Kashmiris Embrace Tradition: How Kangris and Hamams Are Keeping the Chill at Bay Amid Power Outages

The inhabitants of Kashmir are reverting to age-old methods to endure the severe cold wave as frequent and unplanned power outages have made contemporary heating devices ineffective.

Kashmir is currently experiencing Chilla-i-Kalan, the 40-day most rigorous winter period. The city of Srinagar recorded the coldest night in 33 years, with temperatures plummeting to a frigid minus 8.5 degrees Celsius on Saturday. Other regions in the Valley faced similarly intense sub-zero temperatures, resulting in frozen water supply pipelines in various areas.

In recent decades, urban residents of Kashmir had abandoned traditional heating methods — wood-fueled ‘hamams’, ‘bukharis’, and wicker-claypot ‘kangri’ — as the electricity supply had been improving annually.

Nevertheless, as Kashmir endures one of the most severe winters in recent history, electricity in most regions is, at best, sporadic, leaving electrically powered devices ineffective.

“In recent years, we had grown accustomed to relying on electric devices for warmth. With 12-hour outages daily, we have reverted to using kangris,” said Yasir Ahmad, a resident of the affluent Gulbahar colony in Srinagar.

Ahmad believes his expenditure on installing an air conditioner at home has “become futile”.

Abdul Ahad Wani, living in the old city’s Rainawari area, stated he had transitioned his wood-burning hamam to an electric one.

“I perceived the wood hamam as burdensome, and thought an electric hamam would be more convenient since it operates at the push of a button. Those in power consistently prove us wrong,” Wani remarked.

With limited supplies of LPG and kerosene available in the marketplace, the shortage of electricity has resulted in a lucrative opportunity for vendors selling traditional fuels like wood and charcoal.

“All I can say is the demand for wood this winter has been strong. People must stay warm, and there is nothing more effective than wood during such times,” Mohammad Abbas Zargar, a firewood merchant, conveyed.

An official from the Kashmir Power Development Corporation (KPDCL) indicated that while load shedding occurs due to a substantial rise in demand during winter, the assertions of 16-hour cuts were exaggerated.

“We are striving our utmost to adhere to the load shedding schedule that has already been disseminated. Nonetheless, due to circuit overloads, distribution transformers and related infrastructure sometimes get damaged, resulting in prolonged power outages,” he explained.

The official noted that although the KDPCL has established a transformer reserve to minimize service disruptions, the frequency of transformer failures significantly increases during winter.

“Our personnel are performing their duties. We urge the public to utilize electricity judiciously and in accordance with their load agreements,” he added.

Meanwhile, traffic officials have advised drivers to proceed cautiously as many roads are coated with a layer of ice in the early morning, making them slick.