A Christmas tree done up in the colour of peace at the lobby of the spruced-up hotel-Pradeep KocharekarMuch of the drapes, carpets and linen in the 268 rooms have been replaced, and new sets of crockery and glassware adorn the tables. Any signs of the havoc that was unleashed on the walls, ceilings and flooring have been painstakingly eased out.The only reminder of the 26/11 terror attack at Taj Tower is at the base of The Tree of Life, where an inscription carries the names of 31 people who were killed here. The artwork itself bears no trace of having survived the grenades and gunfire on the sixth floor of the heritage wing. In the rest of the hotel, too, it is business as usual a day after it was opened for guests.At Taj Palace, as of now, the only part that is open is the poolside - which had seen the worst of the damage. On view is the dome that was once on fire. The elevators on the ground floor have been boarded up, as if to indicate that it will be a while before the 105-year-old Palace is restored to its original grandeur.At Taj Tower, a semblance of normality has returned to the stores on the ground floor. “The number of people visiting our store has fallen by 50 per cent but business will pick up slowly,” said an employee at Nalanda Bookstore, the only store in the Taj that was open at the time of the attack and from where about 20 employees were evacuated.At the hotel, officials say, the rooms are about 65 per cent full, rather less than the 77 per cent in both structures on the night of the attack. One of the glaring structural changes is the creation of eight executive 850 sq ft suites in Taj Tower, which otherwise houses only single rooms of 425 sq ft. “All our 21 executive suites are in Taj Palace. Hence we had to make some internal changes in a few rooms at the Tower to accommodate the guests who usually book the suites,” said an employee. Some distance from Shamiana, the restaurant damaged severely in the attack, a guest posed for a photograph next to a brightly lit Christmas tree. “Nothing seems to have changed except, maybe, for the fact that the food tastes a bit different,” said Contract Advertising chairman Ravi Deshpande, stepping out of Shamiana after lunch with his family. “I stay at Pali Hill but come to eat at the Taj at least twice a week. After what happened I will come more often now if possible,” said Deshpande. The other restaurants - Zodiac Grill, Aquarius, Masala Kraft and Starboard, as well as the rooftop Rendezvous banquet hall and Souk - have all been attired differently; everything from the tablecloth to the menu cards is new. “We don’t want any sense of unpleasantness. We have changed the fabric, flooring and the cutlery to create a happy atmosphere,” said a Taj employee. The Tower and Taj Palace are insured for Rs 1,020 crore. Company officials say they are yet to file their full claim.
