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We stayed at the Taj Mahal Hotel on the waterfront next to the Gateway of India, a huge triumphal arch built in 1924 to commemorate a visit by George V and Queen Mary. The last of the British troops leaving India by sea passed through this arch. Nowadays the massive stone arch is used mainly as an embarkation point for ferries taking tourist to the Elephanta caves or down the coast to Goa. According to the Lonely Planet Guide to India (quote) Places to stay — Top End, ‘The Taj Mahal Hotel, next to the Gateway of India is one of the best hotels in the country … the Taj is second home to Mumbai’s elite and has every conceivable facility, including three quality restaurants, several bars, a coffee shop, swimming pool, gymnasium and nightclub.’ While I am the greatest fan of the Lonely Planet guides, I can only disagree with their description of the Taj Mahal Hotel — I think it is the worst hotel I have ever stayed in.
The original flying dhobi.
One of the few delights of staying in an Indian hotel is the excellent laundry service. My grease-splattered, turmeric-stained shirts would come whizzing back, splendidly clean and immaculately pressed, and very quickly and cheaply too. But, they are not washed in gleaming Launderettes–they are literally flogged clean in Bombay’s municipal laundry, locally known as the Dhobi Ghat at Mahalaxmi. Here, in a labyrinth of open-air stone and concrete basins, thousands of men scrub, wash, rinse and dry tons of dirty clothes brought from all over the city all day. Then, after they have been through hand-operated spin dryers, the clothes are spread out on some rusty old roof to dry, after which they are immaculately pressed, with charcoal-fired smoothing irons. You get a great view of this phenomenal place from the railway bridge near Mahalaxmi Station which is five stops up from Churchgate Station.
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