REMEMBERING A SNOWFALL: Village Sheel, Himachal Pradesh

My Facebook timeline is flooded with photographs of snow-clad Shimla. They say, it has snowed like this after more than a decade. The photographs look as if the entire landscape decided to take a nap under a thick (almost three feet thick) glistening white quilt. I am sure the intention was to take a nap since the city switched the lights off. While my family is shivering in a no-electricity regime trying to keep themselves warm through the only option of burning whatever wood is available in a spare flowerpot; I am sitting in a cozy corner of my grandparents’ house in Chandigarh reminded of the time when I was forced by a sudden snowfall to stay in a small village of Shimla district.

Coincidentally, this happened exactly six years ago. 11th to 15th January, 2011. I was a final year student of Masters in Architecture and Settlement Conservation in CEPT University then and had chosen to work on conservation of indigenous architecture of Himachal Pradesh as my thesis topic. For this purpose, my father suggested a village called Sheel, located in the Shimla District, as the site for my project. The college holidays were planned as a visit for the study and documentation of this village.

My father had already talked to some officials who could help and so both my parents decided to accompany me and introduce me to some people in the village. It was a cold cold day and the weather started hinting at a probable snowfall. We decided that we would stay in this area for a week and had booked a room in a place around 20 kms from the village. The plan was that I would visit the village everyday and return by the evening. But nature had planned something else altogether.

It had already started snowing when we reached the village. This is a view from the house of the pradhan of the village.

As soon as we reached, we were escorted to the house of the pradhan of the village panchayat (head of the local government) where I was to get the initial idea about the village and its history. It was decided that my parents would leave for the rest house while I interacted with some villagers and got acquainted with the place and then in two to three hours they would come back and take me to our home-for-seven-days. It had already started snowing by then.

As I sat there, in a stranger’s house, interacting with people, trying to know the village, my eyes were fixed at the scene outside the window. The snow was pouring at a speed I hadn’t witnessed for years. Slowly, the entire landscape changed its mode and became monochrome. White and grey started dominating the scene while the other colors took refuge and risked only a peek here and there.

Nature had begun a monochrome mission

And it was adamant

As nature carried out its plan, we couldn’t follow ours. The roads became unfit for driving. My parents were more than 20 km away from where I was. I was listening to stories in a stranger’s house, with the knowledge, that I might have no choice but to stay where I was, starting to seep in. Unfortunately for the family in whose house I was, they had no choice either. Rather, fortunately for me, they were the best hosts I have ever met as they let me stay in their house for seven days. Just before the mobile network connection was lost and the power cut happened, my parents called and assured me that they would be there as soon as possible.

And so it was decided: I was to stay with, then strangers but now, uncle, aunty, amma, buaji and Shreya, for seven days.

That day the snow just didn’t stop

And the grey grew

With night approaching, I started wondering what morning would look like.

When eventually, uncle left the village for some work only five women were left at home for the next five days. As the village got engulfed by the dark chilly night, I was taken to the cozy room where five of us spent most of our days. This cozy room was the old kitchen of the house.

All set for a no-electricity night

The chulha and one angithi was enough as a source of heat, light and energy

During my stay in Sheel, when I was not outside wandering with Shreya to explore the village or when we were all not lying snuggled up in our beds, this kitchen was where we were to be found.

Anyway, after a long,long wait, finally the day came when the bright blue sky was visible. Oh what a sight the village was!!

The white against the fresh blue! Such a pleasure after two full days of grey

The fresh white snow looked like clouds sitting atop the roofs. Or as if the buildings wanted to wash their hair and so had shampoo lather on their heads.

Our veranda told me that daily life had gained normality again. It was time to visit the village!!

The bright sky was temptation enough for us to get out of the house! My first walk around the village finally happened. But before I could get to work, I met some curious and some super friendly neighbors.

Cleaning the way to his house

Homemade sledge time!

Snowball fights

Playing cards in the much craved for sun. This was my choice of sport. Just couldn’t resist.

While some were satisfied saintly souls who just didn’t care about anything but the sun.

I was treated just like a daughter of the house and soon was recognized by the village as the girl from Shimla. After all the socializing, Shreya, and her friend Ruchi, showed me the entire village and helped me with my documentation work. But the snow made the weather too cold to be out of the house for too long. We returned to the house only to follow some more snow traditions.

Ingredients: Fresh snow specifically from the roof, salt and red chili. Recipe: Just mix it all up. Add salt and chili to taste. Yum yum yum!!

Never-mind the snow. The clothes had to be washed; even though they were frozen solid entities soon.

The water didn’t drip. There were icicles that made the clothes look like serial killers with daggers. (Reminds me of the movie Pushpak every time I see this image)

The icicles were actually one of the most endearing part of the snowfall experience

Look at them! What a beautiful process. Water frozen while trying to escape. Ironically becoming an extension of what it was escaping.

Days went by. Uncle came back home. I did my work. And finally this wonderful experience of staying with a beautiful family came to end after a week when my parents came back to take me home. I will not lie; it felt like I was leaving one family to go to another. But well, it was time to go back. And again, I will not lie; I was more than happy to see my parents! I wanted so badly to stay, but I wanted to leave immediately. Very difficult to explain. In any case, Amma ji made it easier for me to make up my mind when she said, “If you could have stayed for some more time, I would have taught you how to milk a cow and then we could have found a good boy for you to get married.” Ah! Good old days!! Time to go back home!!!

On our way back to Shimla, we drove past this frozen lake. The last major milestone of the coldest winter of my life.

And so I returned. To a cold but warmer Shimla.

My experience in Sheel, became a memory of a lifetime. I can never forget and stop being grateful for the love I got in that village. I went for my work but came back with a heart full of affection.

I end this post here as a reminder of a heartfelt experience. But I am not done with describing the village experience. In my next post I will spatially share the village with you. Till then, enjoy winters!!