Taj, Trident step towards normalcy

A day after the Taj Mahal tower threw open its door to the public, the mood outside the hotel wing was upbeat with regulars and tourists thronging the area to catch a glimpse of the iconic building.
Visitors were frisked and checked following heightened security, with policemen and private security personnel guarding the heritage wing, allowing a single entry and exit point.
Photographers, outside the fortified building, seemed to be busy with people vying to get themselves clicked in front of the 105-year-old structure and the adjoining tower wing which fell to the terrorist strike on November 26.
"The Taj is like a second home to many. I have visited the place earlier and am here to express my solidarity with the people. I hope India will come together to face the crisis," said Eric Winstein From USA, who visited Mumbai for the second time with his family.
Siddique, a taxi-driver at the Gateway of India, facing the Taj, said, "roads leading to the twin towers were choc-a-bloc on Sunday when Mumbaikars turned up in large numbers to pay homage to the victims and martyrs, firmly putting behind the 59-hour siege that shocked the city."
"Today, the situation has returned to normal as the two hotel majors take a step towards redefining hospitality," he said.
However, Trident-Oberoi, under tight security, sported a calm look with not many people around.
"We have hardly seen anyone here since the morning. On any other day, at least seven to eight cabs are hired in the morning hours...but there's a lull today," a cabbie outside the Trident said.
"The situation is likely to become normal in around 15-30 days," he said.
A part of both the hotels -- The Taj Towers of the Taj Mahal Palace and Towers and the Trident of the Oberoi-Trident -- were reopened yesterday after a hiatus of three weeks following the bloody Mumbai terror siege.
Both hotels saw a lot of activity over the past few days with their staff working hard to restore the glory of the hotels.
Trident hotel, which suffered losses upto Rs 45-50 lakh during the siege, began its reopening ceremony with a multi-religious prayer meeting involving guests, prominent citizens and staff.
At the ceremony, all the 540 employees of the hotel were honoured for putting their lives at risk to save several guests at the hotel on the night of the terror strikes.