Life during Chillai Kalan, Kashmir’s harshest period of winter

The Valley is cloaked in white, the sun has all but disappeared and the most promising source of heat is the kanger, the traditional fire pot. The air is tinged with blue and grey, filled plumes of smoke and burnt wood. Pools of water on the streets freeze over, only to crack with a harsh sound when stepped on. This is chillai kalan, the 40 harshest days of winter in Kashmir that begins on December 21. Till the end of January, life in the Valley is going to be slow-placed…

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