A kangri (kanger in Kashmiri) is an indigenous earthen pot woven around with wicker filled with hot embers used by Kashmiris beneath their traditional clothing pheran to keep the chill at bay. It is a portable heater, normally kept inside the Pheran, or inside a blanket or just to keep hands warm. It is mostly used in the cold nights of Chillai Kalan – the peak winter months.

After the earthen pots (kundal) are moulded and fired, the artisans complete the wickerwork around them, by erecting two arms to handle the pot, propping the back side with strong wicker sticks, and has a small wooden or iron spatula shaped stirrer called Tasalan or a shoehorn is tied to the handle, called Kanij, when in use it is filled hot charcoal (tchine). In olden days, “dried cow-dung or hak / light drift-wood collected at the mouth of the hill rivers by nets”, was also the fuel of Kanger, writes MJ Aslam.

Charar-i-Sharief town is the most famous for a peculiar kind of kangri called Charar kangir. Anantnag and Bandipora are also major producesr. At first, the kangri was made of sun-dried pot (also known as kung), but as time passed, Kashmiris evolved to utilise oven-fired pots, and it was only later that wicker was used.

A profound relation between Kashmiri and Kangri was noted by the Sufi Saint, Sheik Noor-u-din Wali (1377-1440). Among his most prized possessions was his own Charari Kangri.

On the historical evidence of use of kangri in Kashmir, MJ Aslam writes: “However, Marc Aurel Stein comments that Kangri’s name “in all probability has been derived from the Sanskrit word “Kasthangarika” (Kash-wood, Angarika-Fire embers). Pandit P N K Bamzai who had “assisted” Marc Aurel Stein in translation of Kalhana’s Rajatarangini, too, traces original of the word “Kanger” to the time of Kalhana’s Rajatarangini (12th century) by alluding to (1) the said Sanskrit word “Kasthangarika”, … where words “Kunda” (meaning ring) has been used to describe the appearance of the villages around the Wular lake which had given them, thus, the name Kundala”.

The most popular form of kangri in Kashmir is the Anantnag (Islamabad) kangri, which has a large base and a wide-mouthed pot. The Bandipora kangri, is manufactured of wicker with a finer weave. The Charar kangri is the costliest, with an embellished pot and minute wickerwork. Kangris are woven in a wide range of styles like the Willow Kangri, Safeed or Kachoo Kangri, Dabdar etc. These also have socio-economic status attached to them, as in who uses which type.

While Sada Kangri is used generally be everyone, there are some designs which are meant for special occasions only. These include the Zaildar Kangri, Dub Dar Kangri, Door Dar Kangri. Another type called the Sheesh Dair, or the Mahrin Kangri, are elegantly crafted and decorated Kangris, carried by newlywed brides. Shikari Kangri is a special type of Kangri because it has a big size and is used by boat-men. On auspicious occasions isband is burnt in the kangri.

Mohammad Ismail Mir aka Kashmir’s Newton, who hails from the Valley’s Bandipora area in North Kashmir, has added another innovation to his acclaimed list i.e. modified all weather suitable kangri. Mir has kept the kangri’s traditional design unchanged and created two sections inside it one holding charcoal and steel-made part containing water, which gets warm by the heat of the charcoal and could be “used for drinking” after pouring out through its outlet. The modified kangri, which has invited the attention of all people due its features, can work on charcoal, water and electricity. Kashmir’s Newton is looking to add more features to kangri including a fire alert component. The mind-boggling innovation is also being claimed as environmentally-friendly owing to its low carbon emission. Besides the modified kangri, Mir has a number of innovations to his name like oxygen concentrator, automatic disinfectant spray and others, but the genius man despairs of lack of appreciation from the government.