Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], October 7 : Rain lashed Shimla city on Wednesday afternoon, bringing a sudden change in weather and a sharp chill to the hill station, leaving tourists thrilled while disrupting the daily routine and livelihood of locals.
The sudden spell of rain was accompanied by dense fog in several parts of the city, reducing visibility and forcing residents and workers, including horse operators on the Ridge, to seek shelter.
Tourists, however, welcomed the unexpected weather change and were seen enjoying the rain and cold conditions despite having arrived without warm clothes.
Speaking to ANI, tourist Deepika, who had come from Punjab, said the weather in Shimla was completely different from the hot conditions in Punjab.
"The weather is very nice, absolutely awesome. It is very hot in Punjab, but the weather here is really good. We did not even know that it would suddenly rain, and we did not bring warm clothes either. But look, the weather is very nice and we are fully enjoying it," she said.
Describing the sudden change in weather, Deepika said it had become very cold and foggy.
"Yes, absolutely, it is very cold. As you can see, it is raining and there is so much fog ahead. The weather is completely different," she said.
She added that the family had not expected such a sudden change in weather.
"No, not at all. We did not expect the weather to change so suddenly. The weather is wonderful and we are fully enjoying it," Deepika said.
She said children accompanying the family were also enjoying the rain.
"We are having a lot of fun. You can see for yourself, the children are enjoying it and everyone is having a great time," she said.
For locals dependent on outdoor activities for their livelihood, however, the rain brought immediate difficulties.
Gulamdeen, a horse operator on the Ridge, said the sudden spell had brought his work to a halt and forced him to consider returning to his room after getting completely drenched.
"Rain has started here and the weather has suddenly become terrible. I have never seen such weather like this. It was slightly cloudy in the morning, but we thought the weather would remain fine and came here. As soon as we arrived, it started raining," Gulamdeen told ANI.
He said the rain continued without showing any sign of stopping, leaving him and his belongings soaked.
"After that, it has not stopped raining. Now we are thinking of going back to our room because, as you can see, we ourselves have become completely wet and all our boots are also soaked. It has suddenly become very cold and we have started shivering," he said.
Gulab Singh said the rain had also affected his earnings for the day.
"We have not been able to do any business. It is already 1:30 pm and our work has stopped because of the rain. We do not know when it will stop. It is raining continuously," he said.