India Mourns As Families Perform Last Rites For Pahalgam Attack Victims; Emotional Videos Surface

SOURCE ; NEW18

Last Updated:April 24, 2025, 10:50 IST

Mourners gathered to pay their final respects to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, with emotional farewells marked by grief and national solidarity.

Mourners paid last respects to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack on Wednesday evening and on Thursday, as the mortal remains of those killed reached their respective native villages.

The terror attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam claimed the lives of 26 tourists (25 Indians and 1 Nepali national), thus leaving their families and loved ones grieving.

Those deceased also included newlyweds, who had come to Kashmir as a mark to begin a new chapter of their lives.

FAMILY BIDS EMOTIONAL FAREWELL TO NAVY LIEUTENANT VINAY NARWAL 

There was hardly a dry eye as Indian Navy officer Vinay Narwal’s wife, Himanshi, bid adieu to him, embracing his coffin wrapped in the tricolour. Married on April 16, the couple was on their honeymoon trip to Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam when terrorists killed the officer in cold blood in front of his wife.

“Let his soul rest in peace… We should all be proud of him in every way,” Narwal’s wife said as she struggled to fight her tears.

On Wednesday afternoon, Narwal’s mortal remains were brought to the IGI airport in Delhi from Kashmir, from where they were taken to his native place Karnal in Haryana, where the last rites were held with full military honours.

As soon as the mortal remains were brought to Karnal, a large number of people turned up to pay their last respects, with some raising ‘Pakistan Murdabad’ slogans.

In one of the pictures, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta could be seen consoling Narwal’s wife, Himanshi.

Later, Narwal’s wife and some other family members accompanied the Navy officer on his final journey as the mortal remains were taken to the cremation ground in another vehicle, with thousands of people turning up.

His last rites were performed by his family members, including his sister.

LAST RESPECTS PAID TO JAIPUR NATIVE NEERAJ UDHWANI

Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma was among those who paid their last respects to 33-year-old Neeraj Udhwani, a native of Rajasthan’s Jaipur, killed in the Pahalgam terror attack.

Also seen among mourners were Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari, State Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Congress leaders Ashok Gehlot, Tikaram Jully and Govind Singh Dotasara. 

Neeraj was on vacation in Kashmir with his wife when terrorists opened fire on tourists in Baisaran Valley. While Neeraj lost his life in the attack, his wife, who was at the hotel at the time, survived unharmed. She informed the family of the tragedy.

The couple had been married for two years, having tied the knot at Bhanwar Singh Palace in Pushkar.

SANTOSH JAGDALE’s DAUGHTER PERFORMS HIS LAST RITES

In a heart-wrenching video, the daughter of Santosh Jagdale, killed in the Pahalgam terror attack, was seen walking with family members and mourners to perform the last rites of her father, while his body was being carried to the crematorium ground.

NCP-SP leader Sharad Pawar was also seen among the mourners, consoling and extending his condolences to the family.

An earlier, heartbreaking video showed family members of Santosh Jagdale inconsolable as his mortal remains were brought to his house in Pune.

Jagdale had gone on a vacation with his daughter Asavari and wife Pragati. During the attack, both his wife and daughter were present nearby.

FAMILY, DEPUTY CM PAY LAST RESPECTS TO DINESH MIRANIYA

The last rites of Chhattisgarh resident Dinesh Miraniya were performed on Thursday, hours after his mortal remains reached his residence in Raipur.

Other than the victim’s family, Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao was seen among the mourners, extending his support to the family at a time of grief. The Deputy Chief Minister was accompanied by other ministers and officials of the state.

According to a report with The Hindu, Dinesh Miraniya was killed by terrorists in Pahalgam on the day of his wedding anniversary.

He, along with his wife Neha and two children Shaurya and Rakshita, had left for Jammu and Kashmir on April 17, the report claimed.

THEY ASKED HIS NAME, HE SAID ‘BHARAT’

The mortal remains of Bengaluru native Bharat Bhushan arrived at his residence from Pahalgam, where he was shot dead by armed terrorists.

Union Minister Veeranna Somanna and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Tejasvi Surya paid floral tributes to the deceased.

A techie by profession, Bharat Bhushan had been reportedly managing his family’s diagnostic centre. 

He had gone to Kashmir with his wife, Sujatha, and their three-year-old son, who survived the attack.

Bharat’s final rites are to be performed on Thursday.

FINAL RITES OF PRASHANT SATPATHY PERFORMED

A grieving family of Prashant Satpathy, who was killed in the terror attack in Pahalgam, struggled to come to terms with what had happened.

As his mortal remains reached his residence in Odisha’s Balasore, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi was seen paying floral tributes and last respects to the deceased.

He also interacted with Satpathy’s family and offered his condolences to them.

Satpathy’s mortal remains were later taken for the last rites.

MANJUNATH RAO’s FAMILY AWAITS HIS MORTAL REMAINS

The town of Shivamogga in Karnataka is in grief following the death of Manjunath Rao, who was among those killed in the terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.

In one of the videos, widely shared on social media, Manjunath Rao, before the attack, could be seen with his wife taking a ‘shikara‘ ride.

Protests erupted in various parts of Karnataka on Wednesday, condemning the barbaric terror attack. The Advocates Associations across the state staged demonstrations demanding justice for the victims and stronger measures to curb terrorism in the Valley.

Talking to reporters, Manjunath’s brother said, “We are expecting the body of Manjunath Rao shortly. They have already left the Bengaluru airport. People are giving their last respects to him. Our relatives and family members will pay respects. Some district authorities have planned ‘shradhanjali‘.”

“Somewhere around 1 pm, we are planning the ‘antim yatra‘ (final journey) and we may reach the crematorium by 3 pm, and by 3.30 pm, the cremation will happen,” he said.