Ghosts of the Taj Mahal Palace — India’s Grandest Hotel – Moon Mausoleum

The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai is one of the city’s most luxurious places to stay, and even through horrible tragedy and decay, it has always come out on the other side shining. Still, there are some haunted stories echoing through the halls where one of the architects is lingering as a regretful ghost. 

The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai is one of the most iconic hotels in India. The five-star luxury hotel has been the preferred destination for celebrities, dignitaries, and even royalty since it was built in 1903 next to the Gateway of India. 

The hotel known as The Taj has been witness to some of the most significant events in India’s history, including being a military hospital during WWII and the country’s struggle for independence. It has also been the site of tragic incidents, such as the 2008 terrorist attacks that left the hotel scarred and at least 167 people were killed. 

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Over the years, many guests and staff members have reported eerie experiences and sightings of ghosts roaming the halls and rooms of the hotel. From the ghost of a former chief engineer to the spirit of a young girl who drowned in the hotel’s pool, the Taj Mahal Palace’s paranormal tales continue to fascinate and intrigue visitors from all over the world. 

The History of the Taj Mahal Palace

The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel was built by Jamsetji Tata, a prominent Indian industrialist, as a response to the British-only hotels in the city. The hotel was designed by Indian architect W.A. Chambers, and was opened to the public on December 16, 1903. 

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Since then, the hotel that is named after the Taj Mahal in Agra has undergone several changes and renovations, and after a period in the 50s and 60s where it was neglected and became a bit run down, it has retained its grandeur and elegance.

The Story of the Ghost of the Architect

One of the most popular legends associated with the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel is the legend of the ghost of the architect, W.A. Chambers. According to the legend, Chambers was so guilty of a mistake in his creation that he couldn’t bear to leave it even after his death. 

According to legend, he approved some blueprints of the hotel before going back to England for a short trip. When he returned to Mumbai though, he realized a mistake he had made in the design. Apparently the building was built facing the wrong way that it was intended. 

He could never let this mistake go and it is said that he took his own life by jumping from the 5th floor of the hotel. 

It is said that his spirit still roams the hotel, checking the quality of the work done by the staff. Many guests and staff members have reported seeing a man who matches Chambers’ description walking around the hotel’s corridors.

Some even claim that a staff member was knocked out by his ghost when the staff was trying to steal some of the silverware. 

Who was Really the Mastermind Behind the Taj?

Now, how much of this enduring legend of the hotel is actually true? It is true that English Engineer W.A Chambers did work on the Taj Mahal Hotel, although perhaps not as much as the legend gives him credit for. 

The project actually came from the Parsee Indian, Jamsedji Tata with a vision to build a hotel Mumbai, (Bombay at the time,) worthy and used as much steel to build the dome as the eiffel tower did. It was also the first building in Mumbai to be fully electrified. The original architects were Siddhesh S., Sitaram Khanderao Vaidya and D. N. Mirza. However, Chambers, Tata’s friend, came in and completed it after Vaidya died. 

When talking about the mistake of where the hotel faces, it actually looks like it was Tata that wanted the rooms, not the entrance to look out to the sea, something very uncommon in India. Although it also made it easier for the horse carriages to pull up to the entrance. 

As for Chambers, death, well. Although not concluded with evidence, at least the reasoning for his suicide we can conclude not true. 

Check into The Taj Mahal Hotel

The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel is a grand and iconic landmark that has stood the test of time. However, behind its opulent façade lies a darker side of history, filled with spooky tales of ghosts and hauntings. The hotel has been witness to some of the most significant events in India’s history, and it continues to fascinate and intrigue visitors from all over the world.

Despite the ghostly legends that surround it, the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel remains an important symbol of India’s rich heritage and culture.

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