A tribute to Lt Vinay Narwal drawn and carried to his house by the local naval cadre cadets placed next to Narwal’s bike
A Family’s Loss, A Nation Mourns
The afternoon sunlight filtered softly down on Baisaran Valley in Pahalgam—India’s Mini Switzerland. It was 2:40 pm on April 22, 2025, and honeymooners and families were sharing noodles, bhel puri and chai while admiring the striking view of the white-tipped mountain peaks framed by the azure sky. Then, someone heard gunfire. According to witnesses, four men wearing army camo-gear entered the valley and began questioning those present about their religion: Were they Hindu or Muslim? Then they shot those men among the tourists who identified themselves as Hindu, or could not recite the Kalma. In ten minutes, the militants shot dead and wounded 17 other people. Videos from the scene show bodies dropped like rag dolls by the meadow’s edge, grass stained with blood and horses bolting with empty saddles. While Indian security agencies have blamed The Resistance Front (TRF), a Pakistan-based militant group who initially took credit, the TRF has since denied responsibly claiming the earlier admittance was due to a social media hack. The terror attack, the worst on civilians since the 2017 Amarnath Yatra massacre, has splintered the delicate tranquillity of the Valley and exposed gaps in security of this tourist hotspot. Above all, its left 26 families caught between grief and anger over their loved ones’ lost lives.
Photo: Tribhuvan Tiwari/Outlook
Father and sister of Vinay Narwal performed all rituals for his cremation
Photo: Tribhuvan Tiwari/Outlook
Father and sister of Vinay Narwal performed all rituals for his cremation
Photo: Tribhuvan Tiwari/Outlook
Indian Navy Lt. Vinay Narwal's wife breaks down while paying tribute to her husband during his cremation
Photo: Tribhuvan Tiwari/Outlook
Lt Vinay Narwal, one of the 26 killed in the Pahalgam terror attack, stands with his arm around his sister Shrishti on one of the functions of his wedding
Photo: Tribhuvan Tiwari/Outlook
People carrying Indian Navy officer Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, who was killed during a terror attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam for cremation
Photo: Tribhuvan Tiwari/Outlook
People carrying Indian Navy officer Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, who was killed during a terror attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam for cremation
Photo: Tribhuvan Tiwari/Outlook
Vinay Narwal cremation
Photo: Tribhuvan Tiwari/Outlook
Vinay Narwal House at Karnal
Photo: Tribhuvan Tiwari/Outlook
Vinay Narwal House at Karnal
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