VISITED MUMBAI AFTER A DECADE OF TERROR ATTACK OF 26 NOV 2008

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Mumbai city kept me happy in all my visits and stay during posting as well, in the last century. Thereafter I could not visit the city and 26/11/2008 terror attacks happened. 

Ever since that attack I was itching to visit Mumbai though I had no specific work. Yet I routed my visit to Baroda via Mumbai in November 2017. Siddi Vinayak Temple, the Worli sea bridge and places of terror attack were in the agenda and the statue of Thukaram Ombale the police officer as must-see place. 

I also remembered top police officials Ashok Kamte, Salaskar, Hemant Karkare and the army officer Major Unnikrishnan along with so many others who were victims and warriors. Three places that I visited stood in my mind for long and the first was the Taj hotel where I visited many a times on duty as well.

Just stood there watching the building and the thoughts of it burning and the general manager of the hotel who continued duty even after knowing the death of his family members came to my mind. 

CHABAD CENTER NARIMAN HOUSE
This is the place where the commandos were air dropped to neutralise the terrorists.  Two-year-old Moshi and the maid flashed in my mind with their escape story.

THE SPOT WHERE THUKARAM OMBALE CAUGHT THE MASS MURDERER
I was upset when the taxi driver was not aware of the place of statue of Thukaram Ombale who caught the mass murderer Ajmal Kasab. In fact, the statue I was told was erected in the same place where the culprit was caught. Reaching the place was a herculean task as the traffic added to the problem of enquiring the place but like the police officer determination won and I was viewing the steel barricaded statue much to my satisfaction.

Bombay or Mumbai notwithstanding the daily hassles of life gives a caressing touch to one's senses and makes one feel happy of visiting, seeing or living there. Even just talking about Mumbai brings back good mood. Such is the emotional attachment of Mumbai. 

Thus I felt the pride of traveling in the Worli sea bridge that was yet another feather in the cap of Mumbai and visiting  the divine powers of Mumba Devi and Siddi Vinayak Temples reassured my senses that more feathers would decorate Mumbai for one to visit periodically and enjoy it.

Yet again left Mumbai with a huge sense of satisfaction, but this time with my patriotic sensibilities on a high and as the train slowly moved out of Mumbai with Andheri and Borivali stations flashing past, my mind loudly chanted

                                  

                            BHARAT MATA KI JAI 

                               VANDE MATARAM

                                        JAI HIND

 

 

 


 

 

 

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