Will Taj Hotel's glory be restored post terror attacks?

Taj Mahal Palace and Towers was a symbol of national pride even before it was built. There is a story that Jamshedji Tata built Taj Mahal after he was refused entry into one of city's hotels because he was an Indian. It might just be irony that Taj went on to become a favourite with foreign tourists in India. Why not? After all, Taj Mahal Palace was constructed even before the Gateway of India was finished in 1928. And till today, it attracts more onlookers than the Gateway.

Jamshed Khanna, Heritage Building Expert, said, "Tata bought geysers from Germany, chandeliers from France, and he wanted to make it into one of the most beautiful iconic structures.”

Legend also says that when the hotel went into losses once, Jamshetji had put in money from other businesses to support it. Tata Group which is now known for its strategic acquisitions also might have made its earliest with Taj Mahal. In 1970, Green's Hotel at Apollo Bunder was bought out by the group and was integrated into Taj Mahal making it Taj Mahal Palace and Towers.

But this hotel had its share of bad times. A story says that this beautifully adorned hotel was turned into a hospital during World War I. But it probably saw more blood and violence last week during terror attack than it did during times of war.

Gerson da Cunha, Social Activist, said, “Taj was ablaze, the roof was ablaze and I went to sleep with an immense sense of disappointment that this is the end of Taj.”

But the end was not come so soon. After all Taj Mahal, which is built in stone, is a pillar of strength, literally and otherwise just like the spirit of Mumbai.

India must bomb terror camps

As evidence of Pakistan connection to the Mumbai attacks piles up, India is hardening its stance. The Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said that all options are now open, including a military one against Pakistan's terrorist strongholds. Meanwhile, the Pakistan government says it is open to a joint investigation into the attacks.

CNN-IBN debated on Face the Nation if India should target terror camps in Pakistan.

On the panel of experts to try and answer the question were former secretary to the Ministry of External Affairs and former ambassador to UAE and Iran, K C Singh; Senior International Correspondent CNN, Nic Robertson; Pakistani author of A Case of Exploding Mangoes fame, Mohammed Hanif; and Pakistani journalist Naseem Zehra.

At the beginning of the show, 90 per cent of those who voted in said yes, India should target terror camps in Pakistan while a minority 10 per cent disagreed.