Mumbai, December, 2008: At 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, 21st December, the first guests checked back in to The Taj Mahal Palace and Tower. The hotel also witnessed tremendous support for its celebrated restaurants, 5 of which welcomed their first diners at 7:30 p.m. on December 21st. Each of these restaurants received full bookings for the evening. The reopening of the hotel’s Tower Wing, took place 24 days after the terrorist attack on the city of Mumbai.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Ratan N. Tata, Chairman of the Indian Hotels Company Ltd., said: “Today has been an incredibly moving day. The Taj has been reopened, after a massive concerted effort, in dedication to all of those who lost their lives in the attacks on Mumbai.”
“We have heard many stories of magnificent courage and selfless service, not just in the acts of the police and security forces, but also by the staff of the hotel. They have set new standards that we can only hope to aspire to”.
The Tree of Life, a memorial in salutation to all of those who lost their lives in the hotel during the terrorist attacks that commenced on the night of November 26th, was also unveiled at the hotel today. The names of the thirty one fallen will be inscribed at its base to bear permanent witness to those brave and innocent people.
“The loss of life across the city of Mumbai during the attacks was an incomprehensible tragedy. Thirty one people died during the attack on our hotel. Some were our innocent guests, some were our selfless staff and some were the courageous members of the police and security forces. We felt that it was fitting and proper for there to be a symbol of permanent remembrance for all of those who fell within the building”, said Raymond Bickson, MD and CEO, Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces.
The basis of the memorial is an artwork designed by Jaidev Baghel. The Tree of Life formed part of the hotel’s art collection and originally stood on the fifth floor Grand Staircase area, under the dome where it withstood and survived the attack unscathed. This sculpture, approximately six feet tall is made of Brass, Bronze and Alloy casting. The Tree of Life is a powerful symbol for many cultures and is often related to immortality. The memorial to the people who lost their lives in the hotel is not therefore a symbol of loss, but a symbol of life in all its potency.
“We truly appreciate the efforts, dedication and the instances of courage which have been displayed by the various agencies during the crisis faced by the entire city, and I applaud all the policemen, firemen, medical services, navy and NSG commandos involved in reclaiming and returning the hotel. The efforts of our staff to allow us to reopen in such a magnificent and dignified fashion have also been utterly magnificent, adds Mr. Tata.”
As a result of the attacks, the Taj has launched a fund to support all the victims of the attacks, not just at The Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, but also across the entire city.
Concluding his remarks, Mr. Ratan N. Tata said: “There is still much work to do, but we are all determined to rebuild the Taj brick by brick until it outshines even its former glories”.
RATAN TATA MEDIA ADDRESS -DEC 21, 2008 – RE-OPENING OF TAJ
I would first just like to thank all the people on the occasion of the reopening of the tower block of the Taj. To us it was a challenge to have the hotel re-open in some form within a month of the attack we had. And I think it is a tribute to everybody who has worked on to have this happen and we stand before you.
We propose to dedicate this reopening of the hotel to the people who have lost their lives and we believe that the opening of this hotel will send a message that we come alive in a record period of time and play host to everyone as part of this great city.
And when the old wing – the heritage wing will be restored and rebuild to the extent that it could be then we will send an even stronger message not only for the Taj but for the whole city that we can be hurt but we cannot be knocked down. And the old Taj will stand again for next 100 years as it has been for the last 105 years.
This is a memorable day in the show of strength, a tribute to all those who have suffered either losing their lives or those who have saved many lives and it is an indication of our participation in the community of the city of Mumbai.
