Srinagar, Dec 30: The month of December has brought snow after a decade in the Valley. Since Wednesday it’s snowing heavily in Srinagar and rest of the Valley. It has also led to closure of streets, snapping of electricity, telecommunications and other symbols of modern age.
The meteorologists said they have registered precipitation in the month of December but mainly in the form of rain in the past one decade.
“There used to be rain. It used to be less,” a meteorologist said. “This was after a long time we had moderate to heavy snowfall in December.”
With Srinagar and other districts of Kashmir plunging into darkness, the wick lamps, lanterns and Chinese bulbs are illuminating the households. The snowfall also prevented people from going for their daily tasks.
“The days of emperor’s stories and fairy tales are back,” noted poet Zareef Ahmad Zareef said. “It has been years after snow returned this December. The snowflakes have taken us to our past. During those days winters would be fun rather than a cause of worry.”
As snow brought Valley to a virtual stand still, Zareef said he observed that younger generation has become keen enough to know about Chillai-Kalan especially when earlier it snowed in December.
“In my home also some younger wards came, huddled around me and listened to tales under the orange light of kerosene lantern,” he said.
Zareef said earlier it used to snow during the first week of Chillai-Kalan.
“Everything used to get frozen. The icicles would be hanging from thatched roofs. We would make merry by skating on the frozen mounds of snow. With trembling cold hands we used to make snowballs and throw at each other,” he said. “During evening, we would gather in one room. Then we would take Kangri beneath our gowns and listen to never ending tales from our elders. Those words would fill our imagination with exciting stories of queens and emperors.”
He said after December snow, life would come to halt for months.
“The markets, roads and life would get halted,” he said. “We used to eat dry vegetables, pulses and other non-perishable food. We used cow-dung, wood and saw dust for fuel.”
Unlike now, Zareef said the people would work very hard.
“The economy was run by artisans. So the artisans like carpet and shawl weavers would work hard during these six months. They would not come out till next spring,” he said. “Kashmir used to be self sufficient.”
“We have modern gadgetry, less severe winter these days. But we are becoming lethargic. More complaining which makes us more dependent, which ultimately eats on our independence.”
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