Mehendi Mehraj

When winter grips Kashmir, the kangri, a traditional firepot, travels from willow groves to clay wheels to homes across the valley. This is the story of the people, craft, and care that turn it into a winter lifeline.

Kashmir’s new Chrysanthemum Garden, Bagh-e-Gul-e-Dawood, with over 30 lakh blooms, has transformed the once-quiet autumn season into a vibrant tourist draw. The influx of visitors has revived livelihoods, offering hope to locals who faced months of uncertainty.

Across Kashmir’s Pulwama, fields once filled with apples now bloom with lavender — a crop that’s cheaper to grow, easier to maintain, and far more profitable. Backed by science and government support, this purple revolution is turning farmers into entrepreneurs.