RAYEES AHMAD KUMAR
The harshest period of severely cold forty days Chillai Kalan has set its feet in breathtaking and enchanting landscape of valley. The lofty snow-clad mountain peaks, vast green grassy flat meadows and crystal clear water bodies of valley had been luring people from all corners of the globe from time immemorial. Traders, scholars and rulers from all over the world had been enjoying the scorching hot days of summer in valley due to its pleasant climate and mesmerizing beauty. It is thus famed Persian scholar and poet Amir Khusro has composed a popular couplet
“Agar firdous bar roye zamin ast,
hame asto hame asto hame ast”
meaning if there is heaven on earth,
it is here, it is here and it is here.
Kashmir not only in summer months is the choicest attraction for national and international visitors but in wintery months of Chillai Kalan too, it is continuously alluring a major chunk of visitors making it an all-weather tourist destination. During winter months domestic and foreign skiers throng to Gulmarg and Sonarmag to showcase their skiing prowess. Those who aren’t accustomed to white snow in their native countries, make special visits to valley particularly during New Year celebrations. This year extraordinary arrangements are being put in place by the J&K tourism department at world famous Pahalgam and Sonamarg health resorts to welcome our incoming guests on the occasion of new year celebrations of 2024. Though the national and foreign people get entertained here for a brief period during Chillai-Kalan, the local inhabitants have been unabatedly enduring the afflictions of biting cold period for centuries. Hanging icicles from withered twigs and thatched roofs of kucha houses, few inches thick icy-surfaces of static water bodies like Dal Lake and Wullar Lake are some common sights of valley during Chillai-Kalan.
Some games like ice-hockey are played by young children on these solid water bodies. Previously a couple of instances when the mercury level went much below the freezing point due to extreme chill, motor-bikers relished to ride on the icy-surfaces of Dal Lake. Children in rural areas also spent some of their leisure time in wrangling with one another. They make solid dense snow-balls to through them towards one another. However this harsh period of Chillai Kalan is often a headache for major chunk of vallities especially the ones belonging to impoverished class. Prior to the onset of winter, they have to arrange woolen and warm clothes for their children, traditional Kangri for every member of the family to beat the biting cold besides buying warm floorings for each room of the house. In absence of much needed electricity and frequent power outages, the electrical gadgets fail to provide us any relief in troubled times so it is Kangri only which infuses some life to our trembling bodies.
Making all these arrangements as winter preparations proves a big burden on our pockets as a major share of our yearly income gets consumed in purchasing and arranging winter items. For needy and poverty-stricken people, it almost breaks their back to withstand chilly waves during winters in valley as they can’t afford to buy costly luxurious items and electrical gadgets to keep chill at bay. Well-off and affluent people purchase charcoal and timber items from the market at ease while those who can’t afford, toil hard and tirelessly to produce such essential items themselves for the upcoming winter. Government employees and some traders who get ample opportunities to work in winter, may bear the brunt of Chillai Kalan but the majority of working and unskilled labour class who are left with no jobs in Kashmir during winter either leave for Jammu and other states of country to improve their economic condition by working there or silently bear the pangs of intense pains during winter in valley. Wealthy and rich section of society either spent this harsh period in Jammu or Delhi to escape winter chill and live lavishly there or they keep available every appliance and gadget in their homes to stay here. Contrary to this economically downtrodden people due to their meagre resources and poor income avenues live miserably during winter in valley. Opulent and prosperous people apart from living a luxurious life during winter, make different dishes for their dinners and lunch on almost daily basis. They please their children and other family members by bringing home chicken, mutton, red-meat, fish and other dairy products while their underprivileged counterparts completely rely on sun-dried vegetables of summer season.
It has been our centuries old practice to keep available all essential food items especially the sun-dried vegetables for the chilly days of Chillai Kalan because the National Highway the only link of valley with rest of the world frequently gets closed for vehicular traffic in view of heavy snowfall. There is a big variety of sun-dried vegetables which we have been using during Chillai Kalan to combat food shortages viz Sun-dried brinjal, tomatoes, spinach, collard greens, dandelion leaves and most importantly the bottle gourds. Though recently some valley based medicos warned people against using these sun-dried vegetables citing their carcinogenic effect, people of valley have been accustomed to prepare a mixed curry of sun-dried bottle gourds and chickpea to keep a wide range of infections and chest related disorders at bay. Sun-dried dandelion leaves were specifically served both to a lactating women as well as a pregnant one during winter in view of its enormous health benefits. Moreover during winter the disruption of power lines due to heavy to very heavy snowfall irritates vallities most. When it snows heavily, electricity gets disappeared for days together.
After strenuous efforts of PDD officials only we again get a glimpse of power in our homes after waiting it eagerly for days. Our children who are now preparing for their yearly examinations after the academic session was shifted to March to have a uniform academic session for entire country, the absence and disruption of power supplies during Chillai Kalan can prove disadvantageous. Blocking of national highway too annoys the valley dwellers during winter because when vehicular traffic is halted for many days, shopkeepers and selfish traders create artificial scarcity of essential goods to hike the rates which is further worsening the economic condition of already poverty-stricken people. For far-off and far-flung areas, this winter period gives its people some tough experiences as the roads leading to district headquarters remain blocked for weeks together and sometimes for months. Ailing persons and expecting mothers mostly die while being taken to hospitals on carts by the people of such backward areas due to lack of transportation and road blockades. It is pertinent to mention here that our Army plays a crucial role during such eventualities and on many occasions a good number of delivery cases were facilitated by army in snowy weather conditions. That is why we must be proud of our soldiers who prove to be heroes during natural calamities.
Writer is a columnist and hails from Qazigund Kashmir.
