Opinion | “Living in winter’s”

As the winter season is going on people have adopted the winter life style , people in Kashmir during this season when the chill gets too hard to bear the uses a special small earthen pot woven around with pliable twigs of willow tree filled with burning charcoal called kangri (also kanger).during the start of harsh winters in Kashmir that is called chillai kalan the power cuts are more oftenly seen and the electric appliances can’t work continuously to make warmth and at this very time due to the absence of electricity the kashmiris go for the traditional way of keeping their body warmth by the use of this kangri Besides it is also a hot cup of kehwa that would keep your soul warm too.

The people on the very onset of winter’s also start to change the furnishing of house by using warm materials like cushions ,carpet etc.in veiw of the winters the kashmiris used to built the house of mud to keep it warmer but now due to the use of cement it is not like that.Nowadays the hamams are used in Kashmir houses as these are the best sources of warmth this hamam is actually a underground room in which the firewood is placed underneath to produce warmth and these have been constructed on a large scale and had proved very better source for warmth in Kashmir.

On the arrival of winter’s the demand for heaters , burning charcoal (at some places the burning charcoal are made by people themselves by burning the twigs of the trees mostly the people having apple orchard are mostly engaged in this process of making burning charcoal that is being used in winters,the burning charcoal produced themselves by the people is called cheene in kashmiri) ,winter shoes , heaters ,hot clothes ,hot scarfs ,most importantly the traditional pheran of kashmir increases.

The pheran of Kashmir is the traditional outfit for both males and females of kashmir that is being used by each Kashmiri ,this usually made of wool in winters to keep the body warm during the harsh winters that is chilla kallan starting from dec 21 and lasts for 40 days ,nowadays the pherans are being used by each Kashmiri to keep themselves warm as the chillai kalan is approaching ,the Kashmiris have a totally different life style during winters .

These traditional garments are no less than our laxuries and it is these things which makes us to safe guard our selves from the harsh winters, Infact apartment from these traditional heating arrangements nowadays the new technology has also facilitated us with modern heating equipments which has made us more well equipped, No doubt the normal life of kashmiris gets a bit disturbed but still it is adventurous as well and Besides winters as the snow falls it looks very much beautiful and different snow sports game events are held accordingly all the tourists must come to kashmir to enjoy its winter phase.