Entertainment to thaw freezing temp in Kashmir

To celebrate the 40-day long harshest spell of winter, 'chillai kalaan', which begins from December 21, four youth from the region have organised an entertainment event, 'Funtoosh: jashne chillai kalaan' that will be held on Saturday at the auditorium of Kashmir University.

To celebrate the 40-day long harshest spell of winter, 'chillai kalaan', which begins from December 21, four youth from the region have organised an entertainment event, 'Funtoosh: jashne chillai kalaan' that will be held on Saturday at the auditorium of Kashmir University.

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The rare attempt, which is the first of its kind, aims to nudge the valley folks to break free from the age-old trend of spending the winter spell in sweet languor inside their homes. "The idea behind celebrating the harshest winter spell is to propel the people and motivate them to remain energetic during this time of the year. Unfortunately, Kashmiris are known for their habit of giving in to winters and staying indoors," said Sibet Qureshi (23), a mass communication professional.

While agreeing with Qureshi, Abrar Ali (24), another organiser, said, "We need to take cues from the states of central Asia where the pace of life remains at a constant momentum even during winters. Meanwhile, another reason that contributes to the lazy behaviour of the people during winters is poor electricity."

Because of the sharp dip in temperature, most of the valley residents start the day late in the morning. Even the shops open after 10 am. Also, due to the severe cold, the water bodies in the valley, including portions of the Dal lake freeze. People start to wind up the day an hour before the sunset at 4:30 pm.

For more details, read Hindustantimes