26/11 attack on Mumbai has left its mark on the city – not only with armoured vehicles patrolling tourist hot spots – but also on the psyche of India's "city of dreams"
Mumbai, India's City of Dreams, has always walked a fine line between hope and despair. Time and again, the home of Bollywood has overcome tragedy, with recent deadly bomb blasts, flooding and riots giving rise to the adage "The Sprit of Mumbai".
This spirit – the resilience and very soul of India's commercial and entertainment capital – was tested like never before five years ago on Tuesday, when just 10 Pakistani terrorists turned the world's fourth largest city into a war zone, holding major landmarks such as the Taj Mahal Hotel under siege for three long days and nights and turning global counter-terrorism policy on its head.
The 166 individuals killed and hundreds injured will be marked in Mumbai on Tuesday and throughout the week at public and private memorial services – with heightened security across the city.
The physical damage of the attack, that began on the night of November 26, 2008, has long since been swept away. The bullet holes are plastered over – apart from where they have been kept as a tourist gimmick – and the five star hotels were quick to replace the shattered glass and throw open their doors again.