Himachal Women Serve Hot Tea To Stranded Tourists In Manali: "Warmth And Kindness"

A group of Himachali women are being praised on social media for serving hot tea to hundreds of tourists stranded during a massive snowstorm in Manali. The snowfall, which marked the season's first major storm, blocked over 680 roads across Himachal Pradesh and disrupted power and water supplies. Local women from Gojra village, near Manali, stepped out with flasks of hot tea to assist travellers trapped in freezing vehicles. A viral video captured the women moving calmly between cars, offering comfort as temperatures plummeted.

"Local women serving hot tea to tourists stranded in Manali's snowfall traffic jam. No noise, no show off, just warmth and kindness. Across tourist states, one thing stays common. Be polite, be gentle, and people will always step up to help," the video was captioned on X.

Watch the video here:

The most beautiful video on Tourism Day.
Local women serving hot tea to tourists stranded in Manali's snowfall traffic jam. No noise, no show off, just warmth and kindness.

Across tourist states, one thing stays common. Be polite, be gentle, and people will always step up to… pic.twitter.com/gmxhGX3mt9

— Nikhil saini (@iNikhilsaini) January 25, 2026

The local community's hospitality has been widely celebrated as the "pure Himachal spirit" in the face of severe infrastructure challenges caused by the Republic Day weekend tourist influx.

One user wrote, "This is real tourism  No reels, no noise—just humanity in action. Be polite, be gentle, and kindness will always find its way."

Another commented, "No matter how badly tourists treat the mountains, when they get stranded, it's always the locals who step in with chai and kindness. That tells you who truly belongs there." A third user said, "Moments like this remind us how blessed we truly are. Proud Indian. Full of gratitude."

Snowfall in Manali

Notably, continuous snowfall for nearly 30 hours led to a 15-km traffic jam on the Kullu-Manali National Highway 3. The situation has been further compounded by the long weekend and snowfall - the season's first after nearly a three-month drought.

Over 600 tourists were reportedly stranded, with many forced to spend the night in their cars or trek up to 20 km through deep snow due to road blockages and black ice. Across Himachal Pradesh, as many as 835 roads remain closed due to snow. 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for further heavy rain and snowfall in districts like Chamba, Kullu, and Lahaul-Spiti through January 28.  Authorities are currently working to clear the routes and have strongly advised the public against unnecessary travel until conditions improve.