ESCAPE TO ELEGANCE

TAJ BENGAL, AN ICON OF MODERN LUXURY AND TIMELESS ELEGANCE IN KOLKATA, IS CELEBRATING ITS 35TH ANNIVERSARY

- PIYALI SEN

AS YOU DRIVE DOWN BELVEDERE ROAD in Kolkata, passing the National Library and moving towards the Race Course, you can see the elegant structure of Taj Bengal. This iconic Kolkata hotel, which celebrates its 35th anniversary in October, does not tower above the landscape; its height has been deliberately kept at five floors to stay clear of the paths of migratory birds flying to the nearby Alipore Zoo. Many of these birds nest in the Hotel's trees and are tended by security guards when injured.

Taj Bengal famously took five years to build and was inaugurated by the then Chief Minister of West Bengal, Jyoti Basu, on October 10, 1989. Since its opening, Taj Bengal has hosted distinguished guests, including Nobel and Booker Prize winners, heads of state, and film and sports celebrities. Notable visitors include Indra Nooyi, Jeffrey Archer, Jhumpa Lahiri, Mira Nair, and Shah Rukh Khan. Hillary Clinton visited Calcutta twice— once when Mother Teresa passed away and once in 2012—and stayed at Taj Bengal both times. "Taj Bengal has a remarkable legacy. The Hotel was IHCL's first footprint in the East, and there have been many firsts with the Hotel ever since it opened its doors," said Arnab Chatterjee, General Manager, Taj Bengal.

THE ART OF THE MATTER

The legendary establishment, designed by the renowned American architect Bob Fox, is influenced by the city's rich art, culture, and heritage.