A tragedy reflected: Along with several other well-known tourist hubs, Mumbai’s majestic Taj Mahal Palace & Tower hotel became killing fields when terrorists attacked them on Wed., Nov. 26. The assailants fired remorselessly at civilians, rounding many up for execution. When the carnage was over, more than 170 people were dead. Here, an Indian soldier stands guard outside the besieged Taj on Nov. 29.

Derailed: Two terrorists in black T-shirts attacked the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai’s main train station, spraying bullets and throwing grenades at train platforms, leaving 58 dead. Shockingly, a full week later, on Dec. 3, police discovered two bombs left behind by the attackers in a mound of luggage at the station. Here, a police officer investigates the shooting site, littered with baggage and debris, on Nov. 26.

Narrow escapes: Employees and guests of the Taj Mahal hotel, precariously poised at windows, wait to be rescued by firefighters as flames swallowed parts of the building on Nov. 26. Some tied sheets and curtains to window frames in desperate attempts to flee the hotel-turned-hellhole. Terrorists are thought to have entered the hotel from the back, rushing into the lobby and firing on guests.

Under fire: On Sat., Nov. 29, the head of India’s National Security Guard announced that the siege of the Taj was finally over. But the blazes terrorists set inside the 105-year-old iconic Taj Mahal hotel, famous for hosting kings, presidents, and entertainers, did irreparable damage. It took nearly 60 hours to secure the massive five-star establishment, in part because the terrorists hid in its maze of 565 rooms, which commandos had to search one by one.

A black day: Security officials on Nov. 29 examine what appears to have once been a restaurant in the Taj Mahal hotel. Among the people who lost their lives in the opulent Taj were 11 members of the staff, ranging in age from 22 to 54, and the wife and two children of the general manager, according to the hotel’s Web site.

Shattered security: At the Oberoi-Trident, the other posh hotel besieged, terrorists killed 32 civilians. According to the hotel’s Web site, four were hotel guests, 18 were restaurant patrons, and 10 were members of the staff. Rebuilding has already started—the worker above was carrying out debris on Dec. 2. Although the Trident portion of the hotel is expected to reopen in 15 to 20 days, it will probably take upwards of six months before the Oberoi portion is back in business, the Times of India reported Dec. 4.

Hitting the roofs: Indian National Security Guard commandos pictured here on Nov. 28 prepare to confront the terrorists who assailed the Nariman House, a Jewish center. In a country that prides itself on its lack of anti-Semitism, this assault, in which six civilians died, is believed to be the first religiously motivated attack against Jews in India. The Mumbai government shut down TV stations’ live coverage for 45 minutes so the terrorists, possibly watching inside, could not determine commandos’ positions. For the same reason, many stations ordered their anchors to keep silent on the whereabouts of advancing security forces.

A vulnerable future: The schoolchildren above hold flowers and candles on Dec. 1 in remembrance of the victims of the terrorist attacks. India has made great economic strides in recent years and become a budding world power. But analysts say the siege of Mumbai has revealed the country’s weak points: an incoherent counterterrorism strategy, poorly funded intelligence services, and rapid-response networks that aren’t so rapid. The National Security Guard commandos, operating without their own aircraft, took at least eight hours to reach Mumbai.

Back in business: Above, customers resume imbibing at the storied Leopold Cafe, which reopened Dec. 1, just five days after terrorists gunned down 10 patrons and two servers there. The defiant owner of the cafe, established in 1871, said he “would never let terrorists win.” Similarly, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus opened its doors to patrons within hours after coming under attack. The architecturally historic Taj Mahal hotel, however, could require 12 months and $100 million to restore to its former splendor, experts on structural engineering and architecture told the Indo-Asian News Service.

Bordering on war? Pakistani Rangers, in black, and Indian Border Security Force personnel perform the daily retreat ceremony at the India-Pakistan border at Wagah on Dec. 2. The terrorists are believed to have trained at camps in Pakistan, and Pakistan’s civilian leaders claim they will cooperate with India to bring to justice those responsible for the Mumbai attacks. Meanwhile, in India, many citizens are demanding retribution. “India should attack Pakistan right away,” one man at a Mumbai candlelight vigil told the Associated Press. But with India enjoying recent economic gains and Pakistan dealing with Islamist militants at its border with Afghanistan, war may not be in the interest of either nuclear-armed country.