'Chillai Kalan' and a slice of history

Chillai Kalan — a term used to describe the harshest winter spell in Kashmir that began on Saturday with Valley waking up to the lowest morning temperature of -8.5 °C in five decades — has a mention in the ‘Tazkiras’— accounts of the Sufi saints.

Literally meaning ‘the mighty cold’, the ‘Chillai Kalan’ signals a period of cultural significance in Kashmir when a range of customs — feasts to gatherings around Bukhari, the traditional fire — come alive. A decent snowfall during ‘Chillai Kalan’ means abundant recharge for the Valley’s glaciers and water bodies, heralding prosperity and chances of bumper crops particularly for farmers from the apple growing segment. This period is followed by a 20-day spell of cold known as ‘Chillai-Khurd’ or ‘small cold’ from January 30 to February 18.

The harshest winter period ends after the culmination of 10-day ‘Chillai-Baccha’, meaning ‘baby cold’ from February 19 to February 28. It is the time when outdoor activities in Kashmir get restricted and people particularly elderly prefer to stay indoors due to bone-chilling cold.

‘Chillai-Kalan’ comes from a Persian word meaning ‘big cold’. It has linkages with cultural ties of Kashmir with central Asia.

Historians say that it was during times of Mughal rule in Kashmir when the Persian language became the official language of the region which was why the harshest winter period came to be called ‘Chillai-Kalan’. Author and conservationist Hakim Sameer Hamdani says the practice of confining oneself during harsh winters was started by the Sufis from central Asia, who used to spend days inside Sufi shrines to “connect with their creator”. Hamdani says the reference of ‘Chillai-Kalan’ is in Tazkiras (histories written about Sufis). He said ‘Chila’ means confining oneself indoors.