January 06
Tawseef Nazir
“No, they won’t let me out of winter,
and I’ve promised myself,
even if I’m the last snowman,
that I’ll ride into spring,
on their melting shoulders.” – Agha Shahid Ali
It all gets covered with the colour of winter, the colour of dusk. Shades of grey start to dominate. Temperature starts dipping, air breeze gets cooler, people add more layers to raise their body temperatures.
Winter in Kashmir is a five months season but the real winter is experienced in the forty days of Chilai kalan, starting from December 21 to January 31, and if it snows in these forty days, the experiences get worst. Old aged and children are forced to sit inside as the snow in Chilai kalan.
Snow blanketed mountains, plains and white outlined trees especially Chinars may sound good to ears and are the usual clich?d lines used to describe the beauty of winter in Kashmir. It is beautiful to visualize as well but for its native’s winter brings a different experience. It is the worst season in the year, they say. Because of the facilities available in here, locals refer to winter as the ugliest season.
Living under these snow blankets has never been exciting for Kashmiris.
Heavy or light, the snowflakes cut the three regions, Ladakh, Kashmir and Jammu, from each other.
Snow excites everyone, the children, mostly, are eagerly waiting to play in the cool white drifts. Lately we did receive some snow on the plains but that didn’t give the children their moment to enjoy.
Usually the local folks welcome the snowfall with a smile and you can see their happy faces as soon as the snow starts falling as this assures these folks that snow will cause glaciers to form which will melt all through the year to provide water that can be used for important activities like drinking and farming among others by the Kashmiri people.
you not only get to view a whitewashed picture of Kashmir but also learn about the lifestyle of the local folks of Kashmir in the winter months. Do not forget to sit by the fireside and talk to the other tourists in the evenings that are snow-free and opt for trekking in the daytime while the snow is still falling to make your experience more exciting and unforgettable.