The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach), a prominent heritage body, today proposed to restore the architectural grandeur of the landmark Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai, which was damaged in the recent terror attacks on the city.
Intach said that it has the expertise to bring the heritage hotel back to its original attractive shape. Intach Chairman S K Misra has written a letter to Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata in this regard.
“We are involved in the restoration and conservation activities of hundred-year-old monuments like forts and palaces. We can restore the original beauty of the hotel,” Misra said.
The hotel that overlooks the harbour stands as a symbol of Indian affluence and sophistication. With distinctive onion domes and pointed arches, the Taj Mahal hotel combined Moorish and Byzantine design with European ideas.
Terrorists attacked the heritage hotel on November 26 and hurled grenades causing fire at several places in the hotel. Noted industrialist Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata had commissioned the hotel at the turn of the 20th century.
“We are pained to see the hotel being subjected to attack by terrorists. We want to assure the Taj Group that we have the capability to repair and conserve the old grandeur of Taj hotel, Mumbai, if given a chance,” Misra said.
