With the electricity playing hide and seek and people facing lengthy and unscheduled power cuts, the Kashmiris are using Kangris, Hamams and Bukharis to beat the cold and keep themselves warm in the bone chilling cold.
Kashmir is witnessing Chilla-i-Kalan, the 40-day harshest winter period.
Srinagar recorded the coldest night in 33 years as the minimum dipped to bone-chilling minus 8.5 degrees Celsius on Saturday, the first day of Chillai Kalan. Other places in the valley also experienced extreme sub zero temperatures, which led to freezing of water supply pipes in many areas.
In absence of electricity, people prefer traditional heating arrangements including kangris (earthen fire pots), wood-based ‘hamams’ and ‘bukharis’ to keep themselves warm.
The demand for the traditional heating arrangements has increased as Kashmir is going through one of the harshest winters in recent memory.
The electricity in most parts of Kashmir is erratic, rendering the gadgets powered by electricity useless.
The metered areas are witnessing over 12 hours power cuts while the non metered areas are also experiencing lengthy power cuts.
“With 12 hour cuts every day, we have now gone back to kangris. How will electronic heating gadgets work in absence of electricity,” Javed Ahmed, a resident of uptown Srinagar.
Ahmad feels his investment in installing an air conditioner at home has “gone waste”.
Abdul Ahad Wani, who resides in the old city’s Rainawari area, said he had converted his wood-fuelled hamam to electricity powered one.
“I thought using the wood hamam was cumbersome and electric hamam will be better as it is available on the push of a switch. People in power have a habit of proving us wrong,” Wani said.
With limited LPG and kerosene supply in the open market, the lack of electricity has meant good business for those selling traditional fuels like wood and charcoal.
“All I can say is the demand has been good this winter for wood. People have to keep themselves warm and there is nothing better than wood in these times,” Mohammad Abbas Zargar, a firewood dealer, said.