Shimla : Tourist resorts across Himachal Pradesh awoke to an icy cold morning on valentine’s day Tuesday with Manali buried under several feet of snow .
Electricity has still not been restored and people are confined to their homes . Hotels are finding it hard to keep their guests warm in the absence of electricity in Manali .
Shimla for the third day today was buffeted by strong icy winds . Despite severe cold in downtown Mall and the Ridge young couples were seen clad in heavy woollens , arm in arm celebrating Valentine’s day .
Manali remained cut off from the rest of the country for the fourth day due to heavy snow on the Kullu-Manali highway .
Travel agents and hotel owners said all bookings for the weekend and Valentine’s day in Manali have been cancelled due to the snow blocked road .
The sprawling high mountain tribal belt of Kinnaur , Lahaul , Spiti , Pangi and Dodra Kwar continued to reel under intense cold with a fresh bout of snowfall .
The entire region remains cut-off from the rest of the country since mid-December.
Photo by: Kshitij Thakur
In a 20 year career published widely. He has worked for the BBC, AFP, The Statesman, IANS and the Business Standard . Known for his hard hitting writing and occasional off-beat stories. He lives in Shimla.
