Current:Home > MarketsAP PHOTOS: In idyllic Kashmir’s ‘Great Winter,’ cold adds charm but life is challenging for locals-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
AP PHOTOS: In idyllic Kashmir’s ‘Great Winter,’ cold adds charm but life is challenging for locals
View Date:2024-12-23 20:59:02
SRINAGAR, India (AP) — The skies are overcast. On the plains, temperatures have dropped below freezing. High on the mountains, peaks are draped in thick snow.
This is the time of “Chillai Kalan,” also called “The Great Winter,” a Kashmiri phrase that defines the harshest 40 days of cold in disputed Kashmir that commence in late December and extend into January and early February.
Renowned for its breathtaking landscapes, Kashmir in winter transforms into a wonderland. Tourists fill its hotels to ski, sledge, and trek the Himalayan landscape.
But winter also brings the region’s most challenging weather conditions, affecting daily routines in agriculture, transportation and other livelihoods.
For locals, the major source of heat is the kanger, a pot filled with hot coal embers tucked inside their pheran, a traditional knee-length cloak. Almost ensnared by its warmth, people only step outside for work and other essentials.
The subzero temperatures in Kashmir, a disputed region between India and Pakistan that has been marred by decades of conflict, also coincide with frequent power cuts. It is one of the idyllic valley’s long-standing, unresolved crises.
This year the unscheduled power outages, sometimes lasting 12 to 16 hours, have disrupted patient care for those with respiratory illnesses and affected businesses.
Residents have long accused New Delhi of stifling their hydropower potential, as most of such power produced locally goes to various Indian states, leaving 13% for Kashmir. The region must purchase electricity at higher prices from India’s northern grid to meet demand.
The stillness of winter in Kashmir, however, also offers a promise of vibrancy come spring. The cold rejuvenates fields and orchards, mainstays of the region’s economy, and the snow replenishes freshwater streams.
veryGood! (18377)
Related
- 'Survivor' 47, Episode 9: Jeff Probst gave players another shocking twist. Who went home?
- West Virginia lawmakers reject bill to expand DNA database to people charged with certain felonies
- A new, smaller caravan of about 1,500 migrants sets out walking north from southern Mexico
- Girlfriend of suspect in fatal shootings of 8 in Chicago suburb charged with obstruction, police say
- Dwayne Johnson Admits to Peeing in Bottles on Set After Behavior Controversy
- Pregnant Sofia Richie Reveals Sex of First Baby With Husband Elliot Grainge
- He killed 8 coyotes defending his sheep. Meet Casper, 'People's Choice Pup' winner.
- The Reason Jessica Biel Eats in the Shower Will Leave You in Shock and Awe
- Mega Millions winning numbers for November 12 drawing: Jackpot rises to $361 million
- Georgia lawmakers consider bills to remove computer codes from ballots
Ranking
- 4 arrested in California car insurance scam: 'Clearly a human in a bear suit'
- Two men convicted of kidnapping, carjacking an FBI employee in South Dakota
- Kylie Cosmetics Dropped a New Foundation & Our Team Raves, “It Feels Like Nothing Is on My Skin
- Levi’s to slash its global workforce by up to 15% as part of a 2-year restructuring plan
- Angels sign Travis d'Arnaud: Former All-Star catcher gets multiyear contract in LA
- WWE's Vince McMahon accused of sexual assault and trafficking by former employee. Here are 5 lawsuit details.
- Watch: Lionel Messi teases his first Super Bowl commercial
- South Dakota Senate OKs measure for work requirement to voter-passed Medicaid expansion
Recommendation
-
Elon Musk says 'SNL' is 'so mad' Trump won as he slams Dana Carvey's impression
-
Man denied bail in Massachusetts crash that killed officer and utility worker
-
The Best Faux Fur Coats for Your Inner Mob Wife Aesthetic
-
It Could Soon Get a Whole Lot Easier to Build Solar in The Western US
-
Outgoing North Carolina governor grants 2 pardons, 6 commutations
-
Kentucky House passes crime bill with tougher sentences, including three-strikes penalty
-
Voting begins in tiny Tuvalu in election that reverberates from China to Australia
-
Untangling the Controversy Surrounding Kyte Baby