Colaba may have always been Mumbai’s hippest tourist district, but guides operating in the area, drenched in history, art and architecture, now have a few additions to their South Mumbai itinerary: Alongside the customary visits to Gothic buildings and Dhobi Ghat, the new “places of interest” they offer foreign and Indian tourists comprise what they loosely call the ‘terror tour’.

Complete with car and commentary for Rs 1,800, the tour trails the route the 10 terrorists took on the night of 26/11 last year, starting from their landing at Badhwar Park and then to Café Leopold, Taj Mahal Hotel, Nariman House, the Trident-Oberoi Hotel, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Cama & Albless Hospital to Girgaum Chowpatty.

“Jo bikta hai, hum wohi dikhate hain,” said Saurabh, a guide at the Gateway of India. “We offer what sells,” a simple business principle that explains why they ask tourists if they’d like to see these spots, though they’re not mentioned on the itinerary leaflet.

When The Indian Express did the tour, the journey started with a disclaimer from the guide, Govind. “We learnt everything from news channels and newspapers, and some things from first hand experience,” he said, before going on to describe how the AK-47 wielding men landed opposite the Badhwar Park residential complex, just off the Machhimar Nagar or fishermen’s colony. For local fishermen busy drying their catch, this was no intrusion. “A lot of foreigners have been coming here, to see how the terrorists landed. And usually, they are accompanied by guides,” said Sachin More, a fisherman.

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