BR Reporter
Kashmir is just 20 days away from Chilla-i-Kalan- the 40 -day-period of harsh winters. It is the time when Kashmir will look entirely different from rest of the seasons. From frozen paths, taps and lakes, every- thing will be in its solid state due to the dipping mercury.
Chilla-i-Kalan begins from December 21 and last for 40 days.
The severe part of the winter has two other segments-20 days-long Chilla-i- Khurd and Chilla-i- Bache for 10 days.
The weather in Kashmir valley continues to remain dry and cold with minimum temperatures hovering below the freezing point. The chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum in Chillai-kalan. The snow during this 40-day period freezes and lasts longer
While life comes to standstill during the harshest winter period with problems like lack of electricity, water and warmth, it is also a time when a person can really enjoy doing many things to explore or burn extra calories.
Here we mention some of the tasks you can really enjoying doing in winters in Kashmir
Enjoying delicacies
From hot harissa to saffron kehwa, chilla-i-Kalan is all about relishing good foods and spending time with families and friends indoors. It is the time you can really learn to cook good and tasty food and serve your families to earn praises from them.
Dum Aloo, Suji Halwa, tea snacks like Pakodas and many more can be interesting options to try with this Chilla-i- Kalan
Hamam Gupshups
Given that temperature dips below freezing point in mid of the winters, having hamam ghupshups can prove to be a good pastime.
A hamam is a room in which thick, hand-hewn rectangular slabs of limestone are laid over a hollowed-out floor . Firewood is placed in the hamam through a small iron door. The smoke escapes through a chimney while warming the surface of the room.
You can call your neighbours or friends and have conversation, say a political, social, cultural or a film you have watched recently.
Cricket on frozen Lakes
If you are living in or around Srinagar, playing cricket on frozen Dal lake can be really interesting. During Chilla-i-Kalan the entire lake is frozen and people walk over the surface.
Last year, people walked while children played cricket over the frozen lake.
You can also try playing cricket or click a photograph over the frozen lake to get those extra comments or likes from your followers.
Sheen Jung
It is the favourite sport played by children during winters. Two rival parties would make snow bunkers and frontline warriors would make snowballs to be hurled with full force at the opposing camp till one party would completely destroy the bunker of the rival team.
Removing snow from rooftops
If you had too much of food and worry about extra calories, don’t worry. Removing sow from the roof can be a best exercise for you to shed away those calories and get in shape.
In the past, due to heavy snowfall, it was one of the main tasks of elders to clear tin roofs of heavy loads of snow. In Areas , which experience more snowfall than Srinagar, climbing to the rooftop to clear the snow is still prevalent.
