2 weeks Ago By Alim Shaikh
Pune: It was a mix of pleasure and sorrow for more than 69 tourists from Pune who landed in Mumbai on Thursday by a special Indigo flight arranged by state govt. Though emotionally overwhelmed by their safe return home, they recounted their harrowing experience after the ghastly attack in Pahalgam and at the same time expressed their gratitude towards local Kashmiris for their hospitability. A group of 69 travellers, including children, had originally planned to stay in a hotel in Pahalgam on the day terrorists opened fire at visitors.
But they dropped the plan and instead headed to Srinagar. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune Shirur resident Tejal Gaikwad, who was part of this group, said they faced difficulties in finding a place to stay after their initial hotel booking for a day in Srinagar expired on Wednesday. "A local resident offered us shelter in his under-construction hostel and even arranged food for all of us.
His kindness was a huge relief," she told TOI. Many described the nearly two-day stay in Srinagar, after the tragedy, as tense. Dipali Gaikwad from Shirur recalled how the fear of further violence, combined with constant distress calls from worried family members back in Pune, left them shaken.
"There were even rumours circulating locally about another terror attack somewhere in Kashmir. We were all scared. Local residents' words of encouragement helped us feel like we were home," she said.
She said their decision to halt for a while to purchase Kashmiri kesar from a factory on their way to Baisaran Valley, where the attack occurred, saved their lives. "We were only 15-20 minutes away from the place when one of our group members from a vehicle that was ahead of us alerted us about the attack and told us not to move forward," she said. Jyoti Zurange from Uruli Kanchan said the support from Kashmiris associated with their tour agency helped the group cope with the stress.
"It was one of the worst experiences of our lives, but the humane treatment encouraged us to get through," she said. Retired teacher Atmarm Jadhav, who left Srinagar by the second special flight (Air India) on Thursday evening, said, "We were all in shock after hearing about the incident, but we could deal with the situation only because our whole group remained united. The support from local residents also played an important role in making our stay safe for almost two days.
" However, Vijay Parge from Karvenagar felt a sense of indifference from some local residents. "They were giving us the cold shoulder. Travelling from one place to another had become very tiring and frustrating," he said.
Pune: It was a mix of pleasure and sorrow for more than 69 tourists from Pune who landed in Mumbai on Thursday by a special Indigo flight arranged by state govt. Though emotionally overwhelmed by their safe return home, they recounted their harrowing experience after the ghastly attack in Pahalgam and at the same time expressed their gratitude towards local Kashmiris for their hospitability. A group of 69 travellers, including children, had originally planned to stay in a hotel in Pahalgam on the day terrorists opened fire at visitors.
But they dropped the plan and instead headed to Srinagar. Shirur resident Tejal Gaikwad, who was part of this group, said they faced difficulties in finding a place to stay after their initial hotel booking for a day in Srinagar expired on Wednesday. "A local resident offered us shelter in his under-construction hostel and even arranged food for all of us.
His kindness was a huge relief," she told TOI. Many described the nearly two-day stay in Srinagar, after the tragedy, as tense. Dipali Gaikwad from Shirur recalled how the fear of further violence, combined with constant distress calls from worried family members back in Pune, left them shaken.
"There were even rumours circulating locally about another terror attack somewhere in Kashmir. We were all scared. Local residents' words of encouragement helped us feel like we were home," she said.
She said their decision to halt for a while to purchase Kashmiri kesar from a factory on their way to Baisaran Valley, where the attack occurred, saved their lives. "We were only 15-20 minutes away from the place when one of our group members from a vehicle that was ahead of us alerted us about the attack and told us not to move forward," she said. Jyoti Zurange from Uruli Kanchan said the support from Kashmiris associated with their tour agency helped the group cope with the stress.
"It was one of the worst experiences of our lives, but the humane treatment encouraged us to get through," she said. Retired teacher Atmarm Jadhav, who left Srinagar by the second special flight (Air India) on Thursday evening, said, "We were all in shock after hearing about the incident, but we could deal with the situation only because our whole group remained united. The support from local residents also played an important role in making our stay safe for almost two days.
" However, Vijay Parge from Karvenagar felt a sense of indifference from some local residents. "They were giving us the cold shoulder. Travelling from one place to another had become very tiring and frustrating," he said.
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