Few hotels spawn legends as easlily as the Taj. There are many myths and legends that surround the Taj.The most famous, concerns with the architect. According to the legend, the Taj was designed by a Frenchman who sent the Tatas his architectural plans which were approved and also executed. Some years later he visited the grand hotel, designed according to his specifications only to find the hotel build back to front. The grand entrance didnot face the sea as he had designed. Instead it was the back of the hotel which got the sea view. He was so shattered that he threw himself off the fourth floor at night and died instantaneously.

This legend takes us to another legend. We know that Jamshedji Tata built the Taj. But why did he venture into a field about which he knew nothing. The legend says that he was invited by an English aquaintance to the Yatch Club (No Indians were allowed entry at that time). He arrived, only to discover that they wouldn't let him in. He was so angered that he resolved to build a hotel next to the Club that would be so grand that nobody would ever bother with the Yatch Club and its no Indians ploicy again.

Other versions of the story also say that he was refused entry to the Majestic Hotel or Pyrkes Hotel.

The first legend is absolutely untrue. The Taj was actually designed by two Indian architects D N Mirza and Sitaram Vaidya (no Frenchmen were involved) and opened its entry to guests on December 16, 1903. Morever, it was not bulit back to front by mistake. They had always intended to construct this way, so that the entrance faced the Colaba back lanes giving horse drawn carriages a grand entry.

The problem with the second legend is that there is no verification. Jamshedji never spoke of any such humiliation.

The Taj Heritage hotel boasts 105 years of glory and a distinguished list of guests which includes Mick Jagger, Jacques Chirac, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent & Katharine, Duchess of Kent, Joan Collins, Harald V of Norway & Queen Sonja of Norway, Marianne Faithfull, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Charles, Prince of Wales, The Beatles, Bill Clinton and Jacqueline Onassis.

Taj Mahal Palace hotel is an amalgamation of Moorish, Oriental and Florentine styles, constructed at a cost of about Rs 25 lakh.

During World War I, the hotel was converted into a 600-bed hospital.

In 1973, Green's hotel was demolished and the present Tower wing was constructed in its place.

The Tata Group is a multinational conglomerate based in Mumbai, India. In terms of market capitalization and revenues, Tata Group is the largest private corporate group in India. It has interests in steel, automobiles, information technology, communication, power, tea and hotels. The Tata Group has operations in more than 85 countries across six continents and its companies export products and services to 80 nations. The Tata Group comprises 98 companies in seven business sectors, 27 of which are publicly listed. 65.8% of the ownership of Tata Group is held in charitable trusts. Companies which form a major part of the group include Tata Steel, Corus Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Tea, Titan Industries, Tata Power, Tata Communications, Tata Teleservices and the Taj Hotels.

The group takes the name of its founder, Jamsetji Tata, a member of whose family has almost invariably been the chairman of the group. The current chairman of the Tata group is Ratan Tata, who took over from J. R. D. Tata in 1991 and is currently one of the major international business figures in the age of globality. The company is currently in its fifth generation of family stewardship.