As winter tightens its icy grip on the Kashmir valley, the traditional fire pot known as “Kangri” is seeing a surge in demand.
About Kangri:
The Kangri, also known as Kanger or Kangid, is earthenware filled with glowing embers and encased in pretty handmade wicker baskets.
It is a portable and moving heater that Kashmiris keep in their pheran, a long woollen cloak reaching down to the knees worn by people during the frosty winters.
A pot can hold about 250 grams of charcoal, and the fire, lasts for hours, under a pheran.
It keeps people warm during the harsh winter months, when temperatures can drop below minus 20 degrees.
How is it made?
It is known for its outer shell made of willow wicker reedsthat grow abundantly in the wetlands of north Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.
These reedscan reach eight feet in height and are harvested during autumn, just before demand for the fire pots swells.
These then go through a multi-layered process ofscraping and peeling to get rid of the bark, soaking, boiling,and dryingbeforethey are ready to be woven around a bowl-shaped clay pot.
The earthenware is decorated with colourful threads, mirrorwork, and sequins and is about six inches (150 mm) in diametre.
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