The 'pahadi' challenge! Woman lifts 40 kg bundle with ease, watches tourist struggle

A foreign tourist's encounter with a local woman in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district has gone viral on social media, showcasing the incredible strength and resilience of women in the Himalayas.

Gemma Colell, a traveller visiting the region, captured a video of two women harvesting grass for their buffaloes in a village near Bank, Chamoli. What started as a casual observation turned into an impromptu display of strength when one of the women, affectionately referred to as "Anti" by Gemma, challenged her to lift a massive bundle of grass.

Gemma, who is used to carrying 20-25 kg during treks, was stunned to find the bundle weighed over 40 kg. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't lift it, while the local woman effortlessly hoisted the heavy load onto her head, impressing Gemma with her strength, technique and balance.

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A post shared by Gemma Colell (@indra.creativa)

Gemma humorously remarked, "Foreigners vs Pahadi people - no competition at all!"

The video shared by @indra.creativa, has gained over 1.6 million views on Instagram, and has struck a chord with social media users, many of whom expressed admiration for the hardworking mountain women and their daily resilience.

A user reacted, “Pahadi woman vs all powerful independent woman.”

Another said, “My grandmother is 85 and she still does all this in J&k and I am 33 can’t even walk for 15 minutes straight,” while another wrote, “Aunty ji casually flexing pahadi muscle.”