Chillai kalan

40 days greets with sub-zero temperature and snowfall 

                                                                                                                        

 Winter in Kashmir is marked with Chillai Kalan, the 40-days period of harsh winter from December 21 to January 31. Chillai Kalan is a Persian word that means “major cold”. The first day of Chillai kalan is celebrated as ‘World Pheran Day'. When the winter has the Valley in its grip, the days shorten to a few hours and time spent indoors grows longer.

The 40-days intense period is followed by 20 days that are less intense (chillai khurd) and then 10 days of mild cold (chille bache).The snow during this 40-day period freezes and lasts longer. It is this snow that adds to the glaciers that feed the rivers, streams and lakes in Kashmir during the months of summer. This year temperature drops to -7.5 °C in Srinagar during Chillai kalan which is lowest in past 8 years.   

During the period, flight movement has been disrupted and Kashmir has become a virtual island, cut off from the rest of the country after heavy snowfall closed down the Jammu-Srinagar national highway.

The fumes from heaps of burning wood and coal make the pristine air of Kashmir highly polluted. It’s a time when electricity is erratic and activity comes to a near-standstill.

In the biting cold, only Kashmiri handlooms, weaves and handicrafts can come to the rescue; surviving without the pheran and namda carpets (traditional woolen flooring) is near impossible. The most promising source of heat is the kanger, the traditional fire pot and topped by a pheran (a traditional knee-length cloak) to ensnared in the warmth of the kanger. 

While kangers become indispensable for most residents of Kashmir, the well-to-do huddle together in hamams “rooms with limestone that are warmed by burning firewood in a hearth". Residents cover their windows with plastic to prevent the cold air from seeping in during the peak winter.

Tajamul Hussain(M.Sc. Student)

                                                                                                               Faculty of Forestry, SKUAST-K