Last-minute change in travel plan saves family of 3 from Odisha | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: A family of three from Odisha narrowly escaped Tuesday’s terror attack in Pahalgam due to a last-minute change in plan.
Siddharth Acharya, his wife, Debashna Nanda, and their 12-year-old daughter arrived in Srinagar on April 20. After visiting Tangmarg on April 21, they planned to visit Pahalgam on April 22. They planned to reach Pahalgam earlier on Tuesday. However, an impromptu decision to visit the tulip garden on the way delayed their arrival in Pahalgam, perhaps saving their lives.
“Visiting the tulip garden wasn’t in our itinerary. But we decided to take a quick detour. If we hadn’t, we would have been in the valley when the attack happened,” said Debeshna. The family reached Pahalgam town at 2.45 pm.
“We were on the foothills of Pahalgam, only 8 km from the Baisaran valley, when the attack happened. Initially, people coming down the hill were not aware about the attack. Slowly news of the massacre started coming in, creating an eerie calm in the town,” said Acharya.
The attack prompted an exodus of tourists from Pahalgam by late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning. Describing the aftermath of the attack, Debeshna said, “The roads were deserted, except for Army vehicles. Shops were shut. We stayed overnight at a hotel, but the fear and anxiety among locals was palpable.”
Yet, amid the fear, the family witnessed acts of kindness from locals. “When we stopped at a roadside shop to drink juice on Wednesday morning, the shopkeeper refused to take any money. We saw locals handing out water bottles and fruits to tourists for free. The concern was visible on their faces,” she said.
The Acharyas are returning home on April 25, cutting their holiday short by two days. “We feel lucky and grateful. Though we have bookings till April 27, and we spent a lot of money for the trip, we don’t want to stay any more. The mood is sombre and there is an undercurrent of tension and fear. We managed to get a return ticket for April 25,” said Debeshna.
Siddharth Acharya, his wife, Debashna Nanda, and their 12-year-old daughter arrived in Srinagar on April 20. After visiting Tangmarg on April 21, they planned to visit Pahalgam on April 22. They planned to reach Pahalgam earlier on Tuesday. However, an impromptu decision to visit the tulip garden on the way delayed their arrival in Pahalgam, perhaps saving their lives.
“Visiting the tulip garden wasn’t in our itinerary. But we decided to take a quick detour. If we hadn’t, we would have been in the valley when the attack happened,” said Debeshna. The family reached Pahalgam town at 2.45 pm.
“We were on the foothills of Pahalgam, only 8 km from the Baisaran valley, when the attack happened. Initially, people coming down the hill were not aware about the attack. Slowly news of the massacre started coming in, creating an eerie calm in the town,” said Acharya.
The attack prompted an exodus of tourists from Pahalgam by late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning. Describing the aftermath of the attack, Debeshna said, “The roads were deserted, except for Army vehicles. Shops were shut. We stayed overnight at a hotel, but the fear and anxiety among locals was palpable.”
Yet, amid the fear, the family witnessed acts of kindness from locals. “When we stopped at a roadside shop to drink juice on Wednesday morning, the shopkeeper refused to take any money. We saw locals handing out water bottles and fruits to tourists for free. The concern was visible on their faces,” she said.
The Acharyas are returning home on April 25, cutting their holiday short by two days. “We feel lucky and grateful. Though we have bookings till April 27, and we spent a lot of money for the trip, we don’t want to stay any more. The mood is sombre and there is an undercurrent of tension and fear. We managed to get a return ticket for April 25,” said Debeshna.
