Celebrating 115 Years of the Taj

New Delhi, Monday, August 13, 2019: Taj Palace, New Delhi, the capital’s landmark hotel hosted the second edition of 115 Years Charity Gala on Friday, August 9, 2019 in support of the Taj Public Service Welfare Trust. The event commemorated the momentous anniversary of India’s first luxury hospitality address, The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai, the iconic flagship of The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) and carried forward the spirit of philanthropy – the cornerstone of the revered 150 year TATA legacy, with an auction of 25 prized artworks from the DAG collection, the proceeds of which were donated to the Trust.

In his welcome address at this extraordinary evening, Mr. Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and CEO, IHCL, thanked the members of the audience for their patronage and generosity towards the cause and highlighted the values and legacy of IHCL and the TATA Group.

With its unparalleled confluence of art, entertainment and gastronomy, the glittering evening had the who’s who in attendance, including Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar; Prince Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar and Nivritti Kumari Mewar; Lokendra Singh Rathore; Sunil Sethi, Chairman, FDCI; Rakshanda Jalil; Paresh Maity, Artist; Vijit Singh; Manoj Adlakha, MD, American Express; H.E. Mr. Nadir Patel, Canadian High Commissioner; H.E. Mr. Alexandre Ziegler, Ambassador of France; Rakesh Bakshi, RRB Group.

Art from the Heart, a no-reserve, no buyers’ premium live auction of a selection of 25 noteworthy art pieces from the DAG collection, conducted by renowned auctioneer Hugh Edmeades was the highlight of the soirée, the proceeds of which will be donated to the Trust. The 25 works by masters of modern Indian art included those by M.F. Husain, Amrita Sher-Gil, S.H. Raza, Jamini Roy, F.N. Souza, K.H. Ara, Sunil Das, G.R. Santosh, J. Sultan Ali, Natvar Bhavsar, Sakti Burman, Avinash Chandra, Krishna Reddy, P.T. Reddy, Anupam Sud, Bimal Dasgupta, Shanti Dave, Laxman Pai, Madhvi Parekh, Sohan Qadri, Shobha Broota and P. Khemraj.

Speaking on this momentous occasion, Mr. Gaurav Pokhariyal, Senior Vice President – Operations Senior Vice President – Operations NCR, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jaipur and Ajmer said: “For over a hundred years, the iconic Taj dome has anchored the skyline of Mumbai and today, it continues to stand tall as an epitome of timeless luxury. We are immensely proud to be a part of this milestone celebration and are excited to carry forward our revered legacy of philanthropy with the second edition of the 115 Years Charity Gala at Taj Palace, New Delhi.”

Vice President – Operations Senior Vice President – Operations NCR, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jaipur and Ajmer said: “For over a hundred years, the iconic Taj dome has anchored the skyline of Mumbai and today, it continues to stand tall as an epitome of timeless luxury. We are immensely proud to be a part of this milestone celebration and are excited to carry forward our revered legacy of philanthropy with the second edition of the 115 Years Charity Gala at Taj Palace, New Delhi.”

Vice President – Operations NCR, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jaipur and Ajmer said: “For over a hundred years, the iconic Taj dome has anchored the skyline of Mumbai and today, it continues to stand tall as an epitome of timeless luxury. We are immensely proud to be a part of this milestone celebration and are excited to carry forward our revered legacy of philanthropy with the second edition of the 115 Years Charity Gala at Taj Palace, New Delhi.”

The commemorative five-course sit-down dinner experience curated by Executive Chef Rajesh Wadhwa featured artistically-plated contemporary Indian cuisine. The menu included Balchao prawns, Triphala seabass, kokum saar;Ananas, Tellicherry mezhagu soup; Taar gosht, Pampore flower gravy; Bharwan gucchi, spiced paneer carpaccio, Pampore flower gravy and Chena, rabri aur jalebi daanafor dessert. Each dish was meticulously prepared with indigenous artisanal ingredients such as Pampore saffron, prized Kashmiri morels, Telicherry peppers from the Malabar coast, prawns from the Marmagoa bay, Chamba walnuts, ghee from the farms at the Gir foothills in Kathiawar – making the menu a befitting tribute to the illustrious culinary landscape of India. Shillong Chamber Choir’s eclectic performance concluded the evening on a high-decibel note.

The 115 year anniversary celebrations will continue with special celebratory menus at 17 restaurants of IHCL across the city, Taj Mahal, New Delhi, Taj Palace, New Delhi, Taj City Centre, Gurugram, Ambassador New Delhi – IHCL SeleQtions, Vivanta New Delhi Dwarka, Vivanta Surajkund NCR and The Gateway Resort Damdama Lake Gurugram until August 16, 2019.

About Taj Palace, New Delhi

Spread over six acres of lush gardens, the resplendent Taj Palace, New Delhi holds a prominent place in the capital’s prestigious Diplomatic Enclave. Synonymous with timeless luxury and unmatched hospitality, it offers modern business facilities seamlessly infused with epitomizing elements of exquisite Indian art. Taj Palace, New Delhi has been a gracious host to royalty, heads of states, corporate chieftains and high-powered international conferences. For over three decades, it has been the capital’s most coveted events destination and is home to an array of legendary culinary and wellness experiences.