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.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
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.
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.
Tariffs to fall another 5-10% post terror attacks
Estimated revenue losses for hotels are as follows:
Taj Mahal Hotel:
South Mumbai average room rate, or ARR, is at Rs 12,349
Suite rate at USD 600-800 per day
Occupancy rate is at 60%
Capacity: 292 rooms + 20 executive suites
Therefore, the minimum revenue loss is seen at Rs 85-90 crore over one-year
Oberoi Trident:
South Mumbai ARR at Rs 13,900
Suite rate at USD 900-1000 per day
Occupancy rate at 63%
Capacity: 333 rooms + 22 executive suites
Therefore, the minimum revenue loss seen at Rs 120-130 crore over one-year
Asset destruction is likely to be higher in Taj as the hotel was a heritage structure. Both the hotels are understood to have taken terrorism cover, fire insurance, and loss of profit as add-on policies. Taj is insured jointly by Tata AIG (65%), ICICI Lombard (30%), and Iffco Tokio (5%). While Trident is insured by United India.
Hotel outlook going forward:
The terror attacks are likely to have long-term implications. Occupancies already fell by 2% in Q2. Sources expect tariffs to fall by at least another 5-10% almost immediately. Capacity utilization will be high during winter. Post the terror attacks, the industry feels occupancy rates could fall to 70-80%. Mumbai and Delhi together offer about 30,000 rooms and nearly 60-65% hotels rooms are occupied by business travelers in Mumbai and Delhi.
Taj Mahal Hotel:
South Mumbai average room rate, or ARR, is at Rs 12,349
Suite rate at USD 600-800 per day
Occupancy rate is at 60%
Capacity: 292 rooms + 20 executive suites
Therefore, the minimum revenue loss is seen at Rs 85-90 crore over one-year
Oberoi Trident:
South Mumbai ARR at Rs 13,900
Suite rate at USD 900-1000 per day
Occupancy rate at 63%
Capacity: 333 rooms + 22 executive suites
Therefore, the minimum revenue loss seen at Rs 120-130 crore over one-year
Asset destruction is likely to be higher in Taj as the hotel was a heritage structure. Both the hotels are understood to have taken terrorism cover, fire insurance, and loss of profit as add-on policies. Taj is insured jointly by Tata AIG (65%), ICICI Lombard (30%), and Iffco Tokio (5%). While Trident is insured by United India.
Hotel outlook going forward:
The terror attacks are likely to have long-term implications. Occupancies already fell by 2% in Q2. Sources expect tariffs to fall by at least another 5-10% almost immediately. Capacity utilization will be high during winter. Post the terror attacks, the industry feels occupancy rates could fall to 70-80%. Mumbai and Delhi together offer about 30,000 rooms and nearly 60-65% hotels rooms are occupied by business travelers in Mumbai and Delhi.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Kindly Help Pass This Message For A Better India & Better Tomorrow
We have heard and seen enough. Too many innocent lives have been lost, too much innocent blood has been spilt, too many children orphaned. The echoes of screams and the muffled explosions still ring in our ears and make us look behind our shoulders for reassurance. How many more deaths, explosions, conspiracies will it take for us to realise that we cannot always fall back on our resilience, on the spirit of the people to bounce back to our feet? This very resilience is being tested severely at this juncture.
www.abillionhands.com is about you, me and all of us. It is a platform for us to come together and express some of the anger and anguish we felt over the last few days. To express some of the frustration and helplessness that we felt. And above all, it is a platform for us to come together, to debate how each one of us can make a difference.
It would be a mistake to see this as a site only about the Mumbai terror strike. Mumbai is just one of several hundred terror struck places in the world. It's happened in the US, UK, Europe, South East Asia. And the result is always the same – death of innocent people, and uncalled for damage.
Now is the time for all of us to come together to ensure these horrors don't get lost in endless political debates, and then forgotten. Let's join hands at www.abillionhands.com for a better tomorrow. This site is for us and by us. All of us share a common dream of a better, safer and stronger World. Let us nurture this dream and take steps to make it
www.abillionhands.com is about you, me and all of us. It is a platform for us to come together and express some of the anger and anguish we felt over the last few days. To express some of the frustration and helplessness that we felt. And above all, it is a platform for us to come together, to debate how each one of us can make a difference.
It would be a mistake to see this as a site only about the Mumbai terror strike. Mumbai is just one of several hundred terror struck places in the world. It's happened in the US, UK, Europe, South East Asia. And the result is always the same – death of innocent people, and uncalled for damage.
Now is the time for all of us to come together to ensure these horrors don't get lost in endless political debates, and then forgotten. Let's join hands at www.abillionhands.com for a better tomorrow. This site is for us and by us. All of us share a common dream of a better, safer and stronger World. Let us nurture this dream and take steps to make it
4,100 terror attacks since '74 on India
India faced more than 4,100 terrorist attacks between 1970 and 2004, accounting for more than 12,000 fatalities, according to the Global Terrorism Database.
The database is maintained by the University of Maryland and the US National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START).
START's Terrorist Organisation Profiles (TOPs) collection has information on 56 groups known to have engaged in terrorism in India, including the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).
About 12,540 terrorist-related fatalities in India between 1970 and 2004 - an average of almost 360 fatalities per year from terrorism in India. These fatalities peaked in 1991 and 1992, when 1,184 and 1,132 individuals (respectively) were killed in such incidents, a University of Maryland statement said.
These figures are on the lower side as official figures in India put the toll at around 70,000 deaths.
Terrorists in India have employed a variety of attack types over time, 38.7 per cent of terrorist events were facility attacks, 29.7 per cent were bombings (in which the intent was to destroy a specific facility), and 25.5 per cent were assassinations. Last week's terror attacks in Mumbai, which left at least 183 dead, would be classified as a series of coordinated facility attacks.
The database is maintained by the University of Maryland and the US National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START).
START's Terrorist Organisation Profiles (TOPs) collection has information on 56 groups known to have engaged in terrorism in India, including the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).
About 12,540 terrorist-related fatalities in India between 1970 and 2004 - an average of almost 360 fatalities per year from terrorism in India. These fatalities peaked in 1991 and 1992, when 1,184 and 1,132 individuals (respectively) were killed in such incidents, a University of Maryland statement said.
These figures are on the lower side as official figures in India put the toll at around 70,000 deaths.
Terrorists in India have employed a variety of attack types over time, 38.7 per cent of terrorist events were facility attacks, 29.7 per cent were bombings (in which the intent was to destroy a specific facility), and 25.5 per cent were assassinations. Last week's terror attacks in Mumbai, which left at least 183 dead, would be classified as a series of coordinated facility attacks.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Bombay terror attack was an attack on the country : Rahul Gandhi
Expressing serious concern over the Mumbai terror attack ,the AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that it was an
attack on the country and not only on the commercial capital, Mumbai.
Gandhi, who arrived here to kickstart the election campaign, said that the terrorists, however, would not succeed in their nefarious design to divide the country.
Before addressing the gathering, Gandhi observed two minute silence as a mark of respect to those who were killed in the terror attack.
"Ham sab ko ek jut hokar inka mukabala karna hai" (This is the time to remain united to face the challenge of terrorism), Gandhi said in his speech.
The terrorist wants to divide the country but we will not surrender before them but face their challenge and thwart their evil design, he said.
"Jab mein airport par pahuncha to mujhe ek call aaya ki aaj ki saare programme cancel kar do marne walon ke respect main lekin mein yahan aaya hun unko sharandanjli dene aap logo ke saath," Gandhi said. (When I reached the airport I got a call to cancel all todays programme in the memory of those who killed in the attack in Mumbai, but I came here to express my condolence along with you).
attack on the country and not only on the commercial capital, Mumbai.
Gandhi, who arrived here to kickstart the election campaign, said that the terrorists, however, would not succeed in their nefarious design to divide the country.
Before addressing the gathering, Gandhi observed two minute silence as a mark of respect to those who were killed in the terror attack.
"Ham sab ko ek jut hokar inka mukabala karna hai" (This is the time to remain united to face the challenge of terrorism), Gandhi said in his speech.
The terrorist wants to divide the country but we will not surrender before them but face their challenge and thwart their evil design, he said.
"Jab mein airport par pahuncha to mujhe ek call aaya ki aaj ki saare programme cancel kar do marne walon ke respect main lekin mein yahan aaya hun unko sharandanjli dene aap logo ke saath," Gandhi said. (When I reached the airport I got a call to cancel all todays programme in the memory of those who killed in the attack in Mumbai, but I came here to express my condolence along with you).
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Arrested terrorist says gang hoped to get away
The gang of terrorists who wreaked mayhem in Mumbai for three days were made to believe by their Lashkar bosses that they were not
being sent on a suicide mission and that they would be coming back alive.
In a sensational disclosure made by Ajmal, the jihadi nabbed alive by Mumbai cops, the group had planned to sail out on Thursday. Their recruiters had even charted out the return route for them and stored it on the GPS device which they had used to navigate their way to the Mumbai shoreline.
This suggests that the terrorists were willing to undertake a mission which they knew would be very risky, but not necessarily suicidal.
Sources said that the bait of safe return must have been used by the recruiters to convince the wavering among the group to join the audacious plot against Mumbai.
Ajmal made another important disclosure: that all terrorists were trained in marine warfare along with the special course Daura-e-Shifa conducted by the Lashkar-e-Taiba in what at once transforms the nature of the planning from a routine terror strike and into a specialized raid by commandos.
Battle-hardened ATS officials are surprised by the details of the training the terrorists were put through before being despatched for the macabre mission. This was very different from a terrorist attack, and amounted to an offensive from the seam, said a source.
Ajmal has revealed the name of his fellow jihadis all Pakistani citizens as Abu Ali, Fahad, Omar, Shoaib, Umer, Abu Akasha, Ismail, Abdul Rahman (Bara) and Abdul Rahman (Chhota).
The account of Ajmal also strengthens the doubt of the complicity of powerful elements in the Pakistani establishment. According to him, the group set off on November 21 from an isolated creek near Karachi without the deadly cargo of arms and ammunition they were to use against the innocents in Mumbai. The group received arms and ammunition on board a large Pakistani vessel which picked them up the following day. The vessel, whose ownership is now the subject of an international probe, had four Pakistanis apart from the crew.
A day later, they came across an Indian-owned trawler, Kuber, which was promptly commandeered on the seas. Four of the fishermen who were on the trawler were killed, but its skipper, or tandel in fishermen lingo, Amarjit Singh, was forced to proceed towards India. Amarjit was killed the next day, and Ismail the terrorist who was killed at Girgaum Chowpaty took the wheel.
A trained sailor, Ismail used the GPS to reach Mumbai coast on November 26. The group, however, slowed down its advance as they had reached during the day time while the landing was planned after dusk. The group shifted to inflatable boats, before disembarking at Badhwar Park in Cuffe Parade.
From there, they mandated to kill indiscriminately, particularly white foreign tourists, and spare Muslims split up into five batches. Two of them Ismail and Ajmal took a taxi to Victoria Terminus. Three other batches of two each headed for Oberoi Hotel, Cafe Leopold and Nariman House. The remaining four went to Taj Hotel.
being sent on a suicide mission and that they would be coming back alive.
In a sensational disclosure made by Ajmal, the jihadi nabbed alive by Mumbai cops, the group had planned to sail out on Thursday. Their recruiters had even charted out the return route for them and stored it on the GPS device which they had used to navigate their way to the Mumbai shoreline.
This suggests that the terrorists were willing to undertake a mission which they knew would be very risky, but not necessarily suicidal.
Sources said that the bait of safe return must have been used by the recruiters to convince the wavering among the group to join the audacious plot against Mumbai.
Ajmal made another important disclosure: that all terrorists were trained in marine warfare along with the special course Daura-e-Shifa conducted by the Lashkar-e-Taiba in what at once transforms the nature of the planning from a routine terror strike and into a specialized raid by commandos.
Battle-hardened ATS officials are surprised by the details of the training the terrorists were put through before being despatched for the macabre mission. This was very different from a terrorist attack, and amounted to an offensive from the seam, said a source.
Ajmal has revealed the name of his fellow jihadis all Pakistani citizens as Abu Ali, Fahad, Omar, Shoaib, Umer, Abu Akasha, Ismail, Abdul Rahman (Bara) and Abdul Rahman (Chhota).
The account of Ajmal also strengthens the doubt of the complicity of powerful elements in the Pakistani establishment. According to him, the group set off on November 21 from an isolated creek near Karachi without the deadly cargo of arms and ammunition they were to use against the innocents in Mumbai. The group received arms and ammunition on board a large Pakistani vessel which picked them up the following day. The vessel, whose ownership is now the subject of an international probe, had four Pakistanis apart from the crew.
A day later, they came across an Indian-owned trawler, Kuber, which was promptly commandeered on the seas. Four of the fishermen who were on the trawler were killed, but its skipper, or tandel in fishermen lingo, Amarjit Singh, was forced to proceed towards India. Amarjit was killed the next day, and Ismail the terrorist who was killed at Girgaum Chowpaty took the wheel.
A trained sailor, Ismail used the GPS to reach Mumbai coast on November 26. The group, however, slowed down its advance as they had reached during the day time while the landing was planned after dusk. The group shifted to inflatable boats, before disembarking at Badhwar Park in Cuffe Parade.
From there, they mandated to kill indiscriminately, particularly white foreign tourists, and spare Muslims split up into five batches. Two of them Ismail and Ajmal took a taxi to Victoria Terminus. Three other batches of two each headed for Oberoi Hotel, Cafe Leopold and Nariman House. The remaining four went to Taj Hotel.
Bombay terror attack: Obama calls up Rice again
United States President-elect Barack Obama called up Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice again on the morning of Thanksgiving Day, to get the latest update on the Mumbai terror attacks.
A spokesman for the President-elect said, "This morning, President-elect Obama spoke with Secretary Rice by phone to get an update on the situation in Mumbai."
On Wednesday, Obama had spoken with Rice, after his national security spokesperson had issued a statement strongly condemning the terrorist attacks.
The President-elect also called Indian Ambassador Ronen Sen to condole the loss of innocent lives and to convey his deepest sympathies for the families of the victims.
Obama's spokesman said that in addition to his call to Rice for an update on Thursday, Obama had also "received an intelligence briefing on the attacks."
"The President-elect is also receiving regular situational updates from the State Department Operations Centre and the National Counter Terrorism Centre," the spokesman said, and added: "He continues to monitor the situation closely and appreciates the cooperation and information shared by the Bush administration."
A spokesman for the President-elect said, "This morning, President-elect Obama spoke with Secretary Rice by phone to get an update on the situation in Mumbai."
On Wednesday, Obama had spoken with Rice, after his national security spokesperson had issued a statement strongly condemning the terrorist attacks.
The President-elect also called Indian Ambassador Ronen Sen to condole the loss of innocent lives and to convey his deepest sympathies for the families of the victims.
Obama's spokesman said that in addition to his call to Rice for an update on Thursday, Obama had also "received an intelligence briefing on the attacks."
"The President-elect is also receiving regular situational updates from the State Department Operations Centre and the National Counter Terrorism Centre," the spokesman said, and added: "He continues to monitor the situation closely and appreciates the cooperation and information shared by the Bush administration."
Bombay terrorist attacks: Troops launch operation to free hostages
Troops have surrounded the Trident Oberoi and the Taj Mahal Hotel where tourists are trapped after a series of co-ordinated terror attacks that left up to 100 people dead and around 250 wounded in the city, which is also known as Bombay.
So far a Japanese and Australian national have been confirmed among the dead. Seven Britons are among the injured.
The deputy chief minister of India's Maharashtra state, RR Patil, said that there could be between 100 and 200 guests and workers trapped in the Trident, with 10-12 militants also inside. He said the government was not negotiating with the gunmen.
Britons were among the hostages taken by gunmen in the attacks across Bombay, also known as Mumbai, on hotels, cafes and a train station. Police said six foreigners had been killed in the violence.
Troops are reported to be exchanging fire with the militants.
A militant holed up inside the Trident told India TV on that seven attackers were holding hostages inside the luxury establisment.
"We want all Mujahideens held in India released and only after that we will release the people," he said.
Westerners were rounded up by men armed with machine guns and grenades at seven locations popular with foreign visitors, including the hotels.
The five-star Taj Mahal was set on fire during the raids, with reports that around 40 guests were being held hostage.
Several people were seen being rescued from balconies.
Later in the morning, police loudspeakers declared a curfew around the Taj Mahal hotel, and black-clad commandos ran into the building as fresh gunshots rang out from the area, apparently the beginning of an assault on gunmen who had taken hostages in the hotel.
Ambulances were seen driving up to the entrance to the hotel and journalists were made to move even further back from the area.
Heavy gunfire and explosions were reported there and at the Trident, which around 100 elite police officers were understood to have entered last night.
Witnesses said the terrorists, thought to be linked to al-Qaeda, were specifically targeting British and American visitors.
Police said that more than 80 people had been killed and another 250 injured as blasts and gunfire were heard across Bombay, also known as Mumbai. Indian media put the death toll at 101.
There were also reports of an Israeli family being held hostage in a residential building in the city. A rabbi and his family are known to own the apartment.
An organisation calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen claimed it was behind the attacks. Security officials claimed no knowledge of the group that takes its name from the Deccan plateau that stretches from Bombay to southern India.
Bipin Shrimali, home secretary of the state of Maharashtra, of which Bombay is the capital, said that four suspects had been killed in two incidents when they tried to flee in cars. Mr Patil said that nine more had been arrested. At least three top Indian police officers, including the chief of the anti-terror squad, were among those killed.
In Washington, George W Bush condemned the attacks, while Gordon Brown called them "outrageous." David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, said last night: "Today's attacks in Mumbai, which have claimed many innocent victims, remind us, yet again, of the threat we face from violent extremists,"
Terrorists had asked guests in the restaurant of the Trident for their nationality as they were herded upstairs from the restaurant.
"They told everybody to stop and put their hands up and asked if there were any British or Americans," said Alex Chamberlain, a British businessman. "My friend said to me, 'Don't be a hero, don't say you are British'. I am sure that is what this is all about. They were talking about British and Americans specifically."
In the early hours of the morning, the army remained deployed at the Oberoi hotel but little else was known of the situation inside.
So far a Japanese and Australian national have been confirmed among the dead. Seven Britons are among the injured.
The deputy chief minister of India's Maharashtra state, RR Patil, said that there could be between 100 and 200 guests and workers trapped in the Trident, with 10-12 militants also inside. He said the government was not negotiating with the gunmen.
Britons were among the hostages taken by gunmen in the attacks across Bombay, also known as Mumbai, on hotels, cafes and a train station. Police said six foreigners had been killed in the violence.
Troops are reported to be exchanging fire with the militants.
A militant holed up inside the Trident told India TV on that seven attackers were holding hostages inside the luxury establisment.
"We want all Mujahideens held in India released and only after that we will release the people," he said.
Westerners were rounded up by men armed with machine guns and grenades at seven locations popular with foreign visitors, including the hotels.
The five-star Taj Mahal was set on fire during the raids, with reports that around 40 guests were being held hostage.
Several people were seen being rescued from balconies.
Later in the morning, police loudspeakers declared a curfew around the Taj Mahal hotel, and black-clad commandos ran into the building as fresh gunshots rang out from the area, apparently the beginning of an assault on gunmen who had taken hostages in the hotel.
Ambulances were seen driving up to the entrance to the hotel and journalists were made to move even further back from the area.
Heavy gunfire and explosions were reported there and at the Trident, which around 100 elite police officers were understood to have entered last night.
Witnesses said the terrorists, thought to be linked to al-Qaeda, were specifically targeting British and American visitors.
Police said that more than 80 people had been killed and another 250 injured as blasts and gunfire were heard across Bombay, also known as Mumbai. Indian media put the death toll at 101.
There were also reports of an Israeli family being held hostage in a residential building in the city. A rabbi and his family are known to own the apartment.
An organisation calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen claimed it was behind the attacks. Security officials claimed no knowledge of the group that takes its name from the Deccan plateau that stretches from Bombay to southern India.
Bipin Shrimali, home secretary of the state of Maharashtra, of which Bombay is the capital, said that four suspects had been killed in two incidents when they tried to flee in cars. Mr Patil said that nine more had been arrested. At least three top Indian police officers, including the chief of the anti-terror squad, were among those killed.
In Washington, George W Bush condemned the attacks, while Gordon Brown called them "outrageous." David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, said last night: "Today's attacks in Mumbai, which have claimed many innocent victims, remind us, yet again, of the threat we face from violent extremists,"
Terrorists had asked guests in the restaurant of the Trident for their nationality as they were herded upstairs from the restaurant.
"They told everybody to stop and put their hands up and asked if there were any British or Americans," said Alex Chamberlain, a British businessman. "My friend said to me, 'Don't be a hero, don't say you are British'. I am sure that is what this is all about. They were talking about British and Americans specifically."
In the early hours of the morning, the army remained deployed at the Oberoi hotel but little else was known of the situation inside.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Indian troops clash with gunmen: Mumbai Terror Attack
Britons were among dozens of hostages taken by gunmen in the attacks on hotels, cafes and a train station. Police said six foreigners had been killed in the violence.
Troops have now surrounded the luxury Taj Mahal Hotel and the Oberoi Trident and are reported to be exchanging fire with the terrorists.
Westerners were rounded up by men armed with machine guns and grenades at seven locations popular with foreign visitors, including the hotels.
The five-star Taj Mahal was on fire last night, with reports that around 40 guests were being held hostage.
Several people were seen being rescued from balconies.
Later in the morning, police loudspeakers declared a curfew around the Taj Mahal hotel, and black-clad commandos ran into the building as fresh gunshots rang out from the area, apparently the beginning of an assault on gunmen who had taken hostages in the hotel.
Ambulances were seen driving up to the entrance to the hotel and journalists were made to move even further back from the area.
Heavy gunfire and explosions were reported there and at the Oberoi hotel, which around 100 elite police officers were understood to have entered last night.
A militant holed up inside the Oberoi told India TV on that seven attackers were holding hostages inside the luxury establisment.
"We want all Mujahideens held in India released and only after that we will release the people," he said.
Witnesses said the terrorists, thought to be linked to al-Qaeda, were specifically targeting British and American visitors.
Police said that more than 80 people had been killed and another 250 injured as blasts and gunfire were heard across Bombay, also known as Mumbai. Indian media put the death toll at 101.
Source: Telegraph
Troops have now surrounded the luxury Taj Mahal Hotel and the Oberoi Trident and are reported to be exchanging fire with the terrorists.
Westerners were rounded up by men armed with machine guns and grenades at seven locations popular with foreign visitors, including the hotels.
The five-star Taj Mahal was on fire last night, with reports that around 40 guests were being held hostage.
Several people were seen being rescued from balconies.
Later in the morning, police loudspeakers declared a curfew around the Taj Mahal hotel, and black-clad commandos ran into the building as fresh gunshots rang out from the area, apparently the beginning of an assault on gunmen who had taken hostages in the hotel.
Ambulances were seen driving up to the entrance to the hotel and journalists were made to move even further back from the area.
Heavy gunfire and explosions were reported there and at the Oberoi hotel, which around 100 elite police officers were understood to have entered last night.
A militant holed up inside the Oberoi told India TV on that seven attackers were holding hostages inside the luxury establisment.
"We want all Mujahideens held in India released and only after that we will release the people," he said.
Witnesses said the terrorists, thought to be linked to al-Qaeda, were specifically targeting British and American visitors.
Police said that more than 80 people had been killed and another 250 injured as blasts and gunfire were heard across Bombay, also known as Mumbai. Indian media put the death toll at 101.
Source: Telegraph
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Why the Taj Mahal Hotel was chosen:Bombay Terror Att
With the possible exception of the "floating" Lake Palace Hotel in Udaipur which was made famous by the James Bond film Octopussy, the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel in Bombay is India's best-known and best-loved hotel.
For any serious foreign investor, businessman or wealthy tourist visiting India's commercial capital, "The Taj", as it is universally known by the cognoscenti, is always the first choice.
With best rooms in the superior old wing costing more than £250 per night - more than 250 millions Indians can expect to earn in a year - the hotel offers a world of secluded luxury, away from the grinding poverty and infrastructural decay of Mumbai.
Legend has it that its creator, a Parsi industrialist called Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, commissioned the building after being refused entry to the now-defunct Apollo Hotel, which had a strict Europeans-only policy.
However with its colonnades of shops stuffed with the world's most expensive brands, what Bombay's rich set consider the ultimate in cosmopolitan luxury, would equally be perceived by Islamist ideologues as a symbol of Western decadence.
Over the years guests have included The Queen, the former Egyptian president Gamal Abdul Nasser and the Beatle John Lennon, to name but a few of the notable personalities to have checked in to the magnificent old wing.
More recently the hotel hosted the guests for Bombay leg of Liz Hurley's two-week extravaganza of a wedding, with guests dashing straight from the front door to waiting motor launches to take them to the privacy of waiting super-yachts in the harbour beyond.
To have pictures of burning Taj Hotel broadcast around the world will have a deeper impact than even perhaps the terrorists intended, striking a blow against a symbol of Indian wealth and progress and sending shivers down the spine of some of the richest and most powerful people on the planet.
Source: Telegraph
For any serious foreign investor, businessman or wealthy tourist visiting India's commercial capital, "The Taj", as it is universally known by the cognoscenti, is always the first choice.
With best rooms in the superior old wing costing more than £250 per night - more than 250 millions Indians can expect to earn in a year - the hotel offers a world of secluded luxury, away from the grinding poverty and infrastructural decay of Mumbai.
Legend has it that its creator, a Parsi industrialist called Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, commissioned the building after being refused entry to the now-defunct Apollo Hotel, which had a strict Europeans-only policy.
However with its colonnades of shops stuffed with the world's most expensive brands, what Bombay's rich set consider the ultimate in cosmopolitan luxury, would equally be perceived by Islamist ideologues as a symbol of Western decadence.
Over the years guests have included The Queen, the former Egyptian president Gamal Abdul Nasser and the Beatle John Lennon, to name but a few of the notable personalities to have checked in to the magnificent old wing.
More recently the hotel hosted the guests for Bombay leg of Liz Hurley's two-week extravaganza of a wedding, with guests dashing straight from the front door to waiting motor launches to take them to the privacy of waiting super-yachts in the harbour beyond.
To have pictures of burning Taj Hotel broadcast around the world will have a deeper impact than even perhaps the terrorists intended, striking a blow against a symbol of Indian wealth and progress and sending shivers down the spine of some of the richest and most powerful people on the planet.
Source: Telegraph
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