Ah Taj Ah..

If you ask anyone the international symbol of Mumbai, majority will say it’s the Gateway with the majestic Taj Palace heritage building on its backdrop. The foreign tourists will in fact say it’s the Taj with the Gateway in its view!

Yes, the Taj is special, in fact iconic, for every Mumbaiker. Not the Oberoi, not the Marriot, not Leela, not any other five star. Its only the Taj. Its Gothic architecture, its grand history, its location, the legacy of Jamshetji and the Tatas, I don’t know what, but it holds a very very special place in the hearts of every Mumbaiker. I remember the dreamy look with which I used to look towards it when I was a child, promising myself to someday have atleast a cup of coffee inside it shaan se, imagining how amazing it would be to spend a night in it. And I am sure this is a ubiquitous dream that has been cherished and shared by each and every Mumbaiker sometime or the other. The Taj has always represented to us as a sort of a symbol of our aspirations and of our success. And when I watched its domes burning on TV, it felt akin to Mumbai’s aspirations and dreams, of Mumbai’s spirit being up in flames.

But the Tatas have promised that they will rebuild the Taj, even if they have to begin right from scratch. And its time we Mumbaikers and Indians resolve to do the same for our city; to show that we may be battered and bruised, but we are definitely not broken. And then from the ashes will arise the invulnerable Taj Phoenix, more stable, more strong and yet even more majestic than before!!
Amen.