5-ft from disaster: How faith, courage, and a saree saved Tamil Nadu pilgrims in Nepal

Tiruchirappalli: What started as a sacred pilgrimage to Mout Kailash turned into a nightmarish experience in the rugged, flood-ravaged terrain of Timure, Nepal, for the group of 21 pilgrims from Tamil Nadu.

For Sivaranjani and her fellow yatris, a sudden mountain storm transformed the mountain pass between Syabru base and Kerung - overland gateway and altitude stepping stones between Nepal and Tibet - into a raging death-trap. Yet amidst wall-to-wall floodwater, mudslides, and sheer terror, a sequence of miraculous coincidences and selfless heroism ensured every soul made it home.

"If our vehicle had gone five feet this way or five feet that way, we would definitely have been swept away. I have to say that God saved us by five feet," Sivaranjani recalled on Saturday, recounting the moments their vehicle became boxed in on three sides near the Indian Embassy checkpoint.


"Luckily, on our right side, by Lord Shiva's grace, we were led towards a turning. You must have seen the water there directly. The entire area around the embassy was flooded, with the water covering everything. The water was flowing in one direction. Since our vehicle was at this corner, it went the other way and we escaped through the gap," she said.

Sivaranjani was among the 21 pilgrims who arrived at the airport late on Friday night. They were received by state ministers: N Anand (Rural Development and Water Resources) and D Sarathkumar (Human Resources and Management), who oversaw their immediate welfare and transport home.

As relentless rain lashed the mountain, a wall of water rushed past their vehicle, the only way out was through the driver's side door on the right. Slipping and sliding in the thick mud, the pilgrims scrambled onto the steep incline above the rising torrent.

While fear gripped the group, one couple stood between life and death for several helpless pilgrims.

"Ratnakumar and his wife Poonguzhali, hailing from Mayavaram, had already scrambled to safety on higher ground. But seeing four or five women unable to scale the muddy slope, Ratnakumar did the unthinkable - he got down into the danger zone," she said.

"Using a saree tied securely as a makeshift rope, Ratnakumar lifted and pulled the stranded women up the slippery embankment one by one, with Poonguzhali assisting from above," Sivaranjani described to PTI videos.

"Everyone who climbed up out of fear for their lives would be reluctant to come down again, but he went back," Sivaranjani said, her voice filled with emotion.

"At that moment, they seemed like Parvati and Parameswara to us. We prostrated before them in gratitude," she said.

For two days, the group survived in harsh mountain conditions on minimal rations - mostly snacks and bottled water provided by locals - while keeping faith alive.

Relief arrived swiftly as Indian Embassy officials maintained constant phone contact, coordinating a multi-agency operation.

Tamil Nadu ministers - Aadhav Arjuna (Public Works), R Vinoth (Agriculture), A Rajmohan (School Education), and K Thennarasu (Non-Resident Tamils Welfare) - along with senior IAS officers and Union Minister S Jaishankar in Delhi, worked around the clock to ensure the group's evacuation to Kathmandu and onwards to India within 48 hours.

Now safe on home soil, the survivor expressed overwhelming gratitude to the officials, rescue teams, and thousands of well-wishing citizens whose prayers carried them through.

Though they lost original documents in the chaos, official assurances were given to deliver replacement passports directly to their homes.

Reflecting on the hair-raising escape, Sivaranjani remains steadfast in her faith.

"By Lord Shiva's grace, our vehicle took a turn into a small gap and spared us. God saved us by five feet," she said still unable to forget how a saree was used as a rescue rope on a muddy slope. PTI