Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Apr 23: Dr Keshava Raj and Sridevi couple, who hail from Venoor, escaped unscathed from the blast which occurred at 'The Cinnamon Grand' hotel in Sri Lanka where they had planned to stay overnight. The couple says that at the last moment, the travel agency changed its plans and arranged for their stay in another nearby hotel. This decision saved everyone in their group of tourists from the possible catastrophe.

Speaking to a Kannada daily about their escape from the jaws of death, the two who were on a visit to Sri Lanka to celebrate their marriage anniversary, revealed that the travel agency, in a sudden decision taken at the last minute, changed their hotel from 'The Cinnamon Grand' to 'Clarion Hub'. "After we checked into this hotel, at around 9 am, we heard huge sound from 'The Cinnamon Grand' hotel. We were shocked to learn that a bomb had gone off at the hotel where we had planned to stay," they stated. The couple is planning to reach India on Tuesday April 23.

Dr Keshava Raj owns Sri Vedam Ayurvedic Multi Specialty Hospital near Sharbatkatte here. He witnessed the mayhem of innocent people in Sri Lanka and the experience has shaken him. He had undertaken Sri Lanka visit through a tour package. Dr Keshava Raj says that the Lord saved the lives of him and his wife.

After the blast, curfew was imposed in the area and internet connection was severed. Therefore news about their well being did not reach the outer world through social websites. His relatives in his native places, who came to know about the blasts through the media, were worried till they were contacted by the couple in the evening.