Celebration, relief at Taj

The mood outside Taj Mahal Palace and Tower this afternoon was that of relief and muted celebration. One could see a sense of relief on the faces of TV crews and the policemen that the terrorists who wreaked havoc at the hotel were finally dead.

But they knew the job was not over. The security forces, who took control of the hotel this morning 60 hours after the terrorists had stormed the hotel, were still busy sanitising every hotel in the room, checking for any explosives.

Taking advantage of the weekend, many civilians had landed up at the Gateway of India to get a final glimpse of the anti-terror operations and see first-hand the collateral damage inflicted to the Taj, amongst the oldest landmarks of Bombay.

Many onlookers were seen taking pictures of the Taj and NSG commandos, few of whom were waiting in hired BEST buses for their colleagues to return. People were trying to shake hands with commandos, thanking them for their rescue.

A commando who was waiting in the bus and took part in the Nariman Bhawan encounter told us that he ate last night after 24 hours since he left Delhi. Another of his colleague, who was in third floor of the hotel, said the damage is collateral.

A group of people led by a local politician, who carried a placard of Bhartiya Janata Party leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was shouting anti-Pakistan slogans, providing a backdrop for foreign TV journalists filing their report.

The celebrations were muted as most people, especially the media, feared that the success for the security forces in this terror attack has come at a huge cost; civilians killed in the attack and the casualties suffered by the forces which is not known yet.

From whatever one could make out from the outside, it seemed that restoring the entire hotel may take more than a year. The ballroom opposite the Sea Lounge, which has hosted several high-profile seminars and meets, is completely burnt.

So, are the right corner rooms on the top floor of the old wing facing the sea and several other suites in the old building, which is 102 years old and were tastefully decorated with antique artefacts. The Taj and the Oberoi may never be the same.