India Untold: How A 24-Year-Old Woman Saved More Than 60 Lives During The 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attack

During 26/11 Mumbai attack, a 24-year-old Taj Hotel manager saved over 60 guests by locking them inside a dark hall, calming them for hours and preventing panic as terrorists roamed. Without news updates or clear guidance, she kept everyone safe.

On the night of 26 November 2008, when Mumbai was shaken by one of the worst terror attacks in India, a 24-year-old woman made a choice that saved more than 60 people. Her name is Mallika Jagad, and her courage inside the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel has become one of the most inspiring stories to come out of that tragic night of 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attack. While terrorists moved through the hotel and fired at anyone they saw, Mallika kept dozens of terrified guests safe for hours, even as they remained trapped inside a banquet hall. She was only an Assistant Banquet Manager at the time. But her actions showed courage, clarity of mind and a strong sense of duty that even trained adults may struggle to show in such situations. Today, many years later, she still remembers every detail of that night. So do the many people whose lives she saved.

The evening that began like any other 

It was around 9:30 PM. Mallika and her team were managing a Unilever corporate event in the heritage wing of the Taj Hotel. More than 60 guests were inside the banquet hall. It was wedding season in Mumbai, and loud noises around the area were common. So when Mallika heard a sharp, strange sound from a distance, she first thought it might be fireworks coming from a hotel nearby. A few guests assumed the same. But very soon it became clear that these were not crackers. They were gunshots. Mallika later said she did not know if it was one person with a small gun or a trained terrorist with big weapons. But one thing was certain: something was wrong, and she had to protect the guests around her.

No easy way to get updates in a pre-digital time 

Today, the moment something happens, it reaches people’s phones in seconds. But in 2008, people mostly used simple feature phones, and news alerts were not instant. Only a few minutes later, guests started receiving frantic calls from relatives telling them something terrible was happening in Mumbai. Slowly, more information came through these calls: there were gunmen in the hotel. People were being shot without warning. Explosions were happening around the building. There was chaos everywhere. Inside the banquet hall, no one knew how close the danger was. They only knew they were trapped and had to keep quiet to survive.

Mallika gets a warning: VIP guests may be targeted 

Mallika received a crucial update that the gunman might move towards the VIP guests. Most of these VIPs were in her banquet hall. That meant every second mattered. She and her team immediately began securing the area. They shut the doors and tried to lock every entry point. But there was a problem: the keys were with the banquet-in-charge, who was stuck in his room across a long corridor. The man could not walk across, because even small sounds could alert the terrorists. So he took a risk and threw the bunch of keys across the corridor. Mallika managed to collect them and lock the doors. They also switched off all lights, closed every window and told all guests to settle on the floor.

A hall full of fear and confusion 

Inside the darkened room, everyone was panicked. People kept asking Mallika questions, but she had no answers. Even hotel authorities outside were struggling, because no one knew the exact movement of the terrorists. Mallika remembers that for the first few hours, she herself did not know that the attackers were terrorists. But she sensed that the guests needed calm, and she did her best to remain steady even though she was also frightened. The room stayed silent except for the occasional murmur or deep sigh. Every small sound from outside made people jump.

Some guests wanted to escape and the risk was huge

At one point, several guests became restless and wanted to run out of the hall. They thought they might find a way out of the hotel. Mallika knew this could be fatal. She had heard that terrorists were not taking hostages. They were shooting people on sight - men, women and even children. If even one guest stepped out and got caught, it would reveal the location of the others. So Mallika explained the danger to each person who wanted to leave, patiently talking to them so that they would not take a step that put everyone at risk. She also had to calm people who were panicking so badly that they almost had medical emergencies.

The danger grows as the terrorists set parts of the hotel on fire

The Taj Hotel is known for its heritage woodwork, especially in the old wing. The same old architecture that made it beautiful also made it vulnerable. The terrorists were throwing grenades, causing blasts and starting fires. Mallika and the guests were trapped in a wing where the old woodwork could catch fire easily. Every explosion felt closer. Smoke started to slowly enter the banquet hall. As dawn approached, the water sprinklers suddenly switched on because of the smoke. Many people thought the terrorists had found them, and cries filled the hall. For Mallika, trying to calm them became even more difficult.

Finally, a ray of hope: word that the Army had arrived 

Mallika has always said that she had strong faith in the Indian Armed Forces. Early in the morning, she received news that the Army had reached the Taj Hotel. For the first time in many hours, she allowed herself to feel a sense of relief. She believed that help was finally close and that the nightmare would end. Soon after, the guests were moved to safety by the security forces. It was only then that Mallika fully understood how much danger they had been in. She also realised that her courage had protected many lives that night.

Mallika has said many times that she did not realise she had this kind of strength until that night. She discovered she could stay calm and think clearly even when her own life was in danger. Today, she works in a senior role at Tata Trusts. Many of the guests who survived still remember her as the woman who saved their lives. For Mallika, the lesson from that night is simple yet powerful that never give up hope, even in the worst moments. Her story continues to be shared because it shows how ordinary people can do extraordinary things when faced with fear and uncertainty.