Taj reopening ceremony was moving: Shobhaa De

Mumbai: Celebrity author Shobhaa De on Sunday said that the reopening ceremony of the Taj was one of the most moving functions she had ever attended.

"It was one of the most moving functions I have ever attended," an emotion-choked De told reporters.

She was among the privileged few to attend the brief ceremony at the hotel.

She said that each of the 540 employees of the hotel were called individually and spoken words of appreciation by Ratan Tata, the Chairman of Indian Hotels, which runs the Taj chain of hotels.

"There was a thunderous applause during the whole event - the applause did not stop till the last employee took his/her bow," De said.

The song Maa Tujhe Salaam was played and there were very few dry eyes around, she said.

Praising the employees, De said that they went beyond the call of their duty to save lives.

Earlier, Indian Hotels' Vice-Chairman, R K Krishna Kumar, said that some form of recognition to all 540 employees would be considered.