Saqib Ali Haidri
MUZAFFARABAD: World’s largest functional Kangeri presented for commercial use first time at Upper Adda Muzaffarabad on Friday.
A 7 feet and 6 inches tall Kangeri will be used for selling cooked Kashmir rice (Pulao) and will be placed along with Shikara (wooden boat found on Dal lake and other water bodies of Srinagar) representing significance of Kashmiri Culture.
Owner of the Kangri, Kamran Hassan told this correspondent that there is 3 feet tall Kangeri in Srinagar which was considered as one of the largest Kangeri but this Kangeri has has no parallel having more than 7 feet height and sited on public place for business purpose. “we are 3 partners in this business” he maintained. “It took 3 weeks to make this kangeri, this kangri is just not a decorative piece but a functional art piece, inside of it food will be served whose dimensions are Width: 4.5′ x Height: 7.5′ , designed and made by Kh. Kamran Hassan for Koshar Foods although I don’t want to share the cost incurred on it” Kamran added. Kangeri is an earthen pot woven around with wicker filled with hot embers used by Kashmiris and Himachalis beneath their traditional clothing and is also regarded as a work of art. It comes in different variants, small ones for children and large ones for adults. In Kangra and Chamba districts of Himachal Pradesh, the Kangeri is used as a personal heater, albeit now the use has declined there to almost non-existent.
In Kashmir, it is normally kept inside the Pheran (the Kashmiri cloak) or inside a blanket. If a person is wearing a jacket, it may be used as hand warmer. The size of Kangeri is usually about 6 inches (150 mm) in diameter and reaches a temperature of about 150 °F (66 °C).
