Amid the persistent dry and cold weather, the Jammu and Kashmir region is ready to face the 40-day-long harshest winter period of 'Chillai Kalan', beginning from the intervening night of December 20 and December 21. This period of Chillai Kalan, which begins with Winter Solstice spans from December 21 to January 31, marks the apex of Kashmir's severe winter. Chillai Kalan is also known as "Shahenshah-e-zamistan." Chilla-i Kalan is a Persian term which means "major cold" while the intense cold conditions are known as 'Jaada' in North and East India.
During Chilai Kalan, the chilling cold increases further, while heavy snowfall and temperatures well below freezing point cause water bodies and even water taps in homes to freeze. In this 40-day period, nights are chilly and day temperatures are in single digits.The winter games at the skiing resort of Gulmarg are held during this period.
During Chillai Kalan, many Kashmiri families prepare 'Shabdeg' on the first day of 'Chillai Kalan'. Meat is slow cooked with turnips and spices in an earthen vessel during the night intervening December 20-21, to mark the onset of the coldest phase of the season.
During its 40 days, the Chillai Kalan leaves no chance to put people through the most difficult of hardships. Generally, however, due to the icy winds in Chillai Kalan, the entire valley is gripped by severe cold. The ongoing cold wave is said to reach its peak with Kashmir's mountains covered in snow for weeks, and the famous Dal Lake also reaching freezing point until the end of January.
Kashmir's winter pans out in three stages starting with a 40-day intense period from December 21 (locally called Chillai Kalan) followed by 20 more days which are less intense (Chillai Khurd) and then 10 days of mild cold (Chillai Bache). Chillai-Kalan is the 40-day
period of harsh winter in Kashmir that begins December 21 and ends on January 31.
According to meteorological reports, this year's Chillai Kalan will begin with a cold wave, and temperatures are expected to dip significantly across the Kashmir Valley. The Meteorological Department has also predicted that there could be light to moderate snowfall in the coming days, especially in the higher reaches of the valley. The plains are likely to experience a drop in temperature, which may cause frost. Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of minus 6.2 degrees Celsius, slightly down from minus 6 degrees Celsius the previous night.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), in South Kashmir, Pahalgam, which also serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra, registered a low of minus 8.2 degrees Celsius, down from the previous night's minus 6.8 degrees Celsius.
It said Gulmarg, a tourist spot popular for skiing, logged a minimum of minus six degrees Celsius, a degree down from the previous night. A hamlet on the outskirts of Pampore town, Konibal, was the coldest weather station in the valley as the minimum settled at the low of minus 9.2 degrees Celsius, the office said.
The minimum temperature in Qazigund, the gateway to Kashmir, was minus 7.6 degrees Celsius, minus 6.5 degrees Celsius in Kupwara in north Kashmir and minus 5.8 degrees in Kokernag of south Kashmir minus, the weather department said. The meteorological department has predicted a mainly dry weather till December 26 with a possibility of light snowfall in higher reaches of the Valley on the night of December 21-22.
As the harsh winter period begins, the demand for 'Kangri' (earthen fire pot filled with charcoal) has risen sharply as the residents prepare to face the bone-chilling cold. People stock eatables and other essential commodities for the period as the national highway often closes due to heavy snowfall.