Taj and Trident reopen, put the past behind

Three weeks after the 62-hour gun battle, the Taj Towers reopened on the Sunday the 21st December 2008 as a symbol of Mumbai's resilience and grit. People from all walks of life were there to help it get back on its feet. All the 541 heroes of the carnage at the Taj hotel - employees, who worked tirelessly when terror struck their hotel, were welcomed to a standing ovation when the Taj opened its gates. "Message we want to give is that we can be hurt but not knocked down. The old Taj will stand again for the next 100 years as it has for the past 100 years," said Ratan Tata, chairman, Tata group. The message is quite clear from the man himself, less than a month after terror came knocking and killed 31 people. And while the guest list was impressive, it was also a time for many to recall what they were trying hard to forget.