More than 90% of the hotel’s eclectic collection, which was carefully gathered over a century, was unscathed. And the best news, as vice chairman of Indian Hotels R K Krishna Kumar puts it, is that “not a single of work of art has been destroyed beyond redemption”.

The collection comprises 2,500 paintings and innumerable antiques and artifacts [ . . . ] Even as the terrorists indiscriminately sprayed bullets in the marble lobby of the grand hotel

, the precious red mural by M F Hussain that was tucked behind the front desk, escaped without a single bullet hole.

But the most emotional escape is that of the ‘Tree of Life’, a six-foot-tall metal Bastar tribal sculpture

made of brass, bronze and alloy casting. It is an integral part of the hotel’s art collection.

Almost all of Taj’s art safe, remaining can be restored (Times of India)