“Earlier, there were no such facilities available in Kashmir that could have kept the people warm here during the winter. It was the Kangir that was afforded by all. This devise used to keep people warm and was also handy during brawls and fights. Still on this date, the Kangir is used as a weapon during fights besides serving its main purpose.”
IZHAR SAYEED
Despite the latest heating gadgets dominating the valley markets during the chilling winter months, the traditional fire pot famously known as Kangiri seems to have been facing no threats of extinction at all from the scene. Though the heating appliances in plethora are available in the valley markets, it had not even meagrely affected the sale of Kangiris. Almost every home in Kashmir has a Kangir with people preferring this centuries old heating device over novel heating technologies. As per the historical records it has been around 500 years ago when the Kangiri was introduced in Kashmir. Renowned journalist and author of Ahad Nama Kashmir Late Khawaja Sana-ullah Bhat mentions in his book that Kangiri for the first time was introduced in Kashmir by Mughal Emperor Akbar. After he invaded and conquered Kashmir in 1586, Akbar was briefed by one of his governor about the fearless and rebellious spirit of the people of Kashmir. Khawaja Sana-ullah Bhat mentions that in a bid to crush this military spirit of the people of Kashmir, Akbar introduced a long gown called Pheran and Kangiri to the people here.
He records that prior to that people in this region used to wear the clothes of Central Asian identity. “For a major period Kangir here was known as Ranger,” claims Sana-ullah Bhat in his Ahad Nama Kashmir. The pot known as the Kang with twigs swirled around known as ‘Kan- ni’ makes a Kanger. The charcoal is put inside the pot to keep it warm for the longer period. Several scholars of history relate it with the cultural and traditional identity of this himaliyan region. Kashmir’s known satirist and poet Zareef Ahmad Zareef said that as the civilization in Kashmir evolved from the past times, so does the Kangiri. “Earlier, there were no such facilities available in Kashmir that could have kept the people warm here during the winter. It was the Kangir that was af- forded by all. This devise used to keep people warm and was also handy dur- ing brawls and fights. Still on this date, the Kangir is used as a weapon during fights besides serving its main pur- pose,” observes Zareef.
There is Chrar-e-Kanger (made in Chrar), Bandpur Kanger (made in Bandipora) and Islambaed Kanger (made in Islamabad Anantnag),” says Zareef. The noted poet added that Islambad Kanger was earlier used by the middle class people while as Chrar-e-Kanger was generally used by the elite class and Bandpur Kanger was used by the upper middle class.
He claims further that Kangir was never of the similar shape as could be seen today. “It was earlier only a red pot known as Kang. It was later that twigs were used to surround this pot and Kangiri got introduced,” he said, adding that be- fore the Muslim saint Mir Syed Ali Hamadani (RA) came to Kashmir,the people here used to roam around with long cloaks without trousers. “When a Kang was kept inside the long cloak, usually people used to get burns in legs due to the Kang (Pot) that always would be filed with hot charcoals. It was only later on that twigs were used to cover the kang.” He informed that there are three types of Kangris available in the markets which are famous .”
There is Chrar-e-Kanger (made in Chrar), Bandpur Kanger (made in Bandipora) and Islambaed Kanger (made in Islamabad Anantnag),” says Zareef. The noted poet added that Is- lambad Kanger was earlier used by the middle class people while as Chrar-e-Kanger was gener- ally used by the elite class and Bandpur Kanger was used by the upper middle class. Even today in several areas of Kashmir valley, sas Zareef, Kangir is given in dowry. “We see it even today that Kangir is filed with the dry fruits and covered with decorating papers and then sent with the bride,” Zareef said. Ironically, there is another aspect of the story and that is the apathy of the government towards the Kangiri makers.
No official record as been kept by the state authorities over the number of such craftsmen and preservation of this craft seems to be a distant dream. It is being feared that with no measures taken by the government in fa- cilitating the craftsmen who make the Kangiris, the craft would die the silent death one day. As one of the Kangiri lover, Aamir a civil engineering stu- dent observes: “We hail the craftsmen when we see the paper machie and we shower praises to the carpet weavers when we are dazzled by the lat- est designs of the carpets but we hardly notice that the Kangiri we keep for almost six months close to ourselves has been made by someone, somewhere and he too is a craftsman- perhaps waiting for someone to applaud his skills.”
