1 4.45 p.m. Two terrorists, armed with AK-56 rifles, 26 grenades and 300 rounds of ammunition are dropped off from a white Ambassador car near gate No. 3. One has a grey shirt and the other red. They both wear dark pants and blue sneakers.

2 4.48 p.m.: They vault over the wall and head towards the main gate of the temple waving their AK-56 rifles. They are challenged by a volunteer who they frighten away but don't open fire as yet.

3 4.50 p.m.: As the terrorists approach the main reception area they start spraying bullets and lob three grenades. Three visitors are killed in front of the library.

4 5 p.m.: Terrorists run down the 192-ft-long pathway to the sanctum sanctorum past the lengthy dancing fountain.

5 5.03 p.m.: Temple supervisor Khodsinh Jadhav runs up the 19 stairs and slams shut the 15-ft-high ornamental doors, thus saving 35 people inside the sanctum sanctorum.

6 5.06 p.m.: After failing to enter the sanctorum terrorists run to auditorium No. 1 where an interactive exhibition is on and is crowded with people. They enter and start firing wildly at men, women and children and lob two grenades, killing 25 more people and injure 74 others-the single largest casualty figures in the complex. After creating havoc they retreat into the passageway next to the hall.

7 5.30 p.m.: Terrorists get a ladder and scale the roof linking the three exhibition halls and take cover under the two 'chattris'. State police commandos arrive and cordon off the area.

8 6.30 p.m.: Police commandos crawl up the roof of the passageway.The terrorists open fire, killing constable Arjun Singh Gameti. The terrorists then jump off the terrace and take cover in a bathroom.

9 10.10 p.m.: Over 90 National Security Guards arrive from Delhi and operation Vajra Shakti begins. Furious firefights take place for the next three hours. A state police constable, Allah Rakha Unadjam, is killed. At 3 a.m., the NSG hems in the terrorists and creep up the pathway. Hiding behind a bush, the terrorists open fire killing Subedar Suresh Yadav. They also lob grenades. NSG brass decides to wait till dawn to avoid more casualties. At 6.30 a.m. they kill the terrorists.

WHY AKSHARDHAM?
Akshardham (Abode of the Imperishable), as this Swaminarain temple is called, is an architectural marvel made of pink sandstone. It is the seat of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purshottam Sanstha, the largest of the multiple sects who follow the 19th century guru Swaminarain. Its sprawling campus is a tourist spot with thousands of people from all faiths visiting it every day. It is in a VIP area near the CM's house. Part of the message of the attack: we can hit you wherever we want.

R.R. BRAHMBHATT
DSP battled on despite being hit
DSP R.R. Brahmbhatt battled the terrorists alone till reinforcements arrived. When he tried to crawl across to rescue some people, Brahmbhatt was hit in the arm. But he went to a hospital, had the bullet removed and was "back in 30 minutes".