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News: Chillai-Kalan began on December 21, 2025, bringing rain and snowfall across Kashmir after a prolonged dry spell in the Valley.
About Chillai-Kalan
- Chillai-Kalan is the forty-day period of the harshest winter cold in the Kashmir Valley.
- Naming: The term Chillai-Kalan comes from Persian and means “Major Cold”.
- Duration: It generally begins on December 21 and continues until January 30.
- Climate: It is characterized by sub-zero temperatures, snowfall in higher altitude and rain in the plains, and freezing of water bodies like the Dal Lake.
- Three Phases
- Chillai-Kalan (Big Cold): It is the main forty-day phase of extreme winter cold from December 21 to January 30.
- Chillai-Khurd (Small Cold): It is a twenty-day period of comparatively moderate cold from January 31 to February 19.
- Chillai-Bacha (Baby Cold): It is a ten-day phase of mild cold from February 20 to March 2.
- Significance: Expected rain and snowfall during Chillai-Kalan may end a dry spell of over two months, reduce suspended particulate matter build-up, improve air quality and ease rising respiratory problems .
- Cultural significance: The night of December 21 is observed in Persian tradition as Shab-e Yalda-“Night of Birth”, or Shab-e Chelleh. – “Night of Forty”.
- Ecological Significance: The heavy snowfall during this period is critical for replenishing glaciers, streams, and rivers, ensuring water security for the region during summer.
