The Taj, She Will Reign Again

Long years ago she was conceived and executed to the minutest detail with love and a certain audacity.  She was nurtured, painted, draped and decorated with awesome splendor, grandeur and majesty and she awed one and all with her brilliant magnificence.  Whether the roadside gawker or the distinguished guest, she impressed them all.  As time went by she became a symbol of that which one strives for.  She became the sentinel, standing guard and protecting her brood, the people of Mumbai.  Fathers and sons, mothers and daughters all came to see her, mostly from the outside but some who could, saw and knew her magnificent, genteel welcoming feel  inside as well. 

How can those fortunate ones forget the Sea Lounge, the restaurants, the weddings, parties, functions and so very much more that brought that magnificent lady to life, with life humming, breathing, laughing and crying inside? The shops with the best of the best, selected by careful eagle eyes for the exceptional buyers who knew this was the place to get the finest. So she blossomed and grew to be loved and held dear by one and all, not only from Mumbai but from all over India and the world as well.

Stalwartly she stood through thick and thin, rain and sun, letting her brood know that she was there and would stand tall and straight for them.

Life has its cruel streaks and after over a century of caring and sharing she was cruelly raped by evil men who tried to kill her. Yet wounded and hurt in the most degrading way, she stands tall and will heal again. She mourns for her visitors and caretakers who kept her looking trim and knows that they are on another shore, a spiritual one. She mourns in silence for all the others killed and wounded that fateful day. She will not bow or bend to evil men, broken but proud she stands on Mumbai's shore. She will work and heal and repair her broken arms and legs, back to her former glory in her triumph against evil. She will stand guard on our shores as a beacon of hope, faith and tremendous courage. The Taj….Long live the Taj. The queen is alive. Long live the Queen.