Fire in a Basket: The Kangri and Kashmiri Winters
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Kashmir, being a valley surrounded by huge mountains, is a high-altitude region where temperatures fall below zero during winter. The winter season here generally lasts from November to the end of February. The harshest phase is from 31st December to the end of January, known as Chilai Kalan. Chilai means cold, and Kalan means major or intense, signifying the coldest period of the year. During this time, temperatures can drop to –10°C or even lower in some areas, making survival a real challenge.
People remain mentally and practically prepared for this phase, as life in the valley almost comes to a standstill. Most people prefer to stay indoors due to the dangers posed by the severe cold. Dense fog engulfs the valley, slippery roads make movement difficult, and routine work is largely suspended, resuming only after winter eases.
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Surviving such extreme cold has always been a challenge. While today we have facilities like electricity and modern heating systems, one often wonders how our ancestors endured these winters without such comforts. They had no electricity, yet necessity—the mother of invention—guided them to find a solution. After much thought, they devised a simple but effective method: placing burning embers inside a clay pot. However, handling a heated clay pot was difficult, so they wrapped it in a woven wicker frame made of willow, locally known as kangri. Wood does not heat up easily, even with intense heat inside, and this innovation solved the problem.
Firewood was easily available then, as much of the region was covered with forests, making this method economical and sustainable. This heating pot came to be known as the kangri. It not only kept people warm indoors but also served as a mobile warmer that could be carried wherever one went. Even today, the kangri serves the same purpose. It requires no electricity, lasts throughout the day, and only needs charcoal to keep it glowing.
There would hardly be a household in the entire valley without a kangri, as a Kashmiri winter feels incomplete without it. However, like everything else, the kangri has both advantages and disadvantages. If used carelessly, it can be dangerous. Many incidents have occurred where people took kangris to bed for warmth and fell asleep, leading to fires or fatal accidents when embers spilled.
Thus, the kangri while a lifesaver in harsh winters can also become life endangering if not used responsibly.
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