23 Odisha Pilgrims Recount Ordeal After Return From Violence-Hit Nepal

Bhubaneswar: A group of 23 pilgrims from Odisha’s Jajpur district, who were stranded in Nepal amid violent protests, returned home safely on Sunday evening, bringing relief to their anxious families, reports said on Monday.

The pilgrims—ten families from Malanandapur in Jajpur Sadar block—had travelled to Kathmandu to offer prayers at the Pashupatinath temple. Their pilgrimage turned into an ordeal when violent demonstrations broke out over the Nepal government’s decision to ban 26 social media platforms.

Confined to a Kathmandu hotel for nearly two days, the group was left vulnerable after their hired driver fled in fear.

“We reached Kathmandu on the 6th and visited the Pashupatinath temple. From the very next day, the situation turned tense. We saw buses and buildings being set ablaze. We were afraid and only thought of how to return home,” said returnee Rajshree Mishra.

Relatives and local officials in Jajpur tried to establish contact, but communication remained sporadic until the pilgrims reconnected with their travel agency. With the intervention of the agency, the bus owner persuaded the driver to resume the journey. On September 11, he drove the group along hilly and forested routes to reach the Indian border.

“The mini-bus we had taken was parked beside our hotel. Finally, the driver took us through a hilly route and dropped us at the border. Only then did we feel safe,” said Pramod Mishra, another pilgrim.

From there, the group travelled by road to India and later boarded the Howrah–Bhubaneswar Jan Shatabdi Express, disembarking at Jajpur Road railway station late Sunday night. Family members who had gathered at the station welcomed them with tears of relief.

The pilgrims said their biggest fear was the uncertainty during the two days of confinement in Kathmandu.

“We didn’t know what would happen next or how long we would be stuck,” one of them said.

They expressed gratitude to local media for highlighting their plight and to the travel organisers who helped arrange their return. Many also admitted that the frightening experience had overshadowed the joy of visiting Nepal’s temples and tourist attractions.

For now, the families said, they were simply relieved to be back on Odisha soil—safe after what they described as one of the most difficult journeys of their lives.