The valley of Kashmir experiences Winter Season from mid- November to mid March. . Life almost comes to halt during winter season as one can’t find many people around. The maximum temperature occasionally touches 10◦ Celsius and the minimum temperature comes down to -8◦ Celsius. However the harsh winter is divided into three main periods:
(1) Chilai Kalaan (2) Chilai Khurud and (3) Chilai Bacha.
The first period of chill, called Chilai Kalaan is of 40 days which lasts from 21 December to 31 January. This Period of Chill is considered as the most crucial when if it snows the condition gets even worse. The second period of Chill ( Chilai Khurud) is of 20 days which lasts from 31 January to 19 February. The third and last chilly period ( chilai Bacha) is of 10 days which lasts from 19 February to ending February.
In order to get over the chill people make use of a kind of firepot, popularly known as ‘Kangri’ to keep themselves warm. Besides long woolen gown is worn by both men and women known as ‘Pheran’ during winters. As heard from our ancestors it was snowing heavily during winters in the past. People would have been using the exit from second storey of their houses in order to come out during heavy snowfall though it was adding to their hardships. One could find long icicles hanging from the edges of roofs of their houses. Such scenes are hardly seen today during winters. In those days people never feared from harsh winter and they had expertise in dealing with all the situations though they didn’t have many avenues and gadgets. One of the reasons behind that I feel was that their hearts were pure and filled with love for each other. They had adopted to live in such harsh winter conditions. This makes me remind the famous poem of Nigerian poet Gabriel Okara ‘Once Upon a time’. Few lines of the poem I am quoting here:
‘Once upon a time, son,
They used to laugh with their hearts
And laugh with their eyes:
But now they only laugh with their teeth,
While their ice-blocked eyes
Search behind my shadow’
Nowadays people have become dependent on machines and modern gadgets to carry out most of the work. It has almost made us handicap. This is reflected during the winters as we well .As soon as winter approaches we start developing fears about heavy snowfalls and extreme condition though we have many gadgets to deal with such conditions..We seem to shiver when MET Department issues any advisory about any type of weather change during winters. The reason is simple; it is our total dependence on machines and gadgets and most importantly change in our nature too. We have lost the bonding and cooperation among people that was witnessed in olden days.
(The author is a teacher in the department of School Education. Views are his own) [email protected]
