After Operation Sindoor, Attari sees visitor numbers plunge, footfall nearly halves

In the aftermath of the operation, the ceremony was called off between May 8 and May 20, 2025

The route to Attari (India)-Wagah (Pakistan) border -- famed for its ‘Beating the Retreat ceremony' – reflects a quieter mood post Operation Sindoor. Until a few months ago, the stretch of National Highway 3 would brim with visitors, buses lined up along the road and vendors selling tricolours as families arrived in patriotic colours.

While the enthusiasm remains, the crowds have thinned considerably post Operation Sindoor. Attari protocol officer Arun Mahal said the daily footfall, which ranged between 20,000 and 25,000 on weekdays and touched 30,000 on weekends before Operation Sindoor, has now fallen to 10,000–15,000, Times of India reported.

Operation Sindoor was launched by India in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 civilian lives to target terror infrastructures in the neighbouring nation. In the aftermath of the operation, the ceremony was called off between May 8 and May 20, 2025.

Upon its return, noticeable changes marked the proceedings. The symbolic handshake between the Border Security Force and the Pakistan Rangers was dropped, and the gates remained only partially open, denying spectators a clear view of the other side.

Ashutosh Biswas, who had come from Kolkata with his family, said the spectacle fell short of the grand visuals he had seen in online videos. “We kept waiting for the moment when the gates would swing open and the jawans would approach each other, but it didn't happen. We thought the ceremony would have come back to its usual self, but it hasn't," he was quoted in the TOI report.

Aradhna, a student from Chennai attending the ceremony with her parents, wondered why the authorities had chosen to dilute its traditional format. “They’re playing cricket. Even if they don t shake hands, they could open the gates for tourists," she said, as per the report.