Hundreds of birds!
Image by wallygrom
Check out the birds in the tree ... hundreds of them!
Restoration work continues on the Taj Hotel ...
The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower is a prestigious luxury five star hotel located in the Colaba region of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, next to the Gateway of India. Part of the Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces, this iconic 105-year old heritage building retains its stature as the flagship property of the group and contains 565 rooms. From an historical and architectural point of view, The Taj Mahal Palace and the Tower are two distinct buildings, built at different times and in different architectural designs.
The hotel has hosted a long list of notable guests including The Beatles, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Bill Clinton, Jacques Chirac, The King & Queen of Norway, The Duke & Duchess of Kent, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, Roger Moore, Joan Collins, Mick Jagger, Deep Purple, Michael Palin, Hillary Clinton as well as professional cricket teams on tour. According to the BBC, after the Mumbai attacks of November 2008 by Pakistani terrorists, the hotel serves as a symbol of Mumbai's and India's resilience.
On 26 November 2008, in a series of terrorist attacks in Mumbai, the hotel (as well as the Oberoi) was attacked, during which material damage occurred including the destruction of the roof of the hotel in the hours afterwards. Hostages were taken during the attacks. At least 167 people were killed in the attacks and 293 wounded (the numbers include casualties at CST railway station, The Oberoi Hotel, Nariman House and the Cama Hospital), including many foreigners. The casualties were mostly Indian citizens, although westerners carrying foreign passports were singled out. Indian commandos killed the Pakistani gunmen barricaded in the hotel to end the three-day battle.
The attacks began 26 November 2008 and continued for a little over 60 hours. Approximately 450 people were staying in the Taj Mahal Palace and Hotel at the time of the seizure, and another 380 in the Oberoi. The Hotel Management has announced that the hotel will be rebuilt. It will take around 12 months and INR 5 billion to repair it.
The less damaged sections of the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower hotel reopened on 21 December 2008. It will take several months to rebuilt the popular heritage section of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.
In July 2009, Hillary Clinton visited Mumbai, aiming to deepen Indo-American ties and stayed at the Taj hotel. She attended a commemoration event. "I wanted to send a message that I personally and our country is in sympathy and solidarity with the employees and the guests of the Taj who lost their lives ... with the people of Mumbai," Clinton said in an interview with India's Times Now.
By Design?
Image by dennis and aimee jonez
This fountain has a little inner house that has sprayers inside. We saw several sets of birds utilize this tiny semi-private shower area. I wonder if it was put there on purpose, just for that?
Suction Cup Bird House
Image by syvwlch
An example application of the Suction Cup Hole Thing to Fountain's Birdhouse design.
A Bird's Eye View...
Image by HA! Designs - Artbyheather
of the funky little birdhouse charms...
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