The Kashmiri and the Kangri

One cannot be seen without the other in winter, the pot warming the body under the pheran

In the biting cold of a Kashmir winter, it is the kangri that offers warmth. The earthen pot filled with burning charcoal is held by its handle under the pheran, a long, loose woollen garment people in the Valley wear. The pot has evolved into a piece of art over the centuries, covered as it is with wicker woven into beautiful designs. The best and costliest kangri, known as Chrar Kangri as it is made in Chrar town, 35 km from Srinagar, has thin twigs woven around in an easily recognisable design. The twigs are steeped in boiling water until soft and the bark peeled.

Kangri-making is a cottage industry, providing employment to many men and women. The pot is supplied by the potter, while thousands of people produce the charcoal by burning twigs and leaves of different kinds of trees in autumn. Some people buy quality charcoal from bakers who use firewood ovens. As the pot and the charcoal come into the market ahead of winter, grocers and vegetable sellers add them to their merchandise. There are footpath vendors and travelling salesmen too.

The kangri is a part of Kashmiri culture. For instance, parents give a specially designed pot to their daughter in the first winter after her wedding. Though the pot is still being used by many in both urban and rural areas, it is slowly losing out to electric and gas heaters. One ill-effect of the hot pot is rashes and burns.

Of late, the kangri is displayed as a work of art in affluent households, especially in urban Kashmir. The pot may ultimately turn into an antique piece, when modern heating appliances become affordable. But that will take at least a couple of decades.