J&K: Post-attack, tourists start to reappear in Pahalgam

PAHALGAM: Undeterred by the killing of 26 tourists by terrorists in Pahalgam on April 22, holidayers were seen returning to the picturesque resort town on Saturday

The tiny hill station was completely shut down from April 22 till Thursday. TOI on Saturday found tourists taking pictures and clicking selfies at Pahalgam's popular "selfie point" on the banks of the Lidder river.

Most tourists said since there was no ban or restriction on tourists visiting Pahalgam, they had decided to go ahead with their holiday plans. Hoteliers are also offering special discounts and some eating joints are offering a meal free with every meal ordered.

Baisaran meadow out of bounds for visitors, we visited other places in Pahalgam: Tourist

We came on Friday and found that everything was normal. Although most of the markets and shops were closed, local people and security personnel were very supportive. Except Baisaran meadow, which out of bounds for visitors, we visited other places," said Joydeep Ghosh Dastidar of Kolkata.

Mrityunjay Pande, another tourist, said they had bookings from April 24-26 but had cancelled it after the terror attack. "However, when we were told that there are no restrictions on tourists visiting Pahalgam, we could not resist and came Saturday morning. We will return by evening," said Mrityunjay, a teacher from Bihar.

TOI found one family from Kolkata who had come to Pahalgam on April 21, a day before the massacre of tourists, who had returned to Pahalgam on Saturday after visiting Sonmarg and Gulmarg.

"People here are helpful after that incident; we have not felt any fear. That was an unfortunate tragedy, but we cannot stop coming to such a place just because of that," said Mohammad Safiq, a businessman from Kolkata who was visiting along with his family.

However, one tourist hotspot that usually sees around 3,000-5,000 tourists daily was deserted, with only security forces and local residents on the streets. Most shops, except those stocking essential commodities, remained closed on the fifth day after the attack.