From Parsa's small village ground to World Cup Glory: Village women celebrate Renuka Thakur's triumph with joy, pride with her mother

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], November 3 : In Himachal Pradesh's Parsa village, joy knows no bounds as villagers, led by women and Indian seamer Renuka Thakur's mother, celebrate India's Women's Cricket World Cup victory with traditional dance, music, and community feasting.
India finally broke their world title drought, securing their maiden ICC Women's World Cup title by beating first-time finalists South Africa by 52 runs in a clinical display at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.
The tiny hill village of Parsa, nestled in Rohru subdivision of Shimla district, burst into celebration after local girl Renuka Thakur, India's star pace bowler, helped the national women's cricket team clinch the Women's World Cup title.
From the same small, field-like ground where Renuka began her cricket journey, the entire village gathered to celebrate the historic win. Beating drums, dancing to DJ tunes, and serving traditional food, villagers turned the occasion into a grand festival of pride and joy.
"We had organised a bhandara (community feast) to share our happiness with everyone," said Sunita Thakur, Renuka's mother.
"This is like a happiness langar. All our relatives, neighbours, and villagers have gathered. DJ music is playing, everyone is dancing, what more happiness could we ask for? Our daughter has brought pride not just to our family, but to the entire village and to the nation," said Sunita while speaking with ANI.
Women across the village expressed immense pride in Renuka's journey from local tournaments to international glory.
Poonam Thakur, a local woman, said, "I want to congratulate all the girls who played in the World Cup. May every household have daughters like Renuka, who bring such pride to their families and our country. The whole village is dancing with joy; we are performing traditional nati dances and offering thanks to our local deity, whose blessings are with Renuka."
The celebrations continued late into the evening with villagers waving the tricolour, singing folk songs, and recalling the humble beginnings of their cricketing hero. From the modest fields of Parsa to the grand World Cup stage, Renuka Thakur's journey has become a symbol of inspiration for rural India and especially for its women.