Pahalgam Terror Attack: What Saved These 11 Kerala Tourists in Kashmir? A Salty Mutton Rogan Josh

Pahalgam Terror Attack: The death toll in the barbaric terror attack at Pahalgam’s Baisaran meadow could have been higher—had it not been for a plate of overly salty mutton rogan josh that held an 11-member Kerala family back from walking straight into danger.   

When Lunch Saved Lives

The family from Kochi, on a week-long vacation to the Valley, had already visited Gulmarg and Sonmarg before heading to Pahalgam on Tuesday, April 22. Like many tourists, they planned to visit the Baisaran meadow—popularly known as “Mini Switzerland.” But fate had other plans.

“We had been skipping lunch the past couple of days,” Lavanya, a member of the family, told The Times of India. “On Tuesday, just 15 minutes before Baisaran, we decided to eat. We stopped at a roadside eatery.”

But the meal turned out to be far from perfect. The mutton rogan josh served was so salty that the group could barely eat it. The staff, noticing their discomfort, offered to make the dish again from scratch—a delay that lasted nearly an hour.

Just Minutes From Tragedy

When they finally resumed their journey, chaos unfolded just 2 km before the meadow. Galloping ponies, fleeing tourists, and panicked taxi drivers filled the narrow roads.

Lavanya recalled that while they couldn't understand what people were saying, the fear on their faces made it clear that something was terribly wrong.  

However, the local driver initially dismissed it as a routine disturbance. But trusting their instinct, the family turned back. Later, as they relaxed near a lake and then returned to their resort, shopkeepers urged them to leave the area due to "tension."

By 4:30 pm, news broke: a brutal terror attack in Baisaran. Terrorists had targeted Hindu tourists, shooting many at point-blank range. At least 26 people were killed, including a brave pony ride provider who tried to resist the attackers.

“The Salt Saved Us”

The family now credits the poorly prepared meal for their lives. “It was the right decision at the right time,” Lavanya said. “Had the food not delayed us, we would have been right there when the shooting happened.”

Their narrow escape has become a surreal memory—one that turned a ruined lunch into a reason to live.