Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Dec 28: As Kashmir received widespread snowfall, two contrasting images emerged today: one depicting the joy and bliss of tourists enjoying the snowfall, while the other highlighted the helplessness and hardships faced by those stranded.
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At Qazigund, even as the stranded tourists were provided tea and snacks by the local police to keep warm, the visitors spoke about the challenges and difficulties they faced due to the closed National Highway.
“I reached here at 2 am and have been stuck since then. We wanted to return home but couldn’t move an inch further. The driver managed to find some tools here and there to clear the snow, enabling us to move forward,” said Rahul, a visitor from Delhi.
Another group of tourists from Haryana shared a similar ordeal, stressing that while they enjoyed the snowfall, things turned ugly with the closure of the road.
“I hadn’t expected this at all. I thought it had just started snowing, and by the time we reached here, we would make it to the other side to continue our journey,” said Vijay, a tourist from Haryana visiting Kashmir with a couple of friends.
On the other side, tourists still in Kashmir were seen enjoying the snow near the Clock Tower and dancing their hearts out. Most of these tourists said that it was their first time witnessing snowfall.
“I saw snowfall for the first time and we enjoyed it so much. We’ve been to Dal lake and other places, but Dal lake is amazing. What made our trip even better was the minus temperature. I can’t describe it,” said Bhavishya, a tourist from Mumbai.
Another tourist from Gujarat, Varsha, expressed her delight at being able to enjoy the snow while listening to a Bollywood song. She said that the people of Kashmir were lucky to live in such a beautiful place.
“This is just like heaven. After staying here, one would hardly want to go home. I’ve been to places around the world, but Kashmir has something unique about it,” she said.
On Friday night, a group of tourists returning from Sonamarg were stuck in the Gund area of Ganderbal. The locals offered them shelter in their homes, but the tourists refused, so the doors of a local mosque were opened, and the visitors stayed there for the night.
In the morning, a group of tourists from Punjab expressed their gratitude to the locals for allowing them to stay in the mosque.
“It was like a new life was given to us. Last night, we thought we might not make it, but the locals were like angels sent by God,” the tourists said.
In a video-most likely from Ganderbal-that was widely shared on social media platforms, stranded tourists were seen being provided food and other facilities by locals, who allowed them to use their space to spend the night.
“After the snowfall closed the roads, the locals welcomed us into the mosque. The hospitality of Kashmiris is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced-it defies the negative portrayals. Such kindness and warmth can only be found in Kashmir,” the tourists said.”
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