Gateway of India? Taj Mahal Hotel - in Mumbai? What - and Where - Are These Places?

I looked up some spots in Mumbai that have been in the news lately: Gateway of India; Nariman House; Taj Mahal Hotel; and Oberoi Hotel. They're among the ten places hit by terrorists yesterday.

The reason I concentrated on these four is that, unlike the Chhatrapati Shivaji railway station and the Cama and Albless Hospital, they've shown up quite often in the American and international English-language news I read.

The information didn't quite fit into the two posts I've written so far, and I hate to let research go to waste, so here's a little background on what I'll call the international targets in Mumbai.

Gateway of India

(from Hotels in Mumbai, used without permission)

King George V and Queen Mary of England visited Mumbai in 1911. The Gateway of India's foundation stone was laid that year, the foundations finished around 1920, and the Viceroy, Early of Reading, opened the monument on December 4, 1924.

In 1947, the last British troops left India by way of the Gateway.


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Nariman House

"
(from CNN, used without permission)

This place is a little hard to find, outside news articles, since it's called Chabad of India. No wonder the terrorists hit this place. It's "a Jewish organization that provides social, educational, and religious programing for all.... An institution where you can question your faith and not be afraid of judgment....

"...where one can gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of ones Jewish heritage...."


(from Chabad of India, used without permission)

Taj Mahal Hotel

(from The New York Times, used without permission)

The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Mumbai is what happened when architects used Moorish, Oriental and Florentine styles to design a seriously upscale hotel. They also used a lot of wood, which is part of the reason that parts of it are still on fire today.


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Oberoi Hotel

(from DelhiTourism.com, used without permission)

The The Oberoi Hotel, Mumbai, is an award-winning (literally) and very expensive hotel, which seems to focus on business travelers.
Their home page is displaying this message, at the moment:

"Mumbai situation update
"November 27, 2008

"We all are deeply saddened by the tragic events in Mumbai.
We are very concerned about the safety of our guests and staff at the hotels in Mumbai. Our thoughts are with their families.

"Despite all efforts we are unable to make contact with the persons inside the hotel. Therefore at present, we do not have more information than what is being relayed by the media. We will update you as soon as we have confirmed information on further developments....

"...The safety of our guests and staff remains our primary concern.

"If you have any questions or need assistance in making contact with your family or friends that may be at the hotel, please call us at +91-11-2389 0606 or call Toll Free. Our attempt will be to assist you as best as we can."

Elsewhere, the site lists Oberoi Hotels & Resorts toll free telephone numbers for over 30 countries.


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Related posts:

• "Why Attack Mumbai? And, Why the Taj Mahal Hotel?"
  (November 27, 2008)
• "Bad Night in Mumbai: Islamic Terrorists This Time"
  (November 26, 2008)

In the news:

• "Who is to blame for Mumbai attacks?"
  CNN (November 27, 2008)
• "Fighting reported at Mumbai Jewish center"
  CNN (November 27, 2008)
• "Bombay terror attacks: Why the Taj Mahal Hotel was chosen"
  Telegraph.co.uk (November 27, 2008)
• "Jewish centre seized in Mumbai"
  BBC (November 27, 2008)
• "Two blasts heard at Nariman House, situation still fluid"
  NDTV (November 26, 2008)
• "At Least 100 Dead in India Terror Attacks"
  The New York Times (November 26, 2008)
  Includes link to interactive map
• "Mumbai Terror Attacks 26 November 2008"
  map
  NDTV (November 26,2008)
• "Attacks in India"
  Timeline/background
  CNN (undated)
• Tourist, traveler, and official information about
  • Mumbai (Bombay)
    lonely planet
  • Official Website of Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai
  • Gateway of India
  • Current local time in Mumbai
  • Chabad of India
    (The place referred to in the news as Nariman House)