A year after tragedy, Pahalgam slowly returns to life

Pahalgam, Apr 21: A year after a tragedy brought life here to a standstill, the sound of footsteps has returned to Pahalgam – soft at first, but steady enough to signal change.

Markets are lit again, pony hooves echo along familiar trails, and small groups of tourists pause to take in the snow-clad peaks and cool spring air.

Along the banks of the Lidder River, visitors sit quietly, soaking in the calm.

“We just sat by the river for hours. There is a strange peace here. It makes you forget everything else,” said Ratnesh Kumar, 40, a tourist from Uttar Pradesh.

On April 22 last year, a deadly terror attack in the Baisran meadows, about 6 km from the main market, left 25 tourists dead and a local pony operator, leaving behind grief that rippled across Kashmir and beyond.

In the months that followed, the famed resort fell silent.

Hotels emptied, bookings vanished, and livelihoods tied to tourism collapsed almost overnight.

“For six months, there was nothing here,” said Ismail, a pony handler, gently steadying his horse. “Not a single visitor. Now even a few tourists feel like hope returning.”

That hope, though fragile, is visible.

Visitors have begun to trickle back, moving through the market and venturing to Aru Valley and Betaab Valley, destinations that had remained closed for over two months after the attack. Baisran meadows, however, remains shut.

Many tourists say it is the people, as much as the place, that has brought them here.

“We don’t feel scared,” said Pankaj, a visitor from Maharashtra traveling with his family. “Everyone, from drivers to shopkeepers has been incredibly kind. There is a sense of care everywhere.”

Shradha, visiting from Kolkata with her family, said the warmth feels personal.

“People don’t just serve you here, they look out for you,” she said. “You can feel the sincerity.”

Even those who recall the tragedy say their experience has reshaped their perception.

“Yes, what happened was heartbreaking,” Shradha said. “But places like Pahalgam need people to come back. The way locals have welcomed us makes us feel at home.”

For business owners, each arriving visitor carries meaning beyond numbers.

“We are offering Kehwa and snacks, free,” said Sabzar Ahmad, who runs a restaurant in the town. “This is our way of telling tourists they are safe, that they are wanted here.”

Some locals even opened their homes in the aftermath of the attack, offering shelter and reassurance to stranded visitors.

Hotels, though no longer empty, are still far from full.

“Bookings are around 30 percent compared to last year,” said hotelier Ibrahim Raina. “But the important thing is that people are returning. We are doing everything to make them feel secure.”

For many residents, the revival is not just economic; it is deeply personal.

“Kashmiris are known for their hospitality,” said Umar Wani, a local resident. “Violence is not who we are. We want the world to see our real face.”

Crowds remain thin, the pace slower, and memories fresh.

But in Pahalgam, even the smallest return – a conversation, a cup of kehwa, a pony ride through the valley feels like a step forward.

A year after the trafedy, the town is slowly returning to life.