, The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Mumbai has amassed a diverse collection of paintings and works of art and is a veritable showcase of artifacts and art of the era. From Belgian chandeliers to Goan Christian artifacts, the hotel incorporates a myriad of artistic styles and tastes.

Gateway of India, Colaba!!

The Gateway of India (Marathi: भारताचे प्रवेशद्वार) is a monument in Mumbai, India. Located on the waterfront in South Mumbai, the Gateway is 26 metres high. In earlier times, the Gateway was the monument that visitors arriving by boat would have first seen in the city of Bombay. The whole harbour front was realigned in order to come in line with a planned esplanade which would sweep down to the centre of the town. The cost of the construction was Rs. 21 Lakhs, borne mainly by the Government of India. For lack of funds, the approach road was never built, and so the Gateway stands at an angle to the road leading up to it.

The Gateway of India was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Bombay, prior to the Durbar in Delhi in December 1911. The foundation stone was laid on March 31, 1911 by the Governor of Bombay Sir George Sydenham Clarke, with George Wittet's final design sanctioned in August 1914. Between 1915 and 1919 work proceeded on reclamations at Apollo Bundar for the land on which the gateway and the new sea wall would be built. The foundations were completed in 1920, and construction was finished in 1924. The Gateway was opened on December 4, 1924 by the Viceroy, the Earl of reading. final design sanctioned in August 1914. Between 1915 and 1919 work proceeded on reclamations at Apollo Bundar

The last British troops to leave India, the First Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry, passed through the Gateway in a ceremony on February 28, 1948.