✒️:. Mohd Rafique Rather
Winter in Kashmir is not merely a season,it is an experience that transforms the valley into a quiet, breathtaking, and at times demanding wonderland. As the first cold winds sweep down from the snow-laden Himalayan peaks, life in the valley begins to change. Villages turn calmer, mountains acquire a silver sheen, and the air takes on the stillness that foretells the arrival of snow. The transformation is sensed long before the first flakes fall. Chinar leaves, once blazing red, drift silently to the ground, leaving behind bare branches that stand like dark sketches against the winter sky. Streams and water bodies slow down as temperatures sink deep into the minus range, freezing water in jars, buckets and pipelines. The valley prepares itself for the long cold months ahead and then winter descends in all its majesty.
There are few sights in the world as enchanting as Kashmir under fresh snow. As snowflakes float gently from the sky, they weave a white blanket across rooftops, orchards, meadows and mountain slopes. Every tree , whether the tall poplar or the apple laden with the memory of autumn, turns mesmerising as delicate layers of powdered snow cling to their branches, glistening whenever a shy winter sun pushes through the clouds. The entire landscape becomes a vast, pure canvas, untouched and serene, as if nature itself has rolled out a soft white carpet across the valley. Towering mountains, wrapped tightly in their translucent snow covers, dominate the horizon with a quiet nobility, giving the entire region a dreamlike aura.
Yet within this breathtaking beauty lies a winter that is equally unforgiving. Temperatures dip far below zero, freezing water overnight and turning even simple daily tasks into challenges. People wake up to find taps sealed with ice, water pots solidified into blocks and pathways transformed into slippery stretches of glass. Mornings are especially harsh, when the world outside seems frozen in time and breath leaves the mouth in faint clouds. Even then, the cold does not dim the spirit of the valley. Children slide across frozen patches with laughter echoing in the stillness, elders gather around small fires sharing stories of harsher winters, and shopkeepers warm their palms over burning coals while sipping hot salted tea.
Inside Kashmiri homes, however, lies a world shaped by warmth, tradition and resilience. If the outdoors narrate the story of cold and silence, the indoors tell one of family, comfort and cultural heritage. At the centre of this warmth is the cherished hamaam a room built with thick limestone slabs heated from beneath using firewood. It becomes the heart of every household during winter, a place where families sit for hours talking, reading and enjoying the soothing heat that slowly seeps into their bones. Alongside this stands the iconic kangri, the beloved wicker firepot carried under the pheran. It provides a personal, portable warmth unique to Kashmir, symbolising a deep cultural bond with the season.
Winter kitchens also come alive with their distinct aroma and traditions. The smell of dried vegetables stored during summer, the preparation of harissa in the early morning hours, kehwa simmering in samovars and makai breads crisping on hot pans all add flavour to the season. For generations, Kashmiri families have prepared for winter with thought and foresight, storing food, firewood and essentials, making the cold season a time of both survival and togetherness.
While winter paints the valley in postcard-perfect beauty for visitors, for locals it remains a season that tests endurance. Roads often get blocked under heavy snowfall, electricity supply becomes uncertain and travel turns difficult. Yet, year after year, Kashmir navigates these challenges with a calm, dignified resilience. The hardships become part of the rhythm of life, embraced with patience born from centuries of living with nature’s extremes.
There is a poetry to winter in Kashmir that words can only attempt to capture. The valley sleeps under its thick quilt of snow, gathering strength for the spring that will eventually follow. The silence, the frozen mornings, the shimmering white fields, the warmth of hamaams and kangris, the aroma of winter cuisine — everything comes together to create a season of reflection, endurance and quiet beauty. And when the sun finally breaks through the mist and the snow begins to melt, the valley awakens once more, renewed by the very season that tested and enriched it.
The author is a former trade union leader, educationist,columnist and a TV Debater.
Can be reached out at mrafiqr65@gmail.com
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