by: Qysar Ul Islam Shah
The frosty atmosphere on every side, chill air, sitting idle, roasting walnuts in firepots, eating pickles with pluses (daal), attaining warmath at nearby masjid hamam, enjoying snowflakes, playing with snowballs, breaking icicles, watching vehicles slipping and dancing on the road, waiting for hours snow machines to come, commuters walking wearing tall shoes, trees in downward shapes/looks with heavy snow on their branches, children slipping on the mounds of snow, people clearing the snow accumulated on their roofs for the entire days, mounds/heaps of accumulated snow upto windows, cool and calmness everywhere and many more, are some unforgettable and mesmerizing memories. This was the winter that we had witnessed in the past.
Winter season in Kashmir starts in October and lasts till early March. This season left a lot of tales that people have been mentioning always like the weaving of (Pattej) hay carpets/mats. It was the season in Kashmir people used to stay in their homes for almost two to three months without having any sort of desired work. During this stiff period, people used to store necessary food items. The heavy snowfall leads to road closures and disruption in transportation. Electricity seemed to daydream due to improper wiring connectivity. The pesky power system was around. The older generation remembers a time when Kashmir was completely cut off from the rest of the world and to ensure comfortable winters people had to stock all the necessities in advance.
With advancements in technology, things are quite comfortable as compared to earlier. People have adapted to the tough winter environment and these adaptations continue to remain due to the accessibility of advanced gadgets. One of the basic and necessary preparations happens to be about clothes suitable for winter. Apart from thermals, rabbit-type clothes, sweaters, and other warm clothes, an integral part of Kashmiri winter clothing is “Phern” a long woven gown-type cloth worn by both men and women. Women Phern have embroidery work over them while men have simple ones. Another way of ensuring warmth during the cold season is Hammam. Hammams are special rooms built in almost every Kashmir house that has hollowed-out floors, it are considered very important for both old ages and young kids. The hollow space beneath the floor has a small opening from outside of the house and also a chimney. Firewood is burnt in the hollow space through the opening. A copper water tank (steamer)is placed above the spot where firewood is burnt. Apart from old Hammams now we have brick type Hammam, electric Hammam, and many more.
During pre-winters floors are being covered with warmer carpets or “Namdas/Gabbas” and even warm rugs are being placed. Another important thing done during winter is to cover the window with polythenes to ensure no cold air enters the room. During cold and long nights another problem people used to face during winter was the non-availability of adequate electricity. As the winter sets in, the amount of electricity gets reduced. The erratic power supply during the season was beyond the challenge.
Apart from the coldest days and long nights during the winter season, exposure to cold can cause frostbite in which infants and elderly people become more susceptible. Frostbite is damage to body tissue caused by extreme cold. Frostbite causes a loss of feeling and a white or pale appearance in extremities like hands, feet, ears, ear loves, fingers, etc. But this year’s winter tale is quite different than usual. No snow in Chalie-Kallan, no rain, and no frost, and even the temperature feels warm during harsh winter days. Tourists are not coming, and there have been hundreds of cancellations of hotel bookings as there has been no snowfall. Tourism industries have suffered badly due to the lack of precipitation this winter. A special prayer Slatis- Istisqa was offered in almost all Jamia Masjids of Kashmir valley to seek divine intervention in ending the prevailing dry weather. Though this winter didn’t suffice our demands, the way it has been behaving with us for the last decades, we are hopeful that the scarcity of water for the rest of the year will not last long. Hopefully, there will be frequent precipitation in Kashmir despite Challi-Kallan going without snow or rainfall. May Allah forgive our sins and ease our hardships.
The author can be mailed at farhaanqysar@gmail.com
