16 months after 26/11, Taj Ballroom welcomes patrons

MUMBAI - Curious guests and old regulars started trooping into the famous Ballroom of the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower Hotel - severely damaged and scarred during the Nov 26, 2008, Mumbai terror attacks - which re-opened here Tuesday.

The Ballroom, located in the heritage wing of the iconic hotel, is synonymous with exclusive parties, corporate events, mega-launches, high society weddings and receptions and media gatherings.

“It is a fitting beginning to a new chapter in the history of the Palace wing of the hotel. We are delighted to throw the doors open and invite our guests, old and new, back to create special memorable occasions at this venue,” said the hotel’s general manager, Karambir Kang.

Overlooking the Arabian Sea and the imposing Gateway of India, the regal and elegant Ballroom has always been the first and final choice for landmark events.

Bathed in rich hues of gold and bejeweled with antique crystal chandeliers, the venue now returns as a dazzling setting for evenings of pleasurable wining and dining, for which it has always been known.

LTW Designworks, Kuala Lumpur, carried out a detailed study of the original architecture of the Ballroom and incorporated it in the new settings. The outcome is Corinthian capitals on gold polished columns, vaulted ceilings and state-of-the-art audio-visual requirements coming together as the perfect amalgamation of the classic and the contemporary.

Fitted with the latest in technology for high-profile corporate events, its graceful arches and scalloped pillars give it an air of Victorial elegance, ideal for exclusive social events, too.

Grand executive chef Hemant Oberoi and his team would oversee and orchestrate the cuisine for the Ballroom events, besides a team of banquet planners and hospitality personnel.

The Taj was one of the first places that was under siege by two Pakistani terrorists who were joined later by two more, as they created mayhem in the old and new buildings, even as a shocked world watched in horror.

It was also the last one to be freed from the clutches of the terrorists after a bloody 60-hour battle with combined security forces but not before the attackers had inflicted massive damage to the property and taken many lives there.