Munish Sood
MANDI:
With the Manali-Leh highway cut off due to heavy rains and landslides, hundreds of vehicles have been left stranded in the remote stretches of Lahaul Valley in Himachal Pradesh. For two consecutive days, drivers and passengers have been stuck amid biting cold, uncertain about when the road will reopen. But amid the anxiety, a heartwarming tale of solidarity is unfolding.
Women of Stingri open their kitchens
In Stingri village, local women have stepped forward in an extraordinary show of care. Collecting grains, vegetables and firewood from their homes, they prepared hot meals for the stranded truckers and passengers.
From the early hours of the day, they gathered to cook simple but warm meals that gave comfort in the harsh mountain cold. One driver, moved to tears, said: “At a time when we were worried about food and warmth, these women fed us like mothers. It gave us courage to wait.”
Temple committee and youth join hands
Support did not stop there. Members of the Lebhe Jogni Temple Committee set up a community kitchen and distributed meals among those stranded, ensuring no one went hungry. Adding to this effort, young volunteers from Yuva Mandal, Mooling played a vital role by carrying food to truckers stuck along the roadside and offering blankets and shelter to elderly travelers and children.
While the highway closure brought hardship and delay, the compassion of locals turned fear into reassurance. In a valley often isolated by weather and geography, the united effort of women, temple volunteers and village youth has become a powerful reminder: when nature tests the mountains, it is humanity that binds them together.
