Those visiting the Kashmir valley for the first time during the winter season are likely to be surprised to find people carrying firepots in their hands or in their laps, and they might ask what it is. They would then be told about the Kangri: the small earthen pot filled with glowing charcoal and encased in handmade wicker baskets. They are usually about 10 inches tall. And their purpose is to beat the biting cold in the harsh winter.
The Kangri has become an important part of Kashmiri tradition and even in modern times there is a huge demand for it, and is even used in public or private offices during the winters.
I read some beautiful verses somewhere that reflect the enduring relationship of Kangri with Kashmir’s culture:
Ai Kangri! Ai Kangri!
Kurban tu Hour wu Peri!
Chun dur bughul mi girimut
Durd az dil mi buree.
[Oh, Kangri! oh, Kangri!
You are the gift of Houris and Fairies;
When I take you under my arm
You drive fear from my heart.]
The Kangri in Kashmir is normally kept inside the Pheran (a long, loose woolen garment that people in the Valley wear) or inside a blanket to provide instant heat, keeping one safe from the outside cold. In case a person is not in a Pheran and is wearing, for instance, a sweater, then it may be used as hand-warmer. The standard size of a Kangri is usually about 6 inches (150 mm) in diameter but it is also available in smaller sizes for schoolgoing children.
A massive Kangri, possibly the biggest in the world, on display in Muzaffarabad
Some have speculated that Kashmiris may have learnt the use of the Kangri from the Italians, who used a similar device known as the scaldino. Historical evidence, however, contradicts the claim that Kangri came to Kashmir from Italy – but it is known that it was used first in the time of the Mughal Empire.
Everybody cannot make a Kangri. It needs skill, dexterity and craftsmanship. Manufacturing the Kangri involves labour and local artisanal craftsmanship. Twigs are collected from deciduous shrubs, scraped and peeled and go through a process of soaking, drying and dyeing. Then they are finally woven around the bowl-shaped earthenware. The earthenware is decorated with colorful threads, mirror-work and sequins.
The traditional fire-pot is an effective and economical heating arrangement even in the modern era when electronic heating gadgets are available. In the absence of electricity or during load-shedding, it helps to keep people warm in harsh winters. The Kangri remains an enduring emblem of local craft that is eco-friendly and cost effective.
The largest functional Kangri in the whole world (7.5 feet high and 4.5 feet wide) was put on display at Upper Adda in Muzaffarabad, the capital city of Azad Jammu and Kashmir recently. Prior to this one, the largest Kangri was installed as a ‘decorative piece’ in a Srinagar neighbourhood.
The biggest Kangri was the brainchild of Mr. Hassan, a Graduate of the National College of Arts (NCA) Lahore. His other two team members are Khawaja Jameel, an electrical engineer and Faisal Jamil, a Kashmiri civil society activist.
A kangri for warmth while smoking a hookah outdoors
It is being used for selling cooked Kashmiri rice (pulao) and placed along with a Shikara, represents the significance of Kashmiri culture.
In the first week of October, the trio launched a portable restaurant on the replica of a Shikara – a wooden boat found on Dal Lake and other water bodies in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Faisal Jamil Kashmiri says that the primary objective of displaying these replicas was to reconnect people with their culture and traditions.
He further adds: “It is indeed a matter of great pleasure for us that people not only responded to our efforts positively but also encouraged us to do more. Homemade pink Kashmiri tea, Goshtaba Yakhni, Chicken Pulao, Soup, Lobia (Red beans) and Methi Maaz are being served to the customers at the Shikara”, he adds.
One of my friends in Indian-administered Kashmir once told me that most of rural Kashmir is devoid of electricity. Locals use the Kangri daily as it doesn’t disappoint them like electricity does.
In our part of Kashmir (AJK), due to less harsh winters and the availability of alternate heating gadgets, the production of Kangris has significantly declined and at present one can hardly find a place where a Kangri may be purchased. But it is a fact that all the modern heating devices have not yet been able to entirely drive the Kangri out of use.
Kangris, Kashmiri shawls, pink Kashmiri tea, wooden houses and Pheran are all part of a set of arrangements that enable people to survive and thrive during the winter in the valleys of snow-covered mountains and frozen waters.
Mubashar Naqvi is a freelance writer based in Muzaffarabad who regularly contributes for The Friday Times. He may be reached at mubashar_naqvi@yahoo.com
