Kashmir's harshest winter period 'Chilla-i-Kalan' begins

Kashmir's harshest winter period, 'Chilla-i-Kalan', began on Thursday with the mercury dropping several notches below the freezing point at many places, officials said. Srinagar city -- the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir -- recorded a low of minus 4.3 degrees Celsius on Tuesday night, down from the previous night's minus 3.7 degrees Celsius, they said. Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag district, which serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra, recorded a minimum temperature of minus 5.8 degrees Celsius, they said.