Colonial calm

The Taj West End has kept the character of the city alive.

Hidden behind the noise and chaos that envelopes the city of Bangalore today lies 20 acres of sheer calm and splendour that brings back memories of a city that was once known for its greenery.

The Taj West End, Bangalore's first hotel, is a lap of luxury in the busy city... but for many decades the 117-room hotel served as a charming little boarding house.

It all started in 1887 when a British couple opened a boarding house with essentially 10 beds and no more. The opening of the Suez Canal brought in more officers to India and West End's popularity and demand grew successfully.

In 1912, it was handed over to the Spencers... the family that started one of the first retail outlets in the country. Under the Spencers, the boarding house expanded though the inherent charm of the architecture was kept alive.

Tiled roofs, distinctive gables, dormers, monkey-tops, trelliswork and intricately carved fascias added a historic touch to the inn.

West End's second life began in 1984 when the Spencers entered into an agreement with the Indian Hotels Company Limited, giving it the name it has today "" Taj West End. Its colonial architecture stands out amidst the modern, urban architecture.

Says Rakhi Lalwani of the hotel, "Numerous dignitaries have come and stayed with us a number of times. There are incidents where couples who got married here revisit the splendour 30 years later by marrying their children here too." Still owned by the Spencers, the hotel is truly part of the legends that make Bangalore.