Srinagar, Jan 4: As winter has tightened its grip, a centuries-old tradition is making a strong comeback in Srinagar homes.
From Downtown localities to the city’s outskirts, several families are relying on traditional hamams to keep themselves warm— marking a shift away from electricity-driven heating gadgets that have become both expensive and risky.
Hamams are deeply rooted in Kashmir’s architectural and cultural heritage, which are specially designed heating system where the floor is laid with stone slabs that are hollow underneath. A fireplace constructed outside the house is fed with firewood, allowing heat to circulate beneath the flooring and warm the entire space evenly for hours. Once lit, a hamam retains warmth long after the fire has died down, making it one of the most efficient heating systems known to the region.
Historically, hamams were a common feature in masjids and houses of economically well-off families.
“I remember in my childhood, after soiling my clothes in snow, we would go to the hamam in our locality masjid to dry ourselves. Hamans were mainly confined to mosques. And then over time, with the advent of electric heaters, blowers, and other modern gadgets, many households either stopped using hamams or did not include them in new constructions. That trend, however, appears to be reversing,” said Muhammad Ramzan, an octogenarian from Harwan.
Locals said the main reason for this renewed demand for Hamams is the widespread installation of smart electric meters in Srinagar. With most areas now shifted from flat-rate electricity to metered billing, power tariffs have emerged as a major concern for residents.
“Earlier, we had a flat rate, and it was manageable. Now with a smart meter, every unit counts. We did not have a hamam earlier. This year, we converted part of our kitchen area into a hamam,” said Saqib Ahmad, a local from Hazratbal.
The move comes at a time when the Valley has witnessed a worrying rise in fire incidents, many of them linked to faulty wiring and overuse of electrical heating appliances during winter. Officials have repeatedly warned residents about the dangers of using crude and high-load electric gadgets, especially in congested residential areas.
Interestingly, no major fire incidents have been reported due to hammams, a fact locals attribute to the system being time-tested and inherently safer when properly constructed.
Ali Muhammad, a mason from Srinagar, said that “In newly constructed houses, people are now ensuring that there is a separate hammam room. Almost 80 percent of the houses I worked on this year included hamams,” he said.
Many hamams also have copper water containers installed near the heating chamber, ensuring a steady supply of hot water even during prolonged power outages, a common occurrence during harsh winters.
“For us, it is a blessing. When electricity goes out, we still have hot water and a warm room. Children, elders, and everyone sit together here, talk, and spend time. Earlier, everyone used to sit in separate rooms with heaters,” said Shubeena, a homemaker from the New Theed area.