Trident thrown open amid inter-faith prayers

At 11:30 am most Sundays, a few people stroll along the Marine Drive or enjoy the waves crashing on the tetrapods.

December 21 was not, however, a normal Sunday.

Instead, the attention of people along Mumbai's seafront was rivetted to events across the road.

After 20 days of rushed restoration following its near-destruction by terrorists, the Trident was re-opening for business.

It was palpable that people wanted to be a part of this comeback after the trauma of November 26, even if from a distance.

Inside, overlooking the Arabian Sea from the coffee shop, businessman Kanti Gada's smile widened when the steward brought his coffee. Gada was among the first few guests when the Trident re-opened.

Initially, though, the mood was sombre as exhaustive security checks at the entrance greeted guests. But much of this was neutralised as the hotel staff pleasantly thanked guests for their co-operation and support.

The guests trickled in slowly. Many had tears in their eyes when they recalled the events of the three days from 26/11, but others tried to put on a brave face.

"I used to come here every Sunday but have not done so since the time this place was closed. Despite the risks involved I will not mind coming here often. When I heard the news of the hotel's reopening I decided to come back to finish my coffee," a foreign tourist told journalists.

Meanwhile, leaders from different religions and beliefs, specially invited by the chairman of East India Hotels (EIH), P R S Oberoi converged on the lobby to offer inter-faith prayers in memory of the 22 guests and 10 staffers who fell victim to indiscriminate firing by two terrorists who had sneaked in from the front door at 9.40 p m on November 26.

The Rs 5,300 crore EIH runs the Trident and The Oberoi brands across various cities in the country. The hotel will open all its four restaurants - Frangipani, Opium Den, Verandah and India Jones - from today. But such is the crowd that staffers have been asking guests to book in advance, since they're almost full.

The hotel has admitted that the attack has impacted bookings.But bookings are expected to gather pace around January 5-6 said Rattan Keswani, President, Trident Hotels on Saturday.