Key Points

At least 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed in the deadliest attack in decades at Baisaran meadows in the upper reaches of Pahalgam on Tuesday afternoon.

Sudhas Kannoth, a native of Palakulangara in Taliparamba, Kannur, had always dreamed of visiting Kashmir with his wife, Preethi and son Mrinal. After months of planning, they finally embarked on their journey on April 18. For the next few days, they explored the breathtaking landscapes of Sonamarg and Gulmarg.

"It was our long-time wish to see Kashmir, my wife was also very much interested. We went to Kashmir on 18th April. In 3-4 days, we saw areas like Sonamarg, Gulmarg and all. On the 5th day, we went to Pahalgam...we took a horse ride and reached Pahalgam. To reach the area where the attack took place, we had to cross a muddy area," said Kannoth

The family had arrived in Srinagar on April 18 via a tour package and spent three days exploring the scenic region. On April 21, they reached Pahalgam and checked into a local hotel. The following day, as their tour guide and driver advised, they set off for a horseback ride at 11:30 a.m. through a rugged seven-kilometre trail. However, fate had other plans.

However, Sudhas' journey was abruptly interrupted when he lost control of his horse on the difficult path strewn with red stones, black stones, and mud. As Sudhas dismounted his horse, he slipped on a muddy patch and fell, covering his clothes and body in mud. To clean up, they had to wash off the mud, leaving them with wet clothes. This unexpected detour forced them to cut their trip short, and they headed back to their hotel within half an hour, instead of staying for the planned three hours.

"I slipped and my entire dress and body became dirty in the mud. Then we had to wash off that mud. Since we were wearing wet clothes, we couldn't do much. We returned within half an hour, though we initially planned to stay for 3 hours," he said.

"I couldn't enjoy the viewpoint or even take photos," Sudhas recounted in an interview with ANI.

He added, "It is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen, but I was too shaken and exhausted."

As they arrived at the hotel, they saw military vehicles speeding by. Their driver received a call from his brother, warning them about the situation in Pahalgam. The driver advised them to leave as soon as possible, and with his help, they made their way to Srinagar.

"When we went to the hotel for food, we saw military vehicle speeding by. Our driver's brother called him up and told him, and he advised us to leave as soon as possible. With the help of the driver, we reached Srinagar. The fall from that horse actually helped me otherwise, I would have been at the attack site too," he added.

"The sound of military vehicles still echoes in my mind. I didn't realise how close we were to danger until we got back," said Sudhas, a writer and motivational trainer on Taliparamba Court Road.

His wife, Preethi, is a teacher at Kannur Central Vidyalaya, and their son, Mrinal, was resting in the car during the ride due to physical difficulties.

"This is my first experience like this," Sudhas added. "We were looking for peace and beauty, and we found it,but narrowly escaped tragedy."

- ANI