Locals allow stranded tourists take shelter inside mosque in Kashmir

Srinagar: Locals of Gund on the Srinagar-Sonamarg highway allowed a group of travellers who were stranded due to heavy snowfall to take shelter in a mosque in Kashmir.

A dozen tourists from Punjab found themselves caught in the snowfall on Friday while returning from the Sonamarg area, officials said. Their vehicles became stuck in the snow, and with no nearby hotels and local houses too small to accommodate the group, Gund residents opened the Jamia Masjid, allowing the tourists to stay there for the night, PTI reported.

"It was the best possible solution as the mosque has a hammam, which stays warm throughout the night," said Bashir Ahmad, a local resident.

The Jamia Masjid at Gund is located less than 10 kilometres from the site of a terrorist attack in Gagangir, where six people -- five non-local labourers and a local doctor -- were killed in October this year.

A video of the tourists spending the night inside the mosque has since gone viral.

The tourists expressed their gratitude to the locals for their help.

"We were stuck in the snow, and you came to our rescue. We are extremely thankful to all of you," one of them said.

Another tourist added, "Everyone should visit Kashmir to experience its hospitality. Everyone here is kind, and it is safe to visit. Please come to this paradise on earth." Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq praised the gesture and said it was heartening to see Kashmiris open their mosques and homes to stranded tourists amidst heavy snowfall.

"This gesture of warmth and humanity reflects our longstanding tradition of hospitality and helping others in times of need," he said on X.

PDP leader Iltija Mufti also took to social media to praise the "humane" gestures extended by locals to stranded tourists.

"Stranded tourists in Ganderbal found an unexpected yet warm refuge at a mosque last night. Kashmiris aren't only human but humane too. I wish the media would stop perpetuating stereotypes that grab eyeballs and instead highlight how hospitable Kashmiris truly are," Mufti posted on X.