It has been the coldest winter in Calcutta, according to the IMD (Indian Meteorological Department), in a decade. The Celsius hovered around 11 degrees. The night of December 31, 2025 was, in fact, the coldest last day of the year in over ten years with temperatures dipping below 11 degrees Celsius and January 1, 2026 was the coldest first day of the year in as many years with temperatures barely rising by a few degrees to settle at 11.6 degrees Celsius.
Bengalis are divided into two categories, those who love the short spell of chilly weather and the “seeth katures” (those who absolutely abhor the cold). For them it’s not just the shawls, sweaters, jackets and coats that come out but also the monkey caps and the toe socks. Toe socks are an ingenious invention. These can be slipped on and worn with not just shoes but also with slippers and sandals. This is very convenient in a country like ours where we have the wonderful tradition of taking off our shoes and leaving them outside the door before entering a house. Socks without a separate chamber, sewed on for the big toe, are not at all conducive for open shoes as they bunch up. This winter I spotted a few people even wearing gloves.
“I hate winter,” said a seeth kature, who says that the worst part of it is to drag oneself out of the warm blankets. But that’s the privileged people’s predicament. For those, the homeless, who do not have a roof over their heads or a bed to sleep on far less duvets and blankets to drag themselves out of, the winter has been a nightmare. I have witnessed pavement dwellers and beggars, bundled up under thin sheets, shivering. Calcutta has a fair share of citizens with a golden heart who go around distributing woolens and warm clothes to them. They also look after the street dogs and cats, who too suffered in the intense cold.
One of the nicest things about winter is the whistling wind. As we say goodbye to winter, I am also looking forward to the summer breeze whispering through the green shoots appearing now.
And the call of the cuckoo.
What I will miss a lot about winter are the scenes of groups of people gathered around little bonfires.