The Day After!!

November 26, 2008:

A Black Day in Indian History. A group of terrorists attacked various places in Mumbai, held hostage hundreds of people.

Police was summoned in huge numbers, Army and MARCOS (MARine COmmandoS) were called in, NSG Commandos were flown in. And the fight between the Good & the Evil went on for over 48 hours. And FINALLY, as was expected, the Good won over the Ugly.

But the price had been paid. Over 150 people had died and more than 300 injured. I sincerely pray for the souls of the dead to rest in peace. May God provide their family members with courage to face this grim situation bravely. I also wish a speedy recovery to all the injured...

This drama saw one more casualty. Yes.. I am talking about one of the landmarks of Mumbai. It is also one of the Heritage Buildings of India. When one visits the Gateway of India, one is awed by the beauty of The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower. This Hotel, completed in 1903, has now stood witness to one of the goriest dramas in recent Indian history.

To any Mumbaikar, The Taj Mahal Hotel is a symbol of pride. As for the past one-and-a-half years, I have been in Mumbai, this building has taken a special place in my heart too. So today once I came to know that the siege at the hotel was over, I along with a friend of mine decided to go see the place.

The Hotel looked severely charred at two places - at the front and the other at its side. From what was visible on the outside, it seemed as if the building had absorbed much of the brutality without much damage to itself. But the extent of real damage can't be gauged from the outside.

Below are a few pics that I took on my visit to the fateful site today:

The Taj Hotel Standing Tall



The Charred Portion at the Hotel-front



The charring on the side of the building is visible at the top right of the old building. The New building didn't seem to have borne much brunt



All the vessels at the Gateway have been moored



Swarm of media vehicles present at the site (only a few could be captured though)

I know! All the scars cannot be camouflaged. But I wish that this one, and I mean not just the building, but the scars that this whole episode of terrorism has caused heals real soon. Hope Peace returns to this land and to other lands as well....