Over the past month, Kashmir has been receiving heavy spells of snowfall, transforming the region's picturesque hills and meadows into a white wonderland. Locally known as chillai kalan, the 40-day period between 21 December and 30 January is the coldest time of the year in the Kashmir valley.
Jayanta Roy, a Kolkata-based photographer, has been capturing this magical transformation through his camera and sharing the stunning black-and-white images on Instagram. The 35-year-old visited the Valley for the fourth time this winter, shooting pictures in Srinagar, as well as in far-flung Baramulla, Anantnag and near Pahalgam. "Most of my work in in black-and-white because I think it crosses the barrier of reality and touches a world full of wonder, where everything is defined in shades and not in colours," Roy told HuffPost India. Here are some of the most striking pictures.