The onset of Chillai Kalan, the 40-day harshest winter period in Kashmir, has brought rain and snowfall to the Valley and ended a long and dry spell. Chillai Kalan begins on December 21 and is followed by 20 days of Chillai Khurd (small cold) and 10 days of Chillai Bacha (baby cold). The higher reaches of Kashmir received snowfall and the plains were soaked in rain on Sunday, igniting hope of a precipitation-packed winter. Sadhna Top, the pass connecting the Tangdhar sector along the Line of Control to the main Kashmir Valley, received six inches of snow. The administration is banking heavily on snow to revive winter tourism, which was dented by the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people in April.

Source: The Telegraph December 22, 2025 01:27 UTC