Yes, it snowed!
Yes, it snowed, and our village was covered in snow in the morning. The power also went away with it. So, I’m writing this after 9 days of power cut off in the village.
So, the last blogs were all about waiting for the snow, preparing for the snow, and the Devata’s order to break a dam to grant the village with snow. Well, I’m writing this joining everything that happened last week, or more than that. The best part is it snowed!!!!
While moving to the mountains, I was prepared to experience my first snow, all alone, happy in my company, take it all in and have a quiet time just looking at it as much as I want!
However, the plan changed when 3 puppies and their mother joined me midway through my journey. Then my plan shifted to watching the snow with the puppies.
Well, the universe had other plans. One of my friends from University was visiting me and it was her who called me early in the morning and asked to look out of the window on 22nd of December. It was around 6 in the morning, still dark and we rushed to the balcony. There it was, the most magical thing I have seen so far in life.
All the imaginations in my head couldn’t prepare me for the actual thing. It was my first snowfall-— fresh, soft, tiny snow flakes falling from the sky for the very first time in my life. It was surreal, magical and impossible to express in words or in frames. I mean, how can anyone express the feeling of something so magical and natural happening in front of you. Almost like a personal exhibition right in front of you and slightly hallucinating if you look at it for a long time.
The Devata Lore of Granting Snow in the Village
So, you might have read my last blog about the Devata asking to break a water tank in the village and keep the waterway how it was before. The villagers broke the tank and built a wooden one on the same day they were asked to do so. This was on 21st of December 2026.
Now, call it a prediction or a coincidence, it snowed on the 22nd early morning. And not any regular snow, by the morning, there was at least 2ft of snow on the roof of the houses. The whole village, including roads, trails, trees, fences… everything was covered in snow.
It is a different thing altogether that there was a forecast for snowfall on the 22nd, but there were many forecasts before this which didn’t come true at all this year.
So, for the villagers and the devout ones, it was a confirmation about the power of their God, their Devata, as the protector of their land and life. In fact, some of them even teased me about my doubts about how Devata made it snow and other matters. The “I told you so” and “now do you see” conversations were also equally interesting.
I’m still in search of how all of this works since I’m pretty sure the ones who believed in the Devata and went to seek answers didn’t know about the weather forecast. Maybe I’ll try to explore more on these topics living here in these Himalayan mountain villages.
Life in Fresh Snow, Blackout and Road Closures
The preparations for snow came in handy once the snowfall started. We were enjoying the snow falling at 6 in the morning, and suddenly the lights went off. We were expecting it to be back in the morning, but that didn’t happen.
By the end of the day, all our phones were on power bank, and the snow kept falling, making the village turn all white. I had invested in electric heaters to heat up the rooms since my building is made of concrete. I also have a room with a Tandoor in the middle in case of power outages.
Needless to say, all the wood I stored came to the rescue and the Tandoor was on from the morning. My friend didn’t leave that one room. But, I felt like the temperature reduced compared to the windy weather we had from last few months. I could easily roam around in one thermal and and a sweater.
By the evening, we got to know that the road to Shilha village is closed and will be open after months. The snowfall for a day was so much that the whole area just seemed like a sea of snow. Since the roads were already in a bad condition after the monsoon landslides, the narrow turns won’t be visible, covered in snow.
Our worry for the next few days started since my friend had to leave the next day for her flight from Delhi. It felt impossible to get out if it kept snowing like this. Even the sun would make it worse since the snow melts and makes it risky to walk due to slipping. The ideal weather would be when it stays cloudy. Then we can at least hike down to the main road through another route.
All of a sudden, everything the villagers warned me about the snow in Shilha came true. But, honestly, it was not scary at all. Everything was expected, we were prepared—almost prepared. By the next day, we were trying to figure out a way to exit the village. Nobody, not even 4*4 vehicles, was ready to take the risk and drive through the road.
To add to the misery, there were landslides at one point on the main road to Barshaini. There was news about vehicles getting into accidents and more. By the evening, we could find someone who would take her to the main road by the trekking route. Thanks to the weather, the snow stayed strong, making it easy for her to hike down that route.
As for me, the roads remained closed. The power didn’t come back for the next 9 days. The water supply through the pipes got stopped since the metal pipes had frozen water inside. The balcony was filled with snow, making the couch and everything else there wet.
These are the practical problems I didn’t know about snow-times. I started keeping snow on the tandoor to manage water for everyday uses other than drinking. However, I had no idea how little water I get after boiling so much snow. Then my days continued with clearing the snow from the balconies. It used to get hard the next day, or if I kept it there— not an easy task.
Not having a water supply meant clothes piling up. Even if I wanted to use water, it was freezing cold and I couldn’t use much without heating. For that, gas cylinders were also in reserve and stored for the next month. The wood was also limited. So, not having electricity had so many things on hold.
Most of the villagers had electricity generators powered by petrol which they kept going from 7-9pm. So, I kept my phone charged every day and limited its usage.
There were other problems I didn't foresee about snow, such as how difficult it is to remove it from the floors and the danger of it falling from the roof. On the first day, I used to wonder where these explosive noises were coming from frequently. Turns out it was the large chunks of snow from the roofs falling down which made me scared to walk around near houses and buildings.
In between all of this chaos, I had guests who came here to see the snow. With all the hardships around, all of them had a good time and returned through the hiking route.
After the 5th day, I started to panic about the electricity. All my gadgets were switched off for days. All the rechargeable bulbs went off. From my coffee beater to the torch is electric, which made things even harder to manage.
Other than these inconveniences, life was good. I loved looking from my balcony every day. The landscape kept changing. Some days it rained. Some days there was bright sun, which was so much fun. Kids were sliding in the snow. Everyone was happy during this season.
Slowly, the shops started to run out of things. First, it was the candles. Then the milk cartons were over, then eggs… That is when it started to hit me and I dedicated a day to sort my groceries and check what all I have and what all I need to survive.
The Village Life During Snow
The villagers were pretty happy to see snow, even though it was very late this year. The fireplaces were going on pretty much all day and everyone got cozy inside their homes. The schools were still open except for few days when they got holidays due to snow.
The ladies took out their wooden weaving machines out and started weaving Pattu, the traditional dress in Himachal. Most ladies and kids were busy taking reels in snow wearing their designer Pattu.
There was open bonfire in front of the temple where people gathered and had conversations. Then one day, they made a feast and gave me also—there was siddu, sweets and sides. It was the day their Devata went for fight. That means, for the next few weeks, until he is back, they keep it down. They won’t make much noise and wait for their Devata to return from the fight.
Now, after the 9th day of the first snowfall, electricity is back. Water supply is restored. Everyone is back to their routine life. Pattus are being made in full swing. Machines to chop the woods into small pieces start in the morning. And the sun is out and the day is getting longer.
Shilha Village—The Hidden Snow Village in Parvati Valley
From Decemeber, tourists come to Himachal to see snow. However, most people go to the main tourist attraction places in search of snow and get disappointed. Kasol, the main attraction in Parvati valley did get snow in the starting but melted away with the sun.
Shilha Village is a hidden village in Parvati valley at a height of 6500ft. The village is famous or infamous for its geographic location. Shilha itself means Shadow since the village doesn’t get sun at all during the winters. That meaning once it snows, the snow doesn’t melt away that easily.
So, now, even though I can see the mountains in front of me and the villages have turned into brown colour with the grass and trees visible, Shilha and its roads are still covered in snow. The temperature drops to the negative degree celsius.
However, even in snow, the landscape here feels nothing less than a heaven.
I’m so happy to be here for my first snowfall and experience life during these times. And, after experiencing all of this, I am planning to extend my stay for more than an year.
