In cold Kashmir, Rahul and Priyanka spread warmth

From pushing a car stuck in snow to playing a game of sheen-jung, the Gandhi siblings charm viewers online as well as locally

Notwithstanding the cold spell sparked by fresh snowfall in Kashmir, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra managed to spread warmth with their camaraderie, inspiring awe all round.

From pushing a local’s car stuck in snow to hugging commuters to trying their hand at sheen-jung, visuals of the duo have gone viral online and become an instant hit among locals. The siblings played sheen-jang (a game in which snowballs are launched to ‘attack’ the other player till he or she freezes) on the lawns of the Lalit Grand Palace Hotel in Srinagar.  

As fresh snowfall brought the Valley to a standstill, Mr. Gandhi and his sister were also seen walking on the boulevard around the Dal lake on Monday evening. Mr. Gandhi waved at locals and lent a helping hand to push a car stuck in snow, much to the joy of locals. 

A local driver is seen disembarking from his car to shake hands and hug Mr. Gandhi, who has emerged in a new avatar after the 135-day long Bharat Jodo Yatra that concluded in Kashmir on Monday.

The brother and sister also posed for pictures on the banks of Dal lake.

Mr. Gandhi and Ms. Gandhi also visited the popular Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar. Standing in reverence, Mr. Gandhi was seen praying at the shrine on Tuesday and also keenly reading the last sermon of Prophet Muhammad, where he denounces any sense of superiority and calls for equality among the races. 

They also visited the Kheer Bhawani temple in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal, which is among the most revered temples for Kashmiri Pandits. According to a local legend, the spring water emerging from the temple premises had turned black just days ahead of the assassination of Mr. Gandhi’s grandmother Indira Gandhi, a former Prime Minister of India.