Rajasthan tourists stranded in Nepal, take shelter in hotel after cancellation of flights

New Delhi, Sep 10 (IANS) A group of 31 people from Rajasthan’s Udaipur, on a long pilgrimage trip from Ram Temple in Ayodhya to Pashupati Nath temple in Nepal, have found themselves caught up in the bloody chaos and unrest that has gripped the Himalayan state for over two days.

The tourists were scheduled to return home, but the sudden outbreak of mass violence, ignited by Gen Z youth, has left them stranded in Pokhara city.

The families are stranded and scared for their lives as they could watch the angry and aggressive mob engaging in arson at public places and setting properties ablaze.

Among the group of 31 tourists is a local BJP leader, Anil Singhal, who informed that their flight, slated for Wednesday, was cancelled.

In a self-recorded video, he stated that the situation was worrisome in Nepal as youth are unrelenting in their stir over corruption and the social media ban. The situation has turned precarious here, with various incidents of arson and vandalism out in the open.

He, however, stated, “Tourists are safe here, Nepalese people are not doing harm to us.”

According to some reports, approximately 700 tourists from Rajasthan’s Jaipur and Udaipur districts are stranded in Nepal.

Bhagwatilal Menaria, another member of the group, said that they were returning after offering prayers at Pashupati Nath temple on Tuesday morning, when the violence broke out. They reached Nepal via Varanasi, Ayodhya and Prayagraj and were scheduled to return to Udaipur via Kolkata, Gangasagar.

They have been advised to stay put there and wait for the situation to become normal by contacting the Indian Embassy. Tourists from other cities like Jaipur and Bhilwara are also staying in the hotel.

Earlier in the day, a video of an Indian woman circulated widely on social media in which she narrated the distressing tale of her and others caught up in unbridled violence.

“I request the Indian Embassy to help us. Please help as many people as you can,” she said in the video while claiming that demonstrators were setting fire to everything and not sparing even the tourists.

–IANS

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