Mumbai, December 21
Mumbai’s Taj and Oberoi Hotels that were hit by terrorists late last month are getting back on their feet. Normal business operations in parts of both hotels were kicked off today on a solemn note with multi-faith prayer meetings headed by religious leaders from Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jain, Parsi and Buddhist denominations.

Unlike the Taj and Oberoi of old where even passersby could walk in and rest in their lobbies, both the hotels have been turned into high-security zones complete with police personnel toting assault weapons behind sandbags and sniffer dogs checking out visitors’ bags. Guests and journalists have been put through five levels of security, including complete body scanning and physical frisking, before being allowed to enter the premises.

At Nariman Point, the Trident Hotel as the Oberoi’s new wing is known, employees dressed in cream outfits guided visitors to the lobby where flowers, lit candles and the lingering fragrance of incense were grim reminders of last month’s tragedy which claimed the lives of employees and guests.

“We would like to assure people that security of Indians and foreigners alike is of importance to us. We will work hard to ensure that such incidents of terrorism do not happen again,” Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan said at the function at Trident. Apart from Chavan, his deputy Chaggan Bhujbal also attended the function.

Rattan Keswani, president, Trident Hotel, said the management and staff at the hotel were keen on putting behind the terror incident. “Amidst grief and sadness we are committed to deliver 100 per cent and bounce back at the earliest,” Keswani said.

Among those who arrived at the venue included scores of Indian and foreign guests who were regulars at the hotel. “We have to show the terrorists that we cannot be defeated,” said one Indian woman. “Terrorism happens around the world. We cannot let them tell us how to live,” said a foreign guest who gave his name as Ferdinand.

Both the Taj and Oberoi are opening only part of their premises. While Oberoi’s Trident is open for business, the old Oberoi which received the brunt of the terrorists’ attack will take several months to open. The Trident has received bookings for 100 rooms and some 40 guests have checked in so far.

At the Taj, where preparations were on to hold a prayer meeting later in the evening, security was tight. Parts of the roads leading to the hotel facing the Gateway of India remained closed to traffic. The new Tower wing of the Taj with 268 rooms have been opened for bookings. More than 150 bookings have been received so far, according to the management. The older heritage wing, which is more than 105-year-old which was damaged badly in the attack, will take more than a year to open after extensive renovations, said R. K. Krishna Kumar, vice-chairman, Indian Hotels which owns the Taj.

Among those who returned to work at the Taj today include the hotel’s general manager Karambir Kang, who lost his wife and two sons in the terrorist attack. Kang’s wife Niti and sons Samar and Uday were burnt to death in their suite on the sixth floor of the Heritage Wing of the Taj which caught fire after the terrorists fought commandos with automatic weapons and grenades. Kang had joined the Taj Hotel just about a year ago.

According to Krishna Kumar, the North Block of the heritage wing of the Taj would be ready by February 2009 while the south block will be ready by December 2009. Kumar said the fifth and sixth floor of the hotel’s heritage wing were completely damaged.

The hotel’s famed Wasabi restaurant and Harbour Bar were completely destroyed, he added. The Taj group was in the process of finalising interior decorators who would look after the renovation of the hotel. Kumar promised that Taj’s famed Presidential suite would be completely refurbished with new facilities and designs. “The tower wing which opened for guests today has been cleansed of evil and religious rites of various faiths were performed here,” Kumar said.

He promised that security at the Taj group of hotels would be beefed up and would be on par with those at airports. “We may not be 100 per cent secure, but we would be technologically smarter and better trained,” Kumar said. “The Taj is known for its rooms and restaurants, now we will be known for our security, he said. The group has sought the services of an international agency with experience in combating terrorism, according to Kumar.