In happier times, the Chabad House would be frequented by Israeli Jews from Mumbai and also expats and tourists, who would often gather there for a free meal or a stay. They would even attend prayers of the Chabad-Lubavitch sect. Local residents said only Jews and Israelis were allowed entry and the Rabbi would come down from the top floors to accept deliveries of essentials.

Everything changed on Wednesday night as two armed terrorists entered the building and kept seven people hostage.

The first floor once housed a space for groups to dine. The red chairs with dining tables lie scattered. There is a plate on one table, with food left untouched. Several torn prayer books are lying on the floor. Across the room, another painting of Jewish leaders hangs on the wall.

The second floor housed the prayer hall. Police officials inspecting the building said the third floor was almost entirely blood-smeared. It was here that the bodies of hostages including Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivka of the Mumbai chapter of Jewish sect Chabad-Lubavitch were found.

Policemen said the bodies of the two slain terrorists lay on the fourth floor, where a huge explosion at 5.45 pm on Friday probably killed them. The fourth floor was also where the terrorists had stocked up for two days.

Clothes, half-open briefcases, toothpaste and toothbrushes, possibly the terrorists’, were scattered around, said an official who did not wish to be named. Cops also recovered two AK- 47s from the spot. “There was some biryani lying on the floor,” he said.

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